On Friday 18 June, JFA held an online press-conference to announce the final roster for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad (Tokyo 2020) men's football tournament, which consists of 18 players and four alternate players. The team will play in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2021 on Monday 12 and Saturday 17 July with the same roster.

U-24 Japan National Team Squad - Games of the XXXII Olympiad (Tokyo 2020)【7/21-8/7】, KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2021【7/12＠Osaka, 7/17＠Hyogo】

Before making the announcement, coach MORIYASU Hajime started by mentioning, “I would like to express my gratitude towards all the players who were involved in this team.” And continued to say, “We had to exclude some of the players that had what it takes to be on the team. We had to make extremely tough decisions in this selection process.”

Unlike other international competitions like the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup where teams are allowed to carry up to 23 players, only 18 players are allowed at the Olympics. With that limitation in mind, coach Moriyasu mentioned that the selection process took until the morning of the announcement date, but made the final decision based on the following criteria.

“We prioritised players who can create opportunities single-handedly, play solid defence at the individual level, and make runs for the team. In addition, with the Tokyo Olympics being played under tight schedule and hot weather, we valued the players’ versatility.” .....

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