Yuto Nagatomo becomes 1st Asian player to appear in 5 FIFA WCs

Japanese footballer Yuto Nagatomo became the first Asian player in history to appear in five FIFA World Cups after featuring in Japan's FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Sweden on Friday (IST). He also became the first Japanese player to play in five consecutive World Cups, having previously represented Japan in the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions of tournament.