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Japan’s national team has switched training locations in Monterrey ahead of the World Cup after players encountered an uneven pitch marred by patches of dirt at their original training ground.
The Japanese delegation said it has switched from the facility of Liga MX club UANL Tigres – the site of Wednesday’s training – to El Barrial, the training ground of Rayados de Monterrey, Tigres’ biggest rivals.
The delegation did not specify why it was moving. Training is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Japan held their first training session at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) in Monterrey, Mexico on 3 June 2026 ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup football tournament. (Photo by Julio Cesar AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images)
The venue accident has gone viral on Mexican social media and sparked heavy criticism of UANL Tigres.
Japan will open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas, on June 14 and then face Tunisia in Monterrey on June 20 before returning to Texas to play Sweden on June 25.
Samurai Blue’s official training camp for the World Cup will be in Nashville, Tennessee, where they will arrive on June 8.
