How did Japan get so good without anyone noticing?!

Japan have surprisingly emerged as one of the favourites to win the 2023 Women's World Cup

The plan was for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be Japan’s tournament. The country’s women’s national team spent years preparing for the tournament on home soil, but underwhelmed when the moment finally arrived.

Japan have been an entirely different proposition at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Futoshi Ikeda’s team have set the standard for the rest of the competition, winning four from four matches including a statement demolition of Spain and a comfortable last 16 victory over Norway.

As one of only four countries to have ever won the Women’s World Cup, lifting the trophy in 2011, Japan are widely recognised as a superpower of the women’s game. Still, though, women’s football hasn’t been fully embraced at home.

In the land of the rising sun, there have been many - too many - false dawns for women’s football. Glory in 2011 never resulted in cultural change. The opportunity was wasted.

So will it be any different in 2023 if Japan once again go all the way at the Women’s World Cup? And how did they get so good without anyone noticing?!