When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, with the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Where is the 2026 World Cup Final?

The Final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (New York metro area) on July 19, 2026.

How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?

48 teams will compete in the 2026 World Cup — the first time the tournament has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.

How many host cities are there?

16 host cities across 3 countries: 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.

How many matches will be played?

104 matches will be played over 39 days, from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

T. Watanabe

Japan

Japan26 yrs

Age

180 cm

Height

75 kg

Weight

Defence — centre

Typical role

Japan

Nationality

Career clubs

Yokohama F. Marinos

2023–2025

71 apps⚽ 2

Albirex Niigata

2022–2023

13 apps

Kanazawa

2021

37 apps⚽ 2

Career transfers

Albirex Niigata Yokohama F. Marinos
22 Jan 2024
Kanazawa Albirex Niigata
1 Jan 2022
Albirex Niigata Kanazawa
6 Aug 2020Loan

Honours

J2 League

Winner

Japan · 1× (2022)

J.League World Challenge

Runner-up

World · 1× (2025)

AFC Champions League Elite

Runner-up

Asia · 1× (2023/2024)

Injury record

Lacking Match Fitness

Apr 2025

Injury

Mar 2025 – Apr 2025

5 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

J1 League· Japan

J2/J3 League· Japan

AFC Champions League Elite· World

J-League Cup· Japan

Emperor Cup· Japan

Recent form

@ Yokohama FC

J1 League · 1–0

90'6.9

@ Shonan Bellmare

J1 League · 1–1

70'6.3

vs FC Tokyo

J1 League · 0–3

71'6.3

vs Fagiano Okayama

J1 League · 0–1

@ Albirex Niigata

J1 League · 0–1

14'6.9

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Goals	Assists	Rating
2025	Yokohama F. Marinos	9	0	0	6.68
2024	Yokohama F. Marinos	31	0	0	6.63
2023	Yokohama F. Marinos	37	2	1	7.00
2022	Albirex Niigata	7	0	0	—
2021	Kanazawa	37	2	0	—

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls

← All World Cup stars