Who is Kaishu Sano, goalscorer for Japan against Brazil in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Kaishu Sano surprised Brazil when he scored for Japan in the 30th minute of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match in Houston on Monday.

The midfielder first intercepted a pass, then dribbled past Casemiro, burst through the Brazilian half and shot from just outside the penalty area, gaining enough power and direction to beat custodian Alisson.

Sano is 25 years old and plays for German side Mainz 05. During the 2025/26 season, he scored one goal and had two assists.

For Samurai Blue this was the first goal for Sano. During Japan’s 4–0 win over Tunisia in the group stage, Sano had assisted a goal.

Sano started his professional career in Japan in 2019, making 118 appearances for Machida Zelvia and scoring eight goals. He then moved to Kashima Antlers after four seasons. In 2024, Mainz signed the defensive midfielder for a fee of just €2.5 million.

Sano was in the news before this World Cup. He was arrested in 2024 along with two other men after they were accused of gang-raping a woman. He was eventually released after the prosecutor did not proceed with the trial and reached a settlement out of court.

Although Sano publicly apologized after this accusation and played for Samurai Blue, fans and social media criticized the Japanese team for including him in the World Cup squad.

Published on June 29, 2026