FIFA World Cup: Team Japan hopes to carry spring momentum into summer success

Fans react to Japan's historic win over England

Japan made history this week, beating England for the first time. It's momentum that Japanese fans hope to ride on this summer in Dallas.

DALLAS - Japan's 'Samurai Blue national soccer team is hoping recent momentum in international friendlies will carry into summer success when they play in Dallas during this year's FIFA World Cup.

‘Samurai Blue’ beats England in international friendly

What we know:

Japan won an international friendly 1-0 over England on March 31. It was their first ever win over the country.

Fans of the 'Samurai Blue' were seen on social media cleaning their sections at Wembley Stadium following the victory, something fans of the country's soccer team have gone viral for doing during past World Cups.

What they're saying:

Japan's soccer fans filled the streets of London before and after the match, and Tennessee's Chizuko Trader was one of those fans.

She will be in Dallas on June 14 when Japan takes on the Netherlands in this year's World Cup, and spoke to FOX 4's Steven Dial about her upcoming trip.

Chizuko Trader

"I'm just excited to see, kind of, a really good game," she told Dial. "Something I cannot miss. So I believe they are going to do great stuff, so I cannot miss that."

Trader plans on going to Mexico when Japan takes on Tunisia on June 20. She also has tickets for the Round of 32 and Round of 16 games she hopes Japan plays in.

The "Samurai Blue" will also make their base camp in Nashville, where Trader lives and works for a Japanese company.

"I feel so lucky to have them in the state. I'm so proud of them," Trader said. "Especially they're coming to Nashville for home base camp, and I'm working for a Japanese company. As a company, we would like to welcome them, and we would also like to support them."

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FIFA World Cup: Japan’s national team known as ‘Samurai Blue’

A lifelong fan and Texas native living in Tokyo will travel to Arlington this summer for the FIFA World Cup as Japan’s Samurai Blue faces the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium in North Texas.

Big picture view:

Trader isn't the only fan of the ‘Samurai Blue’ who will travel to Dallas for the game.

Joshua Gomez was born in the United States. But his father was in the military, so he briefly lived in Japan before growing up in San Antonio.

The Texas Tech graduate now lives in Tokyo, where he said a different type of football is king. He and his family will travel to Dallas to watch Japan’s first match against the Netherlands on June 14.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: Japan supporters display banners and flags in the stands prior to during the international friendly match between England and Japan at Wembley Stadium on March 31, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Image

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Getting the tickets was a surprise to him and his family.

"On the third lottery entry, I just like totally forgot I even signed up, and I just looked at my bank statement. I’m like, ‘Oh, I just lost a lot of money. What is this?’ And then I got an email saying I got tickets. So, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa!’ And, I mean, honestly, we didn’t even really plan for this because we didn’t think we’d be going or even to get tickets," he said.