Japan were drawn with Australia and Saudi Arabia in Group C of the next phase of Asian World Cup qualifying on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur.
The top two teams from the six-nation group, which also includes Bahrain, China and Indonesia, will earn automatic berths to the 2026 World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, along with four other teams from Asia.
The six third- and fourth-place teams from each of Asia's three groups will advance to another round of qualifying that will select two more finalists.
The Samurai Blue are attempting to qualify for an eighth straight FIFA World Cup. This qualifying round begins on Sept. 5 with the final round of matches set for June 10, 2025.
