Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has declared that his nation's upcoming World Cup Round of 32 encounter against Brazil is the most significant match Japan have ever faced.

Miyamoto's bold assessment underscores just how much anticipation is building ahead of Monday's fixture — a meeting between the Asian giants and one of international football's most decorated nations.

For Japan, reaching the Round of 32 is already a statement of progress on the global stage. A victory over Brazil, however, would represent an entirely different magnitude of achievement — one that Miyamoto believes would stand alone in Japanese football history.

Brazil enter the tie as one of the most celebrated footballing nations in World Cup history, making the prospect of facing them — and the weight Miyamoto has placed on the contest — entirely understandable from a Japanese perspective.

The Japan FA president's words are likely to galvanise the squad as they prepare to face the South American powerhouse, with the nation's football community watching on in hope.