Japan Men's Goalball Team Defeats US to Reach Semifinals at 2026 World Championships, One Win Away from Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics

The quarterfinals of the 2026 IBSA Goalball World Championships were held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, where the Japan men's national team faced the United States. Japan secured a 16-9 victory to advance to the semifinals.

With this victory, the men's team is now one win away from qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The semifinal match against Germany is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, at 19:00 (JST).

Meanwhile, the women's national team will compete in the 5th-8th classification match starting at 17:30 (JST) on June 14.

Men's Quarterfinal Results Japan 16-9 United States

Comments from Men's Captain Kaneko Reflecting on the high-scoring quarterfinal, Captain Kaneko stated that their offensive strategies worked well and the center defense held strong, leading to a hard-fought victory. Regarding their preparation for the United States, a frequent opponent in critical matches, he mentioned that the team thoroughly analyzed the opponent's weaknesses and target areas to secure the win. Looking ahead to the semifinals, he emphasized the importance of taking it one game at a time, stating his commitment to contributing points, managing court searches, and leading the defense to help the team. He also expressed his determination to report a victory to the supporters in Japan.

Comments from Torii Torii shared that his primary focus was to enjoy the game, which he felt he successfully did. He identified the key highlight of the match as his ability to score with strong throws in his signature 0-6 and 0-4 directions. He expressed his resolve to win the semifinal match the following day and secure the Paralympic qualification, calling for continued support from fans in Japan.

Tournament Overview - Tournament Name: 2026 IBSA Goalball World Championships - Tournament Period: June 6 (Sat) – 16 (Tue), 2026 *Matches played from June 10 (Wed) to 15 (Mon) - Location: Hangzhou, China

Match Results and Upcoming Japan Schedule (Japan Standard Time) June 10 (Wed) - Women: Japan 10-0 Poland - Men: Japan 11-1 Argentina June 11 (Thu) - Women: Japan 9-1 Ukraine - Men: Japan 9-6 Finland June 12 (Fri) - Women: Japan 1-1 Canada - Men: Japan 14-4 Poland June 13 (Sat) - Women's Quarterfinal: Japan 1-2 United States - Men's Quarterfinal: Japan 16-9 United States June 14 (Sun) - 17:30 Women's 5th–8th Classification Match - 19:00 Men's Semifinal: Japan vs. Germany June 15 (Mon) - 16:00 Women's 7th Place Match - 17:30 Men's 3rd Place Match - 19:00 Women's 5th Place Match - 20:30 Men's Final