ARLINGTON, Texas — At just 20 years old, Ayase Ueda burst onto the scene with the Kashima Antlers, Japan’s top football club, showcasing his immense potential. His performance hinted at a future that extended beyond merely playing in the J1 League.
Ueda made the leap to Europe in the summer of 2022 when he joined Cercle Brugge, quickly finding his footing by notching 22 goals in his debut season in the Belgian Pro League, finishing as the league’s second-highest scorer.
His success soon attracted the attention of Feyenoord, where he faced a steeper challenge adjusting to the more competitive Eredivisie. After struggling to find the net with only 12 league goals in his first two seasons at De Kuip, Ueda finally hit his stride last year.
– Sugawara: Japan ‘came here to win the World Cup, not for fun’
– Ranking Asia’s contenders: Who will go the furthest?
– Mo Touré, Nestory Irankunda and what unifies the Socceroos
With a remarkable 25 goals, Ueda claimed the Eredivisie Golden Boot, becoming only the second Japanese player to top the scoring charts in a major European league, following Kyōgo Furuhashi, who achieved this feat in the Scottish Premiership playing for Celtic during the 2022-23 season.
The lessons Ueda has learned at Feyenoord, including overcoming challenges, have solidified his role as Japan’s key forward. He was the top scorer during the Asian qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, contributing not only through his seven goals but also through his playmaking abilities.
As the sole striker for the Samurai Blue, Ueda sets the pace for the team’s press, laboring tirelessly even when outnumbered. His build-up play often creates opportunities for his teammates as much as it does for himself.
His time in the Netherlands has refined his skill set, and now, with an eye on making an impactful start for his country in the World Cup, he faces a challenging opener in Group F against the Netherlands this Sunday.
While the Dutch boast an abundance of talent and Ueda may face one of the world’s premier defenders in Virgil van Dijk, Japan has every reason to be confident against this football powerhouse.
Just last World Cup, Japan shocked both Germany and Spain, finishing atop their group before narrowly bowing out in the round of 16 against another formidable competitor, Croatia, via penalties.
The consistent message from the Samurai Blue is that they are on the brink of becoming world champions. If that ambition is to be realized, victories against teams like the Netherlands are crucial.
Japan has long been known for producing exceptional attackers, from Hidetoshi Nakata to Shunsuke Nakamura, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa, and more recently, Kaoru Mitoma and Takefusa Kubo.
However, they have often struggled to find a true No. 9 who can thrive on the grand stages.
Previous forwards such as Shinji Okazaki and Yuya Osako were dedicated and tenacious, both tallying respectable international goals. Yet, in three World Cups from 2010 to 2014, Okazaki netted only two of his 50 goals for Japan, while Osako scored just once out of 25 in World Cup play.
Notably, out of the five players in Japan’s top ten all-time scorers from the new millennium, three — Honda, Kagawa, and Takumi Minamino — were attacking midfielders rather than strikers.
This isn’t to discount Okazaki and Osako, whose international scoring averages are on par with Ueda’s current rate of 0.4 goals per game. However, Ueda is only 27 and arguably entering his prime, suggesting his goal-scoring frequency may improve.
And there’s no better moment to begin than now.
Having been part of the squad at the last World Cup, Ueda primarily remained on the sidelines as he was largely unused during matches against Germany, Spain, and Croatia, only playing the first half of a surprising loss to Costa Rica.
Back then, he was merely a backup. Now, he has stepped into the spotlight as Japan’s focal point in attack.
As the reigning Eredivisie top scorer, Ueda must carry that newfound status into this year’s World Cup, even if it means competing against the nation that has propelled him to this point.