Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫, Mitoma Kaoru, born 20 May 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team.
![]() Mitoma with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Kaoru Mitoma[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 25) | ||
Place of birth | Kanagawa, Japan[2] | ||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
Number | 22 | ||
Youth career | |||
Saginuma SC | |||
0000–2015 | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
2016–2019 | University of Tsukuba | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2021 | Kawasaki Frontale | 50 | (21) |
2021– | Brighton & Hove Albion | 9 | (1) |
2021–2022 | → Union SG (loan) | 27 | (7) |
National team‡ | |||
2018 | Japan U21 | 3 | (1) |
2017–2021 | Japan U23 | 9 | (4) |
2021– | Japan | 9 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:06, 5 November 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:30, 27 September 2022 (UTC) |
Born in Kanagawa, Mitoma grew up in the Kawasaki area and joined the Frontale academy at the U10 level. Offered a promotion from the U-18s to the senior team coached by Yahiro Kazama, he chose instead the University of Tsukuba, a Japanese university football powerhouse who had recently produced Frontale stalwarts such as Shogo Taniguchi and Shintaro Kurumaya. Mitoma professed to feel unprepared to enter professional football at age 18, citing the struggles of fellow Kawasaki academy products Ko Itakura and Koji Miyoshi to win regular playing time with the senior squad.[4][5]
During his time at Tsukuba, Mitoma was selected to represent Japan at the 2017 and 2019 Universiade tournaments, as well as the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the under-23 national team. Playing in the Kanto University Soccer League with Tsukuba, he was named to the all-league XI in his final three seasons while majoring in physical education. In addition, Tsukuba appeared in the 2016 and 2017 Emperor's Cup tournaments making an upstart run to the round of 16 in the latter edition, upsetting J.League clubs YSCC Yokohama, Vegalta Sendai (against whom Mitoma scored a brace), and Avispa Fukuoka along the way. While enrolled in college, Mitoma also occasionally joined Frontale's senior team for training sessions as a Special Designated Player starting in his sophomore year, appearing in a single J.League Cup match in 2019.[5]
In July 2018, Mitoma agreed on a professional contract with Kawasaki Frontale senior team starting in 2020.[6] He made his official pro debut on the opening matchday of the 2020 J1 League and quickly established himself after the league resumed following the COVID-19 outbreak, becoming the first rookie to reach double digits in goals in the first division since Yoshinori Muto.[5]
On 10 August 2021, Mitoma joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-year deal, joining Union SG on loan for the first year.[7] Mitoma scored his first goal for Union SG on 16 October, where he scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory over Seraing.[8]
On 13 August 2022, Mitoma made his Premier League debut for Brighton, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Leandro Trossard in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United at the Falmer Stadium.[9] He made his first Albion start on 24 August, playing 67 minutes of the 3–0 away win over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round.[10] Mitoma made his first Premier League start on 29 October, setting up Leandro Trossard's fifth minute opener in the eventual 4–1 home thrashing over Chelsea.[11] A week later, he scored his first goal for the Seagulls heading them level from a Adam Lallana cross in the eventual 3–2 away win over Wolves. Mitoma also helped Brighton in both other goals with his run into the box creating Pascal Groß's 83rd minute winner.[12] Mitoma scored again in Brighton's next match four days later, putting Albion in front in the eventual 3–1 away win over Arsenal in the EFL Cup third round.[13]
After being capped at youth level, Mitoma was called up to the Japan senior squad for the first time in November 2021 for 2022 World Cup qualfiers against Oman.[14] He made his debut on 16 November, coming on as a substitute in the 1–0 away win over Oman.[15]
On 24 March 2022, Mitoma scored his first two international goals in a 2–0 World Cup qualification win against Australia. Coming from the bench at the 86th, the winger opens the score three minutes later. He score another during the added time. This win confirms Japan's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[16] Mitoma's double offers him his First "A" international titularisation at the following game, five days later, against Vietnam.
On 1 November, Mitoma was named in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[17]
Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | League cup[lower-alpha 2] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
University of Tsukuba | 2016 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||||
2017 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | |||||||
Total | – | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | 5 | 2 | ||||||
Kawasaki Frontale | 2018 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
2019 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
2020 | J1 League | 30 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | – | – | 37 | 18 | |||
2021 | J1 League | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 3] | 2 | 1[lower-alpha 4] | 2 | 24 | 12 | |
Total | 50 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 30 | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
2022–23 | Premier League | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 11 | 2 | |||
Total | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||
Union SG (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 27 | 7 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 29 | 8 | ||
Career total | 86 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 106 | 42 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
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Japan | |||
2021 | 1 | 0 | |
2022 | 8 | 5 | |
Total | 9 | 5 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 | 24 March 2022 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 2–0 | |||||
3 | 2 June 2022 | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan | ![]() | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2022 Kirin Challenge Cup |
4 | 10 June 2022 | Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan | ![]() | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2022 Kirin Cup |
5 | 23 September 2022 | Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 Kirin Challenge Cup |
Kawasaki Frontale
Individual
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. – current squad | |
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Japan squads | |||||||||||||
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Awards | |||||
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