Yūto Nagatomo

Yūto Nagatomo is one of Japan's most decorated footballers, with 145 international caps and the distinction of being the first Japanese player selected for five FIFA World Cups. The left-back is best known for his seven seasons at Inter Milan and two league titles with Galatasaray.

After graduating from Meiji University, Nagatomo joined FC Tokyo in 2007 and won the J.League Cup in 2009 before moving to Cesena on loan in 2010. He then signed permanently for Inter Milan in 2011, becoming the first East Asian player at the club. Over seven seasons he made more than 200 official appearances, won the Coppa Italia in 2011, and captained the side on numerous occasions.

He joined Galatasaray in 2018 and won back-to-back Süper Lig titles in 2018 and 2019, plus the Turkish Cup and Super Cup. A stint at Olympique Marseille (25 appearances) preceded his return to FC Tokyo in September 2021, completing a full-circle career. Nagatomo won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with Japan, earned his 100th cap in November 2017, and was named to five World Cup squads (2010–2026), a Japanese record.