On June 26, Japan national team defender Tomiyasu, along with nine other players who did not feature in the group stage match against Sweden the day before, returned to training. They are preparing for the crucial knockout match against Brazil.

In an interview, he stated firmly: "As a footballer, this is a rare opportunity to play against Brazil on a stage like the World Cup. I think I should enjoy it."

Japan's team has made significant progress over the past three and a half years, but for Tomiyasu, this period has been filled with pain and struggle.

After being eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he fell into deep despair. "At that time, there was a strong feeling of 'what are we really doing,' and I couldn't even see the way forward." After that, until the end of 2023, Tomiyasu played only 13 A-team international matches for the national team. In September 2023, in a match against Germany under manager Moriyasu II, he demonstrated outstanding defensive control and one-on-one defending ability (Japan won 4-1), signaling the dawn of a new era.

However, after the Asian Cup in early 2024, he suffered another injury while playing through an existing one, and then entered a prolonged period of repeated injury recovery. From October 2024 onwards, he was unable to participate in official matches for one year and four months.

For him, not just the World Cup—even playing normal football became difficult. Reflecting on that period, Tomiyasu honestly stated at the beginning of Japan's national team training camp in May this year: "It was indeed a very long road." "To be honest, I didn't intentionally think about the national team at that time, because if I couldn't even play football, then nothing else mattered. I just focused on what I needed to do." It was clear that during that time, he could only continuously battle his physical condition.

Nevertheless, head coach Hajime Moriyasu's trust in him never wavered. After spending approximately half a year without a club in the summer of 2025, he joined Ajax and returned to the pitch after careful adjustment. Subsequently, during a training camp in England in March this year, Moriyasu recalled him to the national team squad after two years. Although he could not participate in this training camp due to a temporary injury, the coach personally traveled to the Netherlands to observe his condition and ultimately determined that "he still has room to continue improving his fitness," selecting him for the World Cup squad.

Behind this seemingly "special treatment" lies the reserve combat strength needed to compete with top international teams. When discussing Tomiyasu, Moriyasu often refers to his performance against Spain at the 2022 Qatar World Cup: he came on as a substitute in a wing-back position, successfully limiting players like Ferran Torres, helping Japan top their group.

While emphasizing the overall defensive system, Moriyasu highly values one-on-one defending ability, and Tomiyasu is a key component essential to this system. His defensive stability allows the team to make bolder personnel adjustments in attack. Therefore, the coaching staff has always believed he is "a player who can change the direction of the game at critical moments."

At this World Cup, this philosophy has been demonstrated repeatedly. In the first match against the Netherlands, Tomiyasu was not a starter, but with the team trailing 1-2, he came on as a substitute in the 30th minute, playing as right center-back. With his outstanding one-on-one defending, he quickly stabilized the team's defense and also unleashed the attacking power of right-wing players like Junya Ito and Yukinari Sugawara. Through precise passing, he also became an initiator of attacks, helping the team boldly equalize.

In the second match against Tunisia, where victory was crucial, he started. He not only successfully contained opposing key players and provided highly stable protection at the back line, but also, drawing on the organizational skills honed at Bologna and Arsenal, he repeatedly disrupted the opponent's high press, ultimately helping the team secure a decisive 4-0 victory.

In the third match against Sweden, he was rested to adjust his condition on the bench, preparing for the upcoming knockout stage.

Now, Japan will face football giant Brazil. Although Brazil's forward Neymar has just recovered from injury and is not yet at full fitness, top wingers like Vinícius, Martinelli, and Rodrygo who are in peak form in the Premier League still pose a major threat, making Tomiyasu's defensive ability crucial in this match.

It is worth noting that Tomiyasu himself has maintained a calm attitude throughout the tournament. He has repeatedly emphasized: "I don't play alone, but do what I can for the team." He no longer carries the heavy psychological burden of "having to be a leader" as he did in the past, but approaches the game as a pure player.

This change is also reflected in his summary of previous matches. Regarding the match against Brazil in October and the victory against England in March (in which he did not play), he commented: "Those matches showed me the tactical approach needed to win the World Cup."

This also aligns with his view at the beginning of the training camp—he hopes the entire team can share the "way to win the World Cup." Therefore, he now focuses more on utilizing his characteristics within the established system, rather than trying to dictate the overall tactical direction.

Speaking about the upcoming match against Brazil, Tomiyasu said: "I think the team as a whole has come together on the approach needed to win the World Cup. However, before the match, we still need to confirm these details once more."

Next, Japan will use the remaining three days of preparation to further refine their tactics and deeply analyze Brazil's characteristics. But from the current situation, the team's overall strategy is gradually becoming clear.

Tomiyasu concluded: "Being able to stand on the World Cup stage as a member of the national team is not something to take for granted. Regardless of who the opponent is, I will not forget this and will give everything I have in the match."

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