Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu may not have a club right now, but national team coach Hajime Moriyasu still believes he can play at the 2026 World Cup. Tomiyasu left Arsenal in July after agreeing to end his contract early so he could focus fully on recovering from long-term injuries.

The 27-year-old has hardly played in the last two years because of these injuries. Even though the World Cup is just over six months away, Moriyasu said on Monday that Tomiyasu still has a real chance of being selected for Japan’s squad for the World Cup tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“To answer simply, I think he can make it,” Moriyasu said before Japan’s friendly match against Bolivia in Tokyo. He added that if Tomiyasu is fit and performing well, he would be a strong candidate to help Japan fight for success at the World Cup.

Tomiyasu joined Arsenal from Italian club Bologna in August 2021. He made 84 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions. However, due to injuries, he played only one match for the club in the 2024–25 season. He is now working on getting back to full fitness and has not yet signed with a new team.

The defender has 42 caps for Japan and last played for his country in June of the previous year. He was also part of Japan’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Moriyasu said the national team staff speak to Tomiyasu often to check how his recovery is going. “I don’t know what level he will reach,” he admitted. “But if I see that he is playing and performing well, I want him to be in the squad.”

For now, Tomiyasu’s focus remains on healing fully and finding the right club before the World Cup approaches.