Sunday, 20 September 2026
JAPAN'S PLOT TO WIN THE WORLD CUP IS FULLY IN MOTION AND HERE'S WHY IT RELIES ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Europe’s influx of Japanese talent is just the first step in a transfer revolution
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| Zion Suzuki of Aston Villa and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images) |
The summer transfer window ended with 30 Japanese players now employed in Europe’s top five leagues and many more in European leagues besides.
Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad and Bayern Munich’s Hiroki Ito were among those already in place, while 19-year-old Ryunosuke Sato joined Valencia from FC Tokyo after establishing himself as one of Japan’s top prospects on loan with Fagiano Okayama.
Between the FC Tokyo and the Championship, 18 Japanese players are now operating in England’s upper tiers. They include the familiar faces of Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka, new English arrivals Daizen Maeda and Zion Suzuki, and promoted Coventry City wide midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
Japan’s player development vision is paying off
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| Ao Tanaka of Leeds United and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images) |
Tomoki Iwata is one of two Japanese midfielders at Birmingham City and is top-notch at Championship level. Ryoya Morishita and Kuryu Matsuki are regular contributors at Blackburn Rovers and Southampton respectively.
In years gone by, that would have been the end of the Japanese players roster and there might not have been anyone as good as those players anywhere on it. In 2026/27, it’s just a handful of examples.
Player export is a growth industry for Japanese football and there’s more to come, not just to Europe but to England, too. The football authorities in the Land of the Rising Sun have planned for it to be so.
Not content with seeing proof that Japan’s long-standing focus on player development is working – it’s no accident that Samurai Blue and their European arrivals have been spearheaded by highly technical players – the nation’s governing bodies have moved into the next phase.
The J.League and the Japanese Football Association are united in the creation of a belt-and-braces pursuit of a suite of objectives, some of them explicitly outlined in the J.League 100 Year Vision.
If the desired end point is winning the World Cup, the next few steps are designed to better position Japanese football as a structural entity within Asia and the world.
Japan’s aims include making it easier to transfer players into and out of the J.League, to become Asia’s most desired destination league by increasing its appeal to players and improving the standard of the top division as a consequence.
Such goals are not easily met. Together, the league and the federation have gone all in. They’ve committed the very fabric of Japanese football to the cause of connecting the high school and university game to player production at the highest level.
There was also a pressing wish to revisit the availability of teams to play in prestige friendlies against top European opposition, even to route training camps and tours in Europe, without the need for an awkward mid-season break.
Japan’s production line has multiple SKUs
To that end, Japan is currently a month and change into a new football season calendar. From 2026/27, the J.League has reverted to a season that aligns with most of the rest of the world.
The J.League devised the 100 Year Vision League to bridge the gap between seasons proper and put up both an AFC Champions League place and a ton of prize money to entice the clubs to take it seriously in spite of the lack of relegation.
With that admittedly very enjoyable curio in the rear-view mirror, the J.League and JFA are now eagerly watching as the teams get stuck into the new campaign, but keeping one eye on playing opportunities for young Japanese players even if they’re blocked by what everyone hopes will be an improving league.
The governing bodies are aligned here, too, with the national team intended to be the ultimate beneficiary.
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| Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton & Hove Albion and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images) |
New J.League under-18 and under-20 representative teams made up notably of under-used players have been created to play matches against university teams in Japan and to experience the game as a touring team in Europe. Last November, a group of those players were in England and Wales to do exactly that.
This season marks not only a new set of dates for the J.League, but the inauguration of a new Under-21 J.League division. Crucially, all of these tactics point in the same strategic direction. It’s equally important that neither of these safety nets amount to real senior football, but nothing really can.
What matters more than anything else is that the official bodies with every ounce of influence on the matter are doing everything they can, trying everything they believe in, to yank the conveyer belt to a higher setting.
Whether that can achieve the lofty aim of winning a World Cup is anyone’s guess. There are countries who’ve invested more, for longer and from a sturdier base, than Japan.
But the quality of players is a controllable factor outcome and Japan is lighting a fire under that. By reducing transfer market friction and delivering talent into the global pool at scale, 18 Japanese players in the Premier League and Championship is a count that’s only heading in one direction.
- Chris Nee
Saturday, 19 September 2026
MIKEL ARTETA ACCUSES ARSENAL STARS OF 'DISRESPECT' AFTER BRUTAL BRIGHTON BEATING
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| Arsenal made too many ‘technical errors’ in their heavy defeat (Picture: Action Images via Reuters) |
Mikel Arteta accused his Arsenal players of disrespecting the ‘principles of play’ in their heavy defeat to Brighton.
The Gunners’ 100 per cent start to the new Premier League season came to an abrupt halt on Saturday afternoon, losing 3-0 at the AMEX Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side has conceded just one goal in their previous four league games but were outclassed by the Seagulls, who followed up on their 3-2 win over Manchester United midweek with another rampant display.
Pascal Gross fired the hosts into the lead on the half hour mark with Charalampos Kostoulas beating David Raya with a fine effort from the edge of the box to double their lead.
Arsenal were undone on a set piece in the second-half with Chema Andres heading home Gross’ cross. The champions could have conceded more with signs of frustration eminent late on with Declan Rice appearing to kick out at Malick Yalcouye on the final whistle.
Arteta pulled no punches in his post-match verdict, telling reporters: ‘[I am] extremely disappointed. But first of all, we have to congratulate Brighton; they deserved it.
‘They were the better team, and from our side, there were certain basics in football that you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League that we didn’t.
‘In the first duel. Winning the first ball, especially with how direct they were. They put us in a really difficult place.
‘In our own half, the amount of technical errors. We didn’t respect any principle of play that you have to get out of that man to man situation and that put us on the back foot so it was very difficult to control the game.
‘We had moments of dominance and control, and we opened them up; we didn’t take those chances with the quality that is required. It’s a big lesson for us.’
Manchester City now have the chance to head into the international break clear at the top of the Premier League if they beat or draw with Sunderland on Sunday.
Arsenal return to action against Leeds United following the extended international break.
- Tony Mogan
AMINA ORFI MAKES HISTORY AT QATAR CLASSIC 2026
2026 Qatar Classic champion & the youngest women's World No.1 in HISTORY! 🤩 🏆
Amina Orfi, that was incredible 🔥
The #TeamDunlop player defeated Hania El Hammamy in a five-game epic to lift the Platinum-level title 👏
- Dunlop Squash
SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON SHINES IN LONDON
Sha'Carri Richardson runs 10.80 to win in London.
The 2023 world 100m champion demolishes the field to clock an incredible 10.80 (0.0) in cool conditions at Athlos London track meet 🇺🇸
Commonwealth gold medallist Zoe Hobbs was second in 11.19 🇳🇿
FRACTURED CERAMICS TO RECYCLED TECH: HOW 2026 ASIAN GAMES MEDALS WERE MADE
The 2026 Asian Games medals symbolise athletes' dedication and feature materials from recycled electronics, promoting sustainability
This is what every athlete who has travelled to Aichi-Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games will be fighting for. This is what the athletes have trained for over four years. This is what they will be awarded when they stand on the podium: medals.
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| The medals that will be awarded at the Asian Games. (Asian Games) |
But do you know how these medals were made? Or how much they weigh? Or how much gold is there in the gold medal? Let’s find out.
In a quiet design studio, ceramic discs were repeatedly shattered, their fractured pieces carefully examined as they settled into naturally captivating forms.
Japanese designer Daisuke Shiba was searching for something deeper than mere metallic brilliance for the 20th Asian Games. He envisioned the invisible journey of an athlete — the gruelling training sessions, the quiet sacrifices and the trials endured far from the stadium lights.
Just as those broken ceramic pieces reassembled into a compelling new shape, the scattered fragments of an athlete’s perseverance converge into a single crystallisation of achievement.
This vision of the medals breathes life into the Games’ slogan — Imagine One Asia. The design reflects a continent that once shared a common origin before expanding into a rich tapestry of distinct languages and cultures. Through sport, these diverse streams flow back together.
“I sincerely hope that these medals, as symbols of the dedication and perseverance that athletes have accumulated through years of effort, will further enhance their sense of joy and pride,” Shiba, designer of the medals, told the Asian Games website.
Now let’s get to know the medals themselves.
The medal itself, measuring 80mm across and 5mm thick, embodies this reunion. The physical pieces carry a profound connection to the community.
The top prize, the gold medal, weighs 265gm and is cast in pure silver plated with at least 1gm of gold. The silver medal weighs a gram less and is pure silver. The bronze weighs 222gm and is made of warm red brass, comprising 95% copper and 5% zinc.
A portion of every metal was recovered from small electronic devices donated by local residents across Aichi’s municipalities, transforming everyday technology into symbols of athletic glory through a commitment to a circular economy.
This was done as part of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Recycled Medal Project which aimed to promote awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Regarding the design, a competition was opened to design students with professional experience in the field. The winning design was selected by a review committee from among the submitted entries.
When placed around a winner’s neck, the medal rests upon a ribbon styled with the silhouette of the kakitsubata, or Japanese iris, the official flower of the Aichi Prefecture. Sweeping, fluid arcs inspired by the plant’s leaves mirror the power and athletic grace displayed on the field, bridging local botanical heritage with international victory.
To preserve these memories for a lifetime, each medal rests inside an octagonal box crafted from fragrant, Aichi-grown hinoki (Japanese cypress). Grounded in the region’s historical tea ceremony traditions, where precious artefacts are treasured in fine wooden containers, the case pays homage to local craftsmanship.
Its eight-sided geometry evokes the Japanese character for 8, a motif historically embedded in the emblem of the Owari Tokugawa clan and featured in the official symbol of Nagoya city. As the strokes of the character widen toward the bottom, the vessel symbolises outward expansion toward the future — a lasting safeguard for a monument of human effort.
- Sandip Sikdar
WEST HAM VS MILLWALL | STOP AND SEARCH POWERS GRANTED ON DERBY DAY
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| A Section 60 order has been authorised for today’s fixture between Millwall and West Ham. This gives police enhanced powers to stop and search people and vehicles without the usual requirement of reasonable suspicion (Image: Metropolitan Police) |
Police have introduced additional stop and search powers and dispersal orders ahead of the Millwall vs West Ham United match in south east London.
The Section 60 order, which allows officers to stop and search people and vehicles without the usual requirement of reasonable suspicion, will remain in place until 8pm tonight (September 19).
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “A Section 60 order has been authorised for today’s fixture between Millwall and West Ham.
"This gives police enhanced powers to stop and search people and vehicles without the usual requirement of reasonable suspicion.
"The order covers the area shown on the map and will remain in place until 8pm on Saturday, September 19.
"Additional officers will be deployed in the area, providing visible reassurance and working with partners to keep ticket holders and the wider public safe.”
This is on top of a Section 35 dispersal order which was authorised around The Den in New Cross and Bermondsey, giving police the power to remove individuals causing disorder or anti-social behaviour.
The Metropolitan Police said the Sporting Events Act 1985 prohibits anyone from entering or attempting to enter a football ground while intoxicated, and confirmed a Section 35 dispersal order will be in place to allow officers to remove anyone causing disorder.
A Section 60 order has been authorised for today’s fixture of @MillwallFC vs @WestHam. This gives police enhanced powers to stop and search people and vehicles without the usual requirement of reasonable suspicion.
This will cover the area shown on the map and will run until… pic.twitter.com/02ToN5C8HJ
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 19, 2026
The match, which kicks off at 12.30pm, is the first meeting between the two clubs since February 2012.
City of London Police have also introduced a dispersal order covering the Square Mile, from Temple and Blackfriars to Aldgate and Tower Hill.
A City of London Police spokesperson said: "To assist the policing operation around the Millwall v West Ham match, from 8am today, we’re putting a S35 order in place.
"If someone is contributing to crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour, they can be told to leave & not return for a specified period."
The Metropolitan Police have advised away fans to travel via South Bermondsey Station, which may be closed to home supporters for up to an hour after the match.
Supporters without valid tickets have been advised not to try to obtain one through unofficial sellers.
- Samuel Turner
WHY WAS NASCAR FOOD CITY 300 LEADER GIVEN BLACK FLAG IN O' REILLY SERIES RACE?
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| Getty |
Carson Kvapil’s Food City 300 bid collapsed under a black flag Friday night, after NASCAR ruled his smoking, brake-starved Chevrolet unsafe to keep racing at Bristol Motor Speedway in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase race.
The penalty likely cost Kvapil the lead and laps he needed to tighten his championship push, leaving JR Motorsports racing to patch a suspected brake failure before time runs out.
With roughly 80 laps remaining in the third and final stage, Kvapil radioed that his No. 1 Chevrolet had a loose wheel and had lost its brakes, according to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass and NASCAR insider John Newby. Smoke then poured from the rear of the car, and NASCAR responded by ordering him to pit road under green, ending his run atop the leaderboard.
His JR Motorsports crew suspected a failed brake line was the culprit, according to Newby, and scrambled to patch it before sending Kvapil back out. Performance Racing Network, calling the race live from Bristol, confirmed the smoke and stop over its broadcast, and Pockrass followed up minutes later that NASCAR was black-flagging him and he would have to pit.
A black flag differs from a caution. NASCAR directs a single car to pit immediately when officials judge it a hazard, leaking fluid, dragging parts or trailing smoke, while the rest of the field keeps racing at speed. Kvapil’s mechanical trouble checked every box.
Bristol’s concrete half-mile has a history of shredding equipment under sustained heat and grip, and Friday’s ordeal fit a track that chews through brakes, tires and nerve every fall.
Carson Kvapil’s Playoff Push Takes a Hit
Kvapil arrived at Bristol as one of the hottest drivers in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase, sitting third in points and only nine behind the leader after victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway earlier this season, according to NASCAR.com.
JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, has fielded Kvapil’s No. 1 Chevrolet all season as the organization pushes multiple cars deep into the Chase field.
Friday’s race, the third of the 2026 Chase, went green at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW after rain wiped out qualifying, with Jesse Love starting on the pole and Kvapil fourth, according to Bristol Motor Speedway’s event page.
Kvapil had been the class of the field before the black flag, finishing second in Stage 1 behind Justin Allgaier before winning Stage 2 outright. He was still leading with 80 laps to go, running ahead of Allgaier, Taylor Gray, Love and Sam Mayer, before the trouble struck.
The son of 2003 Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, Carson has leaned on short-track command all season, and Bristol’s half-mile bullring figured to be a showcase before Friday’s mechanical trouble intervened. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic tracked the developing situation live, while Speedway Digest flagged the black flag call as it happened.
Neither NASCAR nor JR Motorsports had issued a formal penalty report or statement by the time the field kept circling Bristol, and it remained unclear how many laps the stop would ultimately cost Kvapil in the final standings.
- Jonathan Vankin
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