Ryunosuke Sato earns Japan senior call-up after strong start at Valencia

Ryunosuke Sato has been included in Japan's senior squad for the friendly matches scheduled in late September and early October. The call-up comes just weeks after his move to Valencia and reflects the importance the 19-year-old midfielder has already gained in the team's starting plans during the opening stretch of the season.

• Sato returns to Japan's senior side in the first squad named after his transfer to Valencia.
• He has featured in five of the first six LaLiga matchdays, starting four of them and playing 297 minutes.
• Japan will play four friendlies: Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama or New Zealand.
• Valencia will be without him during a break in which the club plans a three-week mini preseason.

Sato back with Japan's senior team at just 19

The Japanese midfielder missed out on his country's World Cup plans and now regains prominence at senior level. Sato made his senior debut for Japan in June 2025 and has played five official matches since then. At the time, he became the youngest player in Japan's history to feature in a World Cup qualifier.

His recent international record also includes winning the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, a tournament in which Japan triumphed and where the Valencia player showed his potential. That mix of youth international experience and early senior involvement has once again opened the door to the national team.

Valencia move boosts his international career

Sato arrived in Valencia this summer from Tokyo on a five-year contract. Despite his age, he has not needed a long adaptation period: in the first six LaLiga matchdays he has taken part in five games, starting four of them, and has accumulated 297 minutes on the pitch.

That immediate impact has been key to earning a return to the senior national setup. Playing regularly in LaLiga, one of Europe's major leagues, strengthens his case to establish himself in the Japan squad ahead of future tournaments.

Four Japan friendlies during the club break

Japan's upcoming camp will be demanding. The team will face Uruguay on 24 September in Miyagi and Venezuela on 28 September in Hiroshima, both part of the Kirin Challenge Cup. After that, Japan will play Ecuador on 1 October in Kanagawa in the Kirin Cup Football, before closing the window on 5 October in Tokyo against Panama or New Zealand.

Four matches in less than two weeks will give Sato the chance to gain minutes and push for a permanent place in the squad. For a player of his age, that level of international competition is a valuable opportunity to keep improving and to cement his role in the head coach's plans.

What Valencia lose during the international break

Sato's call-up arrives at a delicate moment for Valencia. The club has just dismissed Carlos Corberán and has not yet announced a replacement. During the three-week break, the side plans to work in a similar way to a preseason in order to rebuild the team for the next run of LaLiga fixtures.

In that context, losing one of their summer signings and a player who had been earning regular minutes is not a minor issue. Sato will be away just as the new coaching staff would be expected to get to know the squad and begin implementing ideas. Even so, Valencia naturally accept a call-up that also highlights the success of their investment in the Japanese midfielder.

Frequently asked questions about Ryunosuke Sato and his Japan call-up