The day Wataru Endo leaves the Japan national team. The captain's final words: 'Everyone, just do it.'

Wataru Endo is leaving the Japan national team.

The moment I saw this news,
honestly, my heart felt heavy.

I knew he was injured.

I was concerned while reading the reports,
knowing he was late joining full team practice,
and that his condition was not 100%.

'Will he make it in time?'
'Will it be difficult for him to play from the first match?'
'Will he be able to return at some point?'

Those anxieties were certainly there.

But, I never expected this.

I never imagined he would withdraw from the World Cup squad,
and furthermore, retire from the national team after this activity.

The captain of the Japan national team.
The pillar of the midfield.
The presence that calms the team during difficult times.

That Wataru Endo is leaving the team right before the World Cup kicks off.

I am not mentally prepared for this.

It's lonely.

It's frustrating.

But, Endo himself must be the most frustrated of all.

That is precisely why,
the words 'I have no regrets'
pierced my heart even more.

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The words 'I have no regrets'
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Endo wrote this on his X account.

'I have done everything I could, so I have no regrets.'

This single sentence pierced my heart.

There is no way he isn't frustrated.

It is the World Cup.

And it is the team he has led as captain.

Since the Qatar World Cup, he has transformed the group into one that can naturally speak of the goal of

"winning the World Cup."

at all times.

At the center of that was Wataru Endo.

That is precisely why he must have truly wanted to be on the pitch.

Singing the national anthem,
wearing the captain's armband,
clashing with opponents in midfield,
and calming the team down during difficult moments.

That is the figure we wanted to see.

But Endo did not make any excuses in the end.

Since getting injured, I did everything I could.
So I have no regrets.

I think the strength of the player that is Wataru Endo was evident in those words.

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Wataru Endo was not a flashy captain
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Wataru Endo is not a flashy captain.

He is not the type to keep encouraging the team with a loud voice.
He is not the type to lead others by wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
He is not a player who makes everyone go wild with a single play like a star.

But when Endo is there, the team settles down.

He puts his body on the line in the middle during difficult times.
He nips the opponent's attacks in the bud.
He stands in dangerous areas ahead of time.
He regulates the temperature of the match when his teammates are about to panic.

It is hard to see just through numbers.

But when you watch the match, you understand.

Wataru Endo was
a player who regulates the team's breathing
.

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The quiet captaincy shown by the man of DUELS
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When you think of Wataru Endo, you think of "DUELS."

During his time at Stuttgart, he posted overwhelming numbers in 1-on-1 challenges,
earning him the nickname "The King of DUELS."

A player who clashes with opponents,
wins the ball,
and fights in midfield.

His play is strong.

Yet, his captaincy always felt strangely quiet.

He didn't force himself to shout.
He didn't dominate the team through sheer force.
He led by example.
He kept doing what he always did.
He built up a posture that earned trust.

I believe Endo's leadership was
not about duels, but about trust
was what it was.

That is why the team followed him.

The Japan national team became able to seriously talk about the incredibly ambitious goal of "winning the World Cup."

One of the people who created that atmosphere was undoubtedly Wataru Endo.

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Leaving just before the World Cup is so frustrating
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Even so, the timing is cruel.

Right before the start of the World Cup.

The announcement of his departure came while expectations across Japan were rising.
And then, his retirement from the national team.

I can't help but think, is there any sadder way to say goodbye?

Of course, his battle at his club, Liverpool, will continue.

Wataru Endo's football life is not over.

From now on, we will still be able to see Wataru Endo fighting on the world's greatest stage,
wearing a red uniform.

That is a relief.

But we will no longer see Wataru Endo,
standing in the midfield for the Japan national team in his blue uniform.

Thinking about that, I feel lonely after all.

Wataru Endo as a national team player carried a special weight.

Just by being on the pitch,
he was a player who made you think,
'It's going to be okay.'

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What is entrusted to Shuto Machino
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Following Wataru Endo's withdrawal,
Shuto Machino has been called up as a replacement.

For Machino, this is a huge opportunity that has come suddenly.

It is too heavy a stage to dismiss with the word 'substitute'.

But that is what the World Cup is.

Someone carries the regret of another. Someone else fills the gap in the team. We overcome the unexpected with our collective strength.
Everyone fills the team's void.
We overcome unexpected events with our overall strength.

This is exactly the stance that Moriyasu Japan has always upheld.

If it is the team that Wataru Endo has built,
I am sure they can turn this adversity into strength.

I want to believe that.

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'From now on, as a fan'
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Upon retiring from the national team,
Endo said that from now on, he would support the Japan national team as a fan.

These words are also very characteristic of Wataru Endo.

He believes in the team until the very end.
Even if he leaves, he believes in the future of the Japan national team.
He believes the moment of winning the World Cup will surely come.

Furthermore, he called for everyone to unite Japan's strength and take on the challenge, so that this tournament could be that moment.
Even after taking off the captain's armband,

Wataru Endo was the captain until the very end.
And his final words.

And his final words.

Everyone, just do it.

It is a phrase that is quintessentially Wataru Endo, as much as it could possibly be.

Unadorned.
Not exaggerated.
But it lights a fire in your gut.

Just do it.

In those words,
I felt the determination that the Japan national team has built up until now was packed.

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Thank you, Wataru Endo
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Wataru Endo.

Thank you so much for your long battle with the Japan national team.

For tightening up the midfield during difficult times.
For stopping the opponent's attacks time and time again.
For setting a major goal for the Japan national team as captain.
For turning "winning the World Cup" from a dream into a place to aim for.

I am grateful for everything.

It is sad that you are retiring from the national team.

It is too frustrating to leave right before the World Cup.

But what Wataru Endo left behind will not disappear.

In the current Japan national team,
the atmosphere that Wataru Endo created remains.

To believe.
To see things through.
Not to run away.
To seriously speak of big goals.

All of that should remain within the team.

From now on, I will support your battles at Liverpool.

And I hope the Japan national team
will move toward the future that Wataru Endo believed in.

Winning the World Cup.

I also believe that moment will truly come someday.

Wataru Endo,
thank you so much for supporting the Japan national team.

Everyone, just do it.

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📘 To enjoy the Japan national team even more
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For this World Cup,
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Let's support Japan.

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📚 There are also books related to the World Cup
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For those who want to enjoy the World Cup even more,
I have also written related books.

Host country.
Travel distance.
Time difference.
Heat.
Tactics.
AI.
Data.
How to enjoy watching the games.

Even before the matches begin,
there are many interesting points about the World Cup.

▼ Click here for World Cup related books