Speaking after the final whistle, a dejected Sano did not hide his disappointment at the manner of the exit. “I think results are everything, and I’m really disappointed because this team shouldn’t have ended like this. But to be beaten like that at the very end makes me feel like we’re not good enough, but what we’ve been doing isn’t wrong. I think we can be proud of what we’ve built up,” the midfielder stated.
This marked Japan’s eighth appearance in the World Cup. Despite their strong performances in the group stage – which included a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands and a commanding 4-0 victory over Tunisia – it was not enough to overcome Brazil’s vast experience. As a result, Japan fell short of equaling their best-ever World Cup achievement of reaching the round of 16, a milestone they had previously accomplished four times in 2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022.
