Takuya Akaguma and Japan made history at the last FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™. The Samurai Blue became the first Asian nation to reach the final, while the pride of Fukuoka became the first Japanese to win a goal award, collecting the adidas Bronze Scorer.

If you think Akaguma is happy reflecting on those sizeable feats, think again. This insatiably-ambitious machine regrets seizing silver instead of gold, and ‘only’ netting 10 times, which included a last-gasp winner in the quarter-finals, a hat-trick in the semis and another two in the final. Akaguma vows to do more at UAE 2024 Dubai™.

How excited are you for the tournament?
Takuya Akaguma: As a team, our goal is to go all the way. And personally, being top scorer would be the icing on the cake. I have to admit that in 2021, finishing runners-up and only being the third-highest scorer disappointed me. When the tournament comes to a close, I hope we can finish it smiling instead. However well we did [in 2021], I couldn’t stand the feeling of falling short. It’s been driving us on ever since. We will give it everything to go one step further in Dubai.

Given that you finished runners-up at Russia 2021, other countries will have Japan on their radar. How confident are you of doing better even better?
I think we have every chance. I’ve gone over and over things since we lost the final, looking for wherever I was lacking or areas we could improve. We also have a stronger team, with many young players coming through. The upcoming games won’t be a walk in the park, but I am up for the challenge and would like to show that on the sand.

In which areas do you think most work had to be done?
At the end of the day, people judge me on goals scored. I got a brace in the final, but had I scored more, we may have gone all the way. That’s why I focused on improving my movement and accuracy as a striker to net more this time around.

I think the best evidence of all that hard work was your finishing top scorer at the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2023. How much did that boost your confidence?
I aimed to top the scoring chart before we went into the tournament, so actually doing so meant a lot to me personally. Having said that, the team again finished runners-up after losing to Iran in the final, which made the whole experience very frustrating. But yes, if you’re looking for a pre world-cup confidence booster, it’s hard to beat finishing top scorer at the Asian Cup.

This will be your fifth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Can you tell us what kind a role this tournament plays for you?
Each time I put the Japan shirt on, I’m on cloud nine. It means everything to me. The World Cup is the pinnacle of beach soccer and winning it would be a way of thanking my many supporters. It would also help put the sport on the map more effectively. I’d like to promote its appeal to as many people as possible.

Other coaches and players often mention your own coach, Teruki Tabata. How big a presence is he for you and the rest of the team?
For me, having him around is hugely important. While he was still playing, we happened to room together during the Paraguay tournament, which gave me the chance to really show what I could do for the national team. And even though his playing days are over, his role as coach and the way he helps me and the team with tactics and analytics is crucial.

Are there any priority areas Japan needs to watch for to keep excelling in this competition?
In the squad we have now, it’s been very much out with the old guard and in with the new, and I think giving those youngsters freedom to make their mark will help the team continue to impress. Teamwork and collective effort are the non-negotiables. I want to do my bit by scoring as many as possible while striving in these areas. Winning the whole thing and finishing as top goalscorer would be a dream double, so come what may, that has to be the goal.

Finally, do you have any message for the fans back home in Japan?
Having the fans cheering us on from the sidelines really helps us as players, and I hope they too will give their all and help carry us to victory. Many people back in Japan are in real hardship after the earthquake and tsunami disasters, so I hope we can cheer them up in some way, however small.