Junya Ito’s late goal gave Japan a 1-0 win over Scotland in Steve Clarke’s side’s first 2026 World Cup warm-up game.
Clarke’s players left the Hampden Park pitch to euphoric scenes in November after their dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark qualified them for the finals in North America, but their return to the national stadium was a much more sedate event.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the first half but Hajime Moriyasu’s side created more opportunities after the break and substitute Ito shot past goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the 84th minute to break the deadlock and leave Scotland winless in four meetings against Japan.
Scotland take on Ivory Coast at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday night and they have two more warm-up games against Curacao and an as-yet-unnamed opponent before they take to the biggest stage of all for the first time in 28 years in the USA, where they face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in their group.
If there was a sense of anti-climax about the game against Japan, the Tartan Army will no doubt see a more energised home side when it matters this summer.
Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway was handed his first start, while skipper Andy Robertson was earning his 91st cap to go second-equal with former Aberdeen and Manchester United goalkeeper Jim Leighton.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, Japan’s captain, was the most familiar face to the home fans.
The visitors, on their way to their eighth successive World Cup finals, survived an early fright.
In the eighth minute Scott McTominay had a terrific chance to open the scoring when fellow midfielder John McGinn teed him up with a cross from the right but his unconvincing shot from 10 yards was pushed on to the post by Japan ‘keeper Zion Suzuki and away to safety.
Scott McTominay went closest for Scotland
Moments later at the other end, Joel Fujita was given time and space to send in a powerful drive from 30 yards which tested Gunn, who then saved a long-distance effort from Kodai Sano just before the half-hour mark.
The home side defended a series of corners as Japan tightened their grip and in the 38th minute Sano clipped the top of the bar with a side-footed drive from inside the box. The match went back and forth.
Gunn thwarted Yuito Suzuki as Japan broke with purpose before a McTominay header was saved by Suzuki just before the break with the Napoli playmaker seeing his free-kick from 25 yards tipped over the bar by the Parma ‘keeper early in the second half.
Suzuki then parried a drive from Robertson past the post as Scotland stepped up the pace.
Ryan Christie and George Hirst replaced McGinn and Lyndon Dykes just after the hour mark before one of Japan’s many substitutes, Kaoru Mitoma came close with a shot from the edge of the box following a cleared corner, with Gunn denying Ito moments later.
The visitors’ threat intensified and Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean cleared a dinked shot from Ito off the line in the 69th minute before Hirst hit the side-netting with a drive.
Findlay Curtis replaced Conway to make his debut in the 80th minute but four minutes later Genk midfielder Ito burst into the Scotland box to beat Gunn from 12 yards and end the stalemate.
Ito fires home his late winner for Japan