The 2026 World Cup is still more than a year away but a Leeds United player is now certain to be in the summer extravaganza next year after his country became the first team to qualify for the tournament. Leeds United will hope that he brings that sense of positivity when he returns from international duty next week.
Leeds United are involved in a tight race to finish in the top two automatic promotion spots with Sheffield United and Burnley snapping at their heels in the Championship table.
The international break has arrived at the right time for a few players who are getting a much-needed respite from the pressure cooker scenario of the promotion race. But some of their colleagues are toiling away for their national team on international duty.
The squad are set to reassemble in the middle of next week ahead of hosting Swansea City at Elland Road a week from Saturday and Ao Tanaka is likely to be in a jubilant mood after he helped Japan become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The Leeds United star will be in the World Cup next year
Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 last night to become the first team to book their place in the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Tanaka, who earned his 30th cap for the Asian country this week, came on just a minute into the second half as a tactical substitute when he replaced the number 5 Hidemasa Morita with the game nicely poised at 0-0.
The Leeds star’s introducing added energy to the Japanese midfield and they scored two second-half goals to confirm their spot in next year’s World Cup.
Japan will take on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and Leeds will hope the midfielder escapes any injury before he reports back to Thorp Arch next week.
Leeds need Tanaka to repeat the trick and earn a ticket to the Premier League
The 26-year-old midfielder has been one of the signings of the season in the Championship. Leeds brought him in for a paltry sum of £3m last summer.
Pound for pound he could be the best signing made in the four divisions of England last summer and has been a complete revelation at Elland Road.
He is seen as one of the few players who are not expected to find it hard to replicate their excellence in the Premier League next season if Leeds get promoted.
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The midfielder helped his country to qualify for the World Cup and Leeds will hope he does the same with regards to taking them to the top flight.
Tanaka’s performances should keep him in the Japan squad but playing in the Premier League will almost make it a certainty that he will be involved in next year’s World Cup.
