Yuto NAGATOMO has been selected from Tokyo to join the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan national team) for international friendly matches against the Mexico national team and the United States national team in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. He traveled to the U.S. on Monday, September 1 (Mon), and is diligently training on-site in the host country ahead of the matches. Wearing the blue and red jersey number 5, who earned his first Japan national team cap in about two and a half seasons at the East Asian E-1 Football Championship in July, what exactly is he thinking on American soil? Tomoo AOYAMA, who continues to cover Moriyasu Japan, reports on his expressions and thoughts.
Yuto NAGATOMO has finally set foot on American soil, the host country of the main tournament. Imagining the opening in June next year, one would expect his excitement to be high──. On the first day of training on site, I went to the interview area with that thought and asked him some questions. However, his answers went far beyond what I had anticipated.
"First of all, the climate is absolutely perfect. I had just been experiencing the intense heat in Japan, so this is the ideal climate for playing soccer. I already have a clear image of the tournament's opening and even what it will be like to be there, so coming here, I just thought, 'The climate is great.' Now, all that's left is to fully demonstrate my own abilities."
He spoke calmly and matter-of-factly, without raising his tone. In previous coverage of the Japan national team, scenes where he passionately expressed his feelings for the team were impressive, but from his very first words, I sensed a different atmosphere than before. The reason for that becomes clear from here.
There was one more thing I absolutely wanted to ask. I wondered if he wanted to test the outstanding performance he shows in blue and red on the stage of the Japan national team. I continued to ask Nagatomo questions.
"In my current condition, I can definitely play well for the national team. I believe I have returned to a condition where I can say that with confidence. I am working on returning to my peak form from my Inter Milan days, and I am gradually getting back there. If I raise it one or two more levels, I can show my best self. In my feeling, I think I can reach that state within about three months."
He had long said in Tokyo that "I am returning to the Nagatomo of my Inter days," but that was not a vague impression; it was confidence built on actual training including numerical data. A special team was formed to improve conditioning and performance aiming to become the first Asian to participate in five consecutive World Cups. He will turn 39 on the 12th of this month, and with a fulfilled expression, he said, "I have also significantly increased the load. Some might say it’s not a load typical for a 39-year-old, but the cells inside me are quite lively and energetic, so I think I have been able to bring myself into a very good condition."
Those who have been continuously watching Tokyo would understand just how good his current condition is and how aggressively he plays both offensively and defensively. Until the early part of this season, his contributions were mainly noticeable in defense, but entering summer, his physical attributes such as speed and power have been complemented by a shining aggressiveness in attack. The week before moving to the U.S., he played full matches with only two days’ rest between the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 28 match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. and the Emperor's Cup quarterfinal against Urawa Reds. After the Urawa match, when asked about his age and accumulated fatigue, he replied, "There is absolutely no tightness (in my legs). No problem at all."
Looking back, since his return to the Japan national team in March 2024, he was unable to get playing time for about a year and three months under Moriyasu Japan. There was also the aspect of his recall being expected to lift the team, which was down after the Asian Cup exit, but in reality, he was often left out of the bench, and there were even noises questioning the validity of his call-ups. However, he looked to the future, defied his age, used his overwhelming mental strength as a weapon to improve his condition, and has come back this far. That is why he can say: from here on is the real deal.
The Japan national team will put a pause on the Asian battles that continued from the final qualifiers through the E-1 Championship, and transition into a phase of testing their skills against the world in the main tournament. At the same time, Nagatomo’s battle will also move on to a new stage.
"The stronger the opponent, the more I can demonstrate my strength. The time has finally come for me to show my true essence. From here on, it’s the phase of securing a regular spot. The phase of supporting from behind is over for me. Now I have entered the phase of taking the regular position, so I am increasing the load and working hard to return to the form I had during my time at Inter."
While calmly analyzing himself, an uncontrollable passion comes through in his words. Looking back, on the first day of practice after his return to the national team in March 2023, he revealed an episode where his excitement got so high that his “cells started to tingle,” causing him to wake up at 5:00 a.m. I recalled that word “cells,” which hadn’t come up in a while, and asked him to compare the current state of those cells to back then.
“Just look at me on the pitch. The time has come to prove it. It’s not for me to say, but I hope you can see how fired up I am.”
Calmness born from confidence. The time has come to unleash the uncontrollable passion on the pitch. The sense of discomfort I felt at the start of the interview was probably because the phase he must challenge has changed. The fight from here on, the confidence he feels is also solid.
As the first Asian to participate in five consecutive World Cups, securing a regular spot in Moriyasu Japan, and aiming for the pinnacle of the world, Yuto NAGATOMO's new battle once again begins on American soil.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text and Photos by Tomoo Aoyama
