Japan have qualified for an eighth straight World Cup (their only appearances at the finals) but will be looking to progress past the Round of 16 for the first time – they were the first team to qualify for 2026.

The world's top-rated horse, Calandagan, was all out to defeat Japan's best, Masquerade Ball, by a head at the end of the 1 1/2 miles of the Japan Cup (G1) Nov. 30 at Tokyo Racecourse.

After co-hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, Japan were the first nation to qualify for the World Cup with a dominant performance throughout qualifying. The Samurai Blue won six of their seven matches in the AFC third round of qualifying, sealing their spot at the World Cup in March with three group games to spare.

View the results and replay for the 2025 Japan Cup. The Japan Cup was raced at Tokyo racecourse on Sunday, 30 November 2025. We take a look at the BIGGEST and BEST Free Daily Racing Offers and Betting Promotions from Australia’s leading online...

Calandagan completed a remarkable campaign with victory in Sunday's Japan Cup, setting a new record time in the Tokyo Group 1.

Group of Death? Proceed with cautious optimism? Is the group winnable?! Joey Lynch and Gabe Tan break down the draws for AFC heavyweights Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

Calandagan has become the first overseas horse to take out the Japan Cup since Luca Cumani’s success with Alkaased twenty year ago and he is the first French trained winner since the Robert Colet trained Le Glorieux in 1987.

Ronald Koeman has said he is satisfied with the Netherlands’ World Cup draw after Oranje were paired with Japan, Tunisia and a European play-off winner in next summer’s tournament finals. “Japan are always good and fit.