Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada said an eighth straight World Cup appearance will be within Japan's grasp if they beat Australia next week, after extending their perfect record in qualifying.
They are five points clear at the top of Group C, with the top two teams securing direct passage to the 2026 World Cup and the third- and fourth-placed countries facing another qualifying phase.
Japan face second-place Australia in Saitama on Tuesday and Kamada said they can all but book their place at the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a win.
"We're playing our next game at home in front of lots of fans, and we have to win," he was quoted as saying by Japanese media. "If we win the next game, the World Cup will start to feel very close for us, so we want to work hard."