Japan is coming to North America, and maybe Houston. The Blue Samari defeated Bahrain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday to book the team's spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is the first country outside of the three host nations — the U.

(CNN) — Japan became the first country to qualify for the 2026 men’s World Cup after it beat Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium on Thursday. Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo were enough for the Samurai Blue to earn its spot at next year’s tournament which is being hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico are already in, but the list is growing for the 2026 World Cup field