Japan stalwarts Keisuke Honda and Makoto Hasebe have retired from international football after Japan’s World Cup exit.

The Blue Samurai led 2-0 in their Round of 16 fixture with Belgium before the Europeans launched a dramatic comeback to win 3-2 with a late Nacer Chadli goal.

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Honda did not start a game in Russia, but came off the bench as a second half substitute in Rostov, and believes the future is bright for Japan.

‘Today we showed how we can proceed as Japanese football,’ said the 32-year-old, who scored 37 goals in 98 caps.

Thank you my World Cup and my dream. You raised me up until today.

— KeisukeHonda(本田圭佑) (@kskgroup2017) July 3, 2018

‘I am happy, because we have a lot of good young players, and now it is their turn to write the history of Japanese football.

‘This is the last World Cup for me. That’s the reality.

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‘To be perfectly honest, I wanted to take everyone to the next round, but I couldn’t get the job done. I did everything I could. I did the best I could.

Japan captain Hasebe also called time on his international career after 114 appearances and the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder praised the team-mates who supported him during his career.

‘I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues who fought together for about 12-and-a-half years since 2006, and to all the Japanese people who supported me so much.

‘The time I walked with you is an important treasure for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

‘Last but not least, I am also a supporter of the national team. Let’s dream about the Japanese national team together,’ he concluded.

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Japan will now look ahead to the 2019 Asian Cup, which is being held in the UAE.