Japan beat Uruguay 3-1 late on in Diego Forlán's debut
Two stoppage-time goals from Kento Shiogai and Ayase Ueda gave Japan a 3-1 friendly win over Uruguay, spoiling Diego Forlán's first game as interim coach.
Kento Shioya
Forward · Japan · №7
30
Matches
4
In the starting XI
1 020
Minutes
10
Goals
0
Assists
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Japan
Uruguay
Friendlies
|
3:1 | |
VfL Wolfsburg
SV Darmstadt 98
2. Bundesliga
|
5:1 | |
FC St. Pauli
VfL Wolfsburg
2. Bundesliga
|
1:0 | |
VfL Wolfsburg
Energie Cottbus
2. Bundesliga
|
4:4 | |
Altglienicke
VfL Wolfsburg
DFB Pokal
|
3:3 | |
Hannover 96
VfL Wolfsburg
2. Bundesliga
|
0:1 | |
VfL Wolfsburg
FC Kaiserslautern
2. Bundesliga
|
0:0 | |
Brazil
Japan
World Cup
|
2:1 | |
Japan
Sweden
World Cup
|
1:1 | |
Tunisia
Japan
World Cup
|
0:4 |
Season statistics
30
Matches
4
In the starting XI
10
Goals
0
Assists
1 020
Minutes
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | 2025 | 18 |
| 2. Bundesliga | 2026 | 5 |
| World Cup | 2026 | 4 |
| Friendlies | 2026 | 2 |
| DFB Pokal | 2026 | 1 |
About the player
Kento Shiogai spent his first J1 League season on a specially-designated contract at Yokohama F. Marinos, playing seven matches and scoring once before Dutch club NEC Nijmegen took him on a free transfer in August 2024. Across two Eredivisie campaigns he scored 11 goals in 37 appearances.
Before any of that, Shiogai built his name in Japanese university football. At Keio University he scored 15 goals in his first league season and helped the side win promotion to the second division of the Kanto University League, having already been picked out as one of the 36 best players at the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament and named to the Japan High School Squad of the Year while at Kokugakuin University Kugayama High School.
His finishing has also stood out on the international stage. At the 2024 Maurice Revello Tournament he was top scorer with five goals in five matches, including a hat-trick against Italy. He progressed through Japan's youth ranks — nine caps and four goals at Under-18 level, nine caps and six goals at Under-19 — before earning his senior debut in 2026. He was named in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, wearing the number 26 shirt.
At Wolfsburg, he has made 15 appearances and scored once so far.
Career path
- 2026 — 2027 — now VfL Wolfsburg 16 matches
- 2025 — 2026 NEC Nijmegen 42 matches
- 2024 Yokohama F. Marinos 7 matches
Career
| Season | Club | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/27 | VfL Wolfsburg | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| 26/27 | VfL Wolfsburg | Germany Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 120 |
| 25/26 | VfL Wolfsburg | Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 313 |
| 25/26 | NEC Nijmegen | Eredivisie | 12 | 7 | 0 | 363 |
| 25/26 | NEC Nijmegen | KNVB Beker | 2 | 2 | 0 | 171 |
| 25/26 | VfL Wolfsburg | Bundesliga Playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 24/25 | NEC Nijmegen | Eredivisie | 25 | 4 | 1 | 539 |
| 24/25 | NEC Nijmegen | KNVB Beker | 2 | 1 | 0 | 123 |
| 24/25 | NEC Nijmegen | Play-Offs Conference League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 2024 | Yokohama F. Marinos | J1 League | 7 | 1 | 0 | 194 |
| Total | NEC Nijmegen | 42 | 14 | 1 | 1 225 | |
| Total | VfL Wolfsburg | 16 | 1 | 0 | 486 | |
| Total | Japan U19 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 606 | |
| Total | Yokohama F. Marinos | 7 | 1 | 0 | 194 | |
| Total | Japan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 35 | |
| Total | Japan U23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 127 | |
| Total | Japan U18 Women | 2 | 2 | 0 | 147 |
Transfers
Transfers- 25/26 NEC Nijmegen Wolfsburg €9.50M
- 24/25 Keio Univ. NEC Nijmegen
- 24/25 Yokohama F. M. Keio Univ.
- 23/24 Keio Univ. Yokohama F. M.
- 22/23 Kugayama HS Keio Univ.
- 19/20 Yokohama FC Jg Kugayama HS