Wataru Endo Announces Retirement from International Football After World Cup Withdrawal

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has officially announced his retirement from international football following his withdrawal from Japan’s World Cup squad due to a foot injury.

Endo sustained the injury during Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Sunderland in February, which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Despite this setback, he was named in Japan’s 26-man World Cup roster.

He made a hopeful return with a 45-minute appearance in a friendly against Iceland at the end of May, but ultimately did not achieve the recovery necessary to participate in the tournament.

© Iconsport / AFLO SPORT.

Endo Steps Away from National Team

In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Endo confirmed his withdrawal and expressed his decision to retire from international football. He stated, “As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad. Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever.”.

He added, “Of course, there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that, I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup – me as captain, leading this team and turning our goal of ‘winning the World Cup’ into something we can say as a matter of course.”.

Endo will now support Japan as a fan after making 73 appearances over an 11-year international career. He remarked, “With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans. The moment when the Japan national team wins the World Cup will surely come someday. Let’s believe in that and cheer them on together.”.

© Imago / Sportsphoto.

Looking Ahead: Endo’s Future

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu has called up Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino to replace Endo ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on Sunday.

As for Endo, he will focus on his rehabilitation before rejoining his Liverpool teammates for pre-season training. However, it is uncertain whether he will fit into new head coach Andoni Iraola’s plans moving forward.

Speculation suggests that Endo may leave Anfield during the summer transfer window since he has only one year remaining on his current contract.