Go Oiwa, head coach of the men’s Under-21 national soccer team, will take the helm of Samurai Blue in spring and lead the squad through the next World Cup in 2030.

The Japan Football Association made the decision at a board meeting on July 23.

Current national team head coach Hajime Moriyasu, 57, has been handed an unusual contract of about six months, which will take him to the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next January and February.

“By giving my all alongside the players during this contract period, I can pass the baton to the next manager in the best possible way,” Moriyasu told a news conference on July 24. “I will do my utmost to deliver solid results and ensure a smooth transition.”

JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, who attended the same news conference, said the association asked Moriyasu to stay on until the Asian Cup.

“It is important to win at the Asian Cup, an official tournament, and improve our world ranking,” he said.

Oiwa, 54, is scheduled to lead the U-21 national team at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games opening in September.

The assignment would make it difficult for him to coach Japan at the Asian Cup or attend national team activities through the end of the year.

Oiwa’s first match in charge of the national team will be an international friendly in March.

He will concurrently serve as head coach of the U-21 national team, which is preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Speaking at the July 24 news conference, JFA Technical Director Masakuni Yamamoto said the association concluded that Oiwa is someone who can embody its core principles.

Specifically, Yamamoto cited Oiwa’s track record in developing and strengthening players from the youth ranks, commitment to generational transition, experience at international tournaments and understanding of Japanese soccer.

A native of Shizuoka Prefecture, Oiwa played for Nagoya Grampus, Jubilo Iwata and the Kashima Antlers in the J.League before retiring in 2010.

He served as manager of the Kashima Antlers from 2017 to 2019, winning the AFC Champions League title in 2018.

He later coached the nation’s age-group national teams and led the U-23 national team to a quarterfinal finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Moriyasu was promoted from an assistant coach to head coach of the national team in July 2018.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Japan defeated former champions Germany and Spain in the group stage to advance to the round of 16.

Moriyasu was retained as head coach.

At the World Cup in North and Central America this year, Moriyasu’s second tournament at the helm, Japan advanced past the group stage with one win and two draws.

But the team was eliminated by Brazil in the first round of the knockout stage.

Japan has yet to win a knockout stage match at the World Cup.

The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.