Their 2026 World Cup
A goal against Brazil in the round of 32, Japan's last of the tournament, and an assist against Tunisia.
Match by match
K. Sano played 2 matches for Japan, starting every one. His only goal came in the round of 32 against Brazil.
| Round | Match | His game |
|---|---|---|
| Group F | vs Tunisia 4-0 | Started, played the full match · 1 assist |
| Round of 32 | vs Brazil 1-2 | Started, played the full match · 1 goal · 🟨 |
Who he is
- Born
- 30 December 2000 · aged 25 at the World Cup
- Birthplace
- Tsuyama
- Height
- 1.76 m
Data: Wikidata (CC0).
Biography
Kaishu Sano (佐野 海舟, Sano Kaishū; born 30 December 2000) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and the Japan national team.
Club career After four seasons with J2 League club Machida Zelvia, in December 2022 it was announced that Sano would be joining J1 League club Kashima Antlers for the 2023 season. Sano appeared as starter at the beginning of the season, appearing in nine of their first ten games. In April, he picked up a knee injury which would leave him out of action for four weeks.
Mainz 05 On 3 July 2024, Sano signed for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
International career On 15 May 2026, Sano was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On 29 June 2026, Sano scored his first international goal by opening the scoreline against Brazil in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life Sano is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer Kodai Sano.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · opening summary of the article.
Tournament data from API-Football. See more rankings on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: RuinDig/Yuki Uchida · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)