Yuto Nagatomo #5

Profile

As the oldest member of the squad, Nagatomo brings famously passionate leadership backed by a long and distinguished career. His repeated cries of “Bravo!” in post-match interviews after Japan’s victories over Germany and Spain at the Qatar World Cup have since become his trademark. Turning 40 this September, and second only to Yasuhito Endo in Japan’s most-capped rankings, he shows no signs of slowing down. “My cells are exploding,” he jokes. “If anything, you should be worried about me improving.” With relentless work rate, exceptional physical conditioning and an uncompromising attitude, he continues to set the standard for younger players, and brings broad European club football experience, having played for Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Marseille before signing for FC Tokyo in 2021. With a fifth World Cup appearance coming up, his passion and obsession with performing on the biggest stage continue to burn as fiercely as ever.

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