Japan national football team coach Hajime Moriyasu announced his list of players for the upcoming World Cup yesterday, and veteran Yuto Nagatomo was also included on the list.
The Tokyo stopper is 39 years old, and the upcoming World Cup will be the fifth of his career, having played in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Nagatomo is in the twilight of his career, he had not hoped to be called up to the national team for the upcoming World Cup, but Moriyasu decided that he needed the experience of a veteran, not only on the field but also off it.
Nagatomo watched the live broadcast of the conference where the coach announced the list of passengers, and when he told Moriyasu his name, the stopper could not hide his tears.
Nagatomo started his career in Tokyo, where he ended his football career. In between appearances for the club from the Japanese capital, the defender also played for Inter, Cesena, Galatasaray and Olympique de Marseille.
He made his debut for the Japan national football team on 24 May 2008 in a friendly match against Ivory Coast. He has played 144 games for the national team, scoring four goals.
Japan will play in Group F at the World Cup with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia.
The World Championship is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
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