Wataru Endo
遠藤 航
#6 · Midfielder · age 33 · (C)
Captain; defensive midfield enforcer
78
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 37
- Career peak
- 68
- League level
- 100
- Competition pedigree
- 80
- International pedigree
- 94
- Longevity
- 60
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Endo’s captaincy is the bridge between Japan’s Qatar 2022 generation (which beat Germany and Spain in the group stage) and the post-Kubo-era core. Moriyasu’s system runs through him: Endo screens the back three, releases Kubo and Doan into the half-spaces, and absorbs second balls in central midfield.
Group F features three opponents (Netherlands, Sweden, Tunisia) whose attacks all involve direct central runners — the type of player Endo has built a career on dispossessing. His duel record against Memphis Depay and Viktor Gyökeres will be among the most-watched matchups of the group stage.
Strengths
- Bundesliga-leading duels-won record across his Stuttgart years
- Reading-based defending — interceptions over tackles
- Leadership and tactical adaptability
Recent form
Liverpool rotation regular through their 2025-26 PL title campaign.
Led the Bundesliga in duels won every season he played in Germany — a five-year streak no other player has matched in the modern data era.