Nashville, Tennessee, June 11 (Jiji Press)--Wataru Endo, the captain of the Japanese men's national soccer team, has withdrawn from the country's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to injury, the Japan Football Association said Thursday. In a social media post, Endo, 33, said he will retire from international duty. The tournament hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, which kicked off on Thursday, would have been Endo's third consecutive World Cup. The announcement came just before Japan's opening group stage match against the Netherlands on Sunday. Endo, who plays for English Premier League club Liverpool, injured his left foot in February. Although he underwent surgery with the 2026 World Cup in mind, he suffered another injury after returning to the Japan national team in a match against Iceland on May 31. According to Masakuni Yamamoto, the JFA's national technical director, Endo left the Japan team on Thursday morning at his own request. In a message relayed through Yamamoto, Endo said, "I hope everyone achieves the best possible result." Ko Itakura will serve as captain in Endo's place. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]