Japan handed Saudi Arabia a 2-0 defeat in Jeddah on Thursday as Hajime Moriyasu’s side continued its march towards the World Cup with a third consecutive win in Asian qualifying that moves the Samurai Blue five points clear at the top of Group C.

Japan's march to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will meet two major hurdles in Saudi Arabia and Australia over the next week.

Japan defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Jeddah in the Asian World Cup qualifiers, keeping their strong run with a third consecutive win. Daichi Kamada and substitute Koki Ogawa scored, enhancing Japan's lead in Group C.

Japan maintained their 100 percent record in the third round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 win against Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Thursday.In Group B, South Korea were not deterred by the absence of captain and superstar Son Heung-min as they won 2-0 against Jordan in Amman to maintain their unbeaten start to the third round.

Japan's 2-0 win in Jeddah puts Saudi Arabia behind Australia in the race for automatic World Cup qualification

Japan handed Saudi Arabia a 2-0 defeat in Jeddah on Thursday as Hajime Moriyasu's side continued their march towards the World Cup with a third consecutive win in Asian qualifying that moves the Samurai Blue five points clear at the top of Group C.