According to reports, Kamada stated that for Japan to contend for the FIFA World Cup title, the overall value of Japanese football must be enhanced.

"Football must become Japan's national sport..." After losing to Brazil, Japan international midfielder Kamada revisited the true meaning of this statement. The 29-year-old Crystal Palace player started all four matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and scored two goals. He emphasized that if Japan aims for a world championship, the overall value of Japanese football must be improved.

Japan lost 1-2 to Brazil in the round of 16. Kamada scored in two consecutive group stage matches against the Netherlands and Tunisia, taking on the role of offensive lynchpin. However, against Brazil, he was forced to leave the field early due to discomfort in his right adductor. Kamada watched the remainder of the match from the sidelines, marking the conclusion of his second FIFA World Cup.

In an interview after the match, Kamada expressed his views. He said: "For Japan to truly win the FIFA World Cup in the future, we must continuously demonstrate the value of Japanese players and Japanese football. Football must become Japan's national sport; if we can't achieve that, I don't think we can genuinely win the championship." The next day, Kamada elaborated further on the meaning behind his words.

Kamada stated: "Japan has both strengths and weaknesses, and various sports are popular. Whichever sport performs well in major international events, everyone's attention shifts there. Beyond that, Japan also has various cultural outlets like variety shows, actors, and idols." When discussing the difference from top footballing nations, he said:

Kamada said: "In countries like Brazil and Argentina, which aim for the championship, football truly comes first. Looking at younger age groups, talented athletes all pursue football and compete there. Japan's talent is spread across various sports, so fundamentally, it's different."

After losing to Brazil at the FIFA World Cup, Kamada felt the atmosphere of a true football kingdom.

Kamada said: "Because Brazil has had a passion for football for a long time, the stadium atmosphere is completely different. When the Brazilian team just came out to warm up, the entire stadium erupted. Ultimately, in terms of historical accumulation and tradition, we still have a long way to go."

However, Kamada believes this gap is not insurmountable. Precisely because of this, Japan's elimination in the round of 16 left him particularly unsatisfied, as this tournament could have been an opportunity for change.

Kamada said: "I believe that as long as we raise the value of Japanese football on the world stage, we can change little by little. If we had achieved good results, more changes could have happened in the future. I really wanted to prove this on the field, and I was confident I could."

In the first group stage match against the Netherlands, Kamada reached his 50th cap for the national team. He accumulated 53 caps during this FIFA World Cup. Donning the Japanese jersey 53 times, he also felt its significance. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu shedding tears each time the national anthem was sung became a topic of discussion, and Kamada stated: "I can understand that feeling."

Kamada said: "In fact, some players do shed tears. When you hear the national anthem, there's a real sense of impact, and you feel very proud to represent Japan." But compared to other countries, to what extent can Japan truly take pride in football? Kamada also expressed regret that they haven't yet been able to convey this sense of pride to the world.

Kamada said: "We must achieve results so that fans can feel the same way. Japan is an island nation, not close to other countries, so when we play against other nations, we can truly feel how proud other countries' fans are of their own football. There's no doubt that Brazil is truly formidable in this regard. To enable us to achieve that, I hope we can continue to work hard in our daily efforts."

Kamada deeply felt the difficulty of winning the FIFA World Cup. He considered the path to a world championship not only from an on-field perspective but also from the perspective of enhancing the overall culture and value of Japanese football.

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