# Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫, Mitoma Kaoru, born 20 May 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team. He is best known for his dribbling ability.

## Club career
### Early years

Born in Hita, Ōita, Mitoma eventually moved to Kawasaki, Kanagawa in his earlier days, where he grew up in Miyamae-ku. He then joined the Kawasaki Frontale academy at the U10 level. Offered a promotion from the U-18s to the senior team coached by Yahiro Kazama, he instead chose the University of Tsukuba, a Japanese university football powerhouse who had recently produced Frontale stalwarts such as Shogo Taniguchi and Shintaro Kurumaya. Mitoma professed to feeling unprepared to enter professional football at age 18, citing the struggles of fellow Kawasaki academy products Ko Itakura and Koji Miyoshi to win regular playing time with the senior squad. He wrote his university thesis on dribbling.
During his time at Tsukuba, Mitoma was selected to represent Japan at the 2017 and 2019 Universiade tournaments, as well as the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the under-23 national team. Playing in the Kanto University Soccer League [ja] with Tsukuba, he was named to the all-league XI in his final three seasons while majoring in physical education. In addition, Tsukuba appeared in the 2016 and 2017 Emperor's Cup tournaments making an upstart run to the round of 16 in the latter edition, upsetting J.League clubs YSCC Yokohama, Vegalta Sendai (against whom Mitoma scored a brace), and Avispa Fukuoka along the way. While enrolled in college, Mitoma also occasionally joined Frontale's senior team for training sessions as a Special Designated Player starting in his sophomore year, appearing in a single J.League Cup match in 2019.

### Kawasaki Frontale

In July 2018, Mitoma agreed on a professional contract with Kawasaki Frontale, and would become a member of the team in 2020. He made his debut on the opening matchday of the 2020 J1 League and quickly established himself after the league resumed following the COVID-19 outbreak, becoming the first rookie to reach double digits in goals in the first division since Yoshinori Muto. On 1 January 2021, he scored match winning goal in a 1–0 victory against Gamba Osaka in the final of the 2020 Emperor's Cup.

### Brighton & Hove Albion
#### 2021–22: Loan to Belgium

On 10 August 2021, Mitoma joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-year deal, joining Union SG on loan for the first year. He scored his first goal for Union SG on 16 October against Seraing, in a match where they were losing 0–2 and down to 10 men in the first half, ultimately scoring a hat-trick to end the game in a 4–2 home victory.

#### 2022–23: Breakout season

On 13 August 2022, Mitoma made his Premier League debut for Brighton, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Leandro Trossard in a goalless draw against Newcastle United at the Falmer Stadium. He made his first start for Albion on 24 August, playing 67 minutes of the 3–0 away victory League One side Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round. He made his first Premier League start on 29 October, setting up Leandro Trossard's fifth-minute opener in the eventual 4–1 home win over Chelsea. One week later, he scored his first goal for the Seagulls, heading them level from Adam Lallana's cross in the eventual 3–2 away victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Mitoma also helped Brighton in both other goals with his run into the box creating Pascal Groß' 83rd-minute winner. Mitoma scored again in Brighton's next match four days later, putting Albion in front in the eventual 3–1 away victory against Arsenal in the EFL Cup third round. He scored his first home goal on 31 December, giving Brighton a lifeline in the eventual 4–2 home loss against Arsenal. He later had a goal ruled out for offside which would have cut the Gunners' lead to one.
On 29 January 2023, Mitoma's 91st-minute winner at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup saw Brighton defeat the cup holders Liverpool 2–1. On 4 February, he scored the late winning goal in a 1–0 victory over AFC Bournemouth. On 1 April, he scored his seventh league goal of the season in a 3–3 draw with Brentford to surpass Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki for the most goals scored in a single English top-flight season by a Japanese player.

#### 2023–24: Contract extension and season-ending injury

On 19 August 2023, Mitoma opened his season's scoring account with a sensational solo goal in Brighton's second match of the 2023–24 campaign, also setting up a Pervis Estupiñán goal in the 4–1 away league win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Later, this goal brought him the Goal of the Month award for August, making Mitoma the first ever Japanese player to win a Premier League monthly award. On 20 October 2023, Mitoma signed a new four-year deal with Brighton & Hove Albion up to 2027. On 27 February 2024, it was announced that Mitoma would miss the rest of the 2023–24 season due to a back injury.

#### 2024–25: Return from injury

On 17 August 2024, Mitoma marked his return from injury by opening the scoring in an eventual 3-0 away league win against Everton in Albion's first match of the 2024–25 season. Later in the season in the month of February, Mitoma would receive another Premier League Goal of the Month award from his finish in a 3-0 victory against Chelsea after receiving a long pass from goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen.

## International career

After being capped at youth level, Mitoma was called up to the Japan senior squad for the first time in November 2021 for 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Oman. He made his debut on 16 November, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 away win over Oman.
On 24 March 2022, Mitoma scored his first two international goals in a 2–0 World Cup qualification win against Australia. Coming on as an 86th-minute substitute, the winger opened the score three minutes later. He scored another during added time. This win confirmed Japan's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Five days later, Mitoma's double offered him his First "A" international titularisation at the following game against Vietnam.
On 1 November, Mitoma was named in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the last group game which came against Spain on 1 December, he assisted Ao Tanaka's winner that saw Japan qualify to the round of 16 as group winners. The goal came with controversy, originally being ruled out for the ball going out of play. VAR took several minutes to rule a sliver of the curvature of the ball was hanging over the line and hence in play. Disputes over VAR's ruling were only settled when, after the match, the Associated Press released the bird's eye photo of the ball. The photographer Petr David Josek revealed that a total of four agencies — AP, Reuters, AFP and Getty Images — were approved to enter the suspended catwalk to take bird's eye photos, but the latter three missed the shot because they were at the opposite side of the pitch anticipating a Spanish goal instead.

## Personal life

Mitoma is the childhood friend of fellow Japan international and former Kawasaki Frontale teammate Ao Tanaka, who currently plays for Championship club Leeds United. Both went to Saginuma Elementary School in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, and promised to make Japan proud as professional footballers.
His older brother, Kousei is an actor.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 15 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| University of Tsukuba | 2016 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| University of Tsukuba | 2017 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 |
| University of Tsukuba | Total | Total | Total | Total | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2019 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2020 | J1 League | 30 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 18 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2021 | J1 League | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 12 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Total | Total | 50 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 30 |
| Union SG (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 27 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 29 | 8 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2022–23 | Premier League | 33 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 41 | 10 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2023–24 | Premier League | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2024–25 | Premier League | 29 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 8 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Total | Total | 81 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 100 | 21 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 158 | 45 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 196 | 61 |
* ↑ Includes Emperor's Cup, FA Cup and Belgian Cup
* ↑ Includes J.League Cup and EFL Cup
* ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League
* ↑ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of match played 19 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Japan | 2022 | 12 | 5 |
| Japan | 2023 | 5 | 2 |
| Japan | 2024 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 26 | 8 |
    As of match played 19 November 2024
    Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mitoma goal.
List of international goals scored by Kaoru Mitoma :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 24 March 2022 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia | Australia | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 24 March 2022 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia | Australia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 2 June 2022 | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan | Paraguay | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2022 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 4 | 10 June 2022 | Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan | Ghana | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2022 Kirin Cup |
| 5 | 23 September 2022 | Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | United States | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 6 | 28 March 2023 | Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Osaka, Japan | Colombia | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 7 | 20 June 2023 | Suita City Football Stadium, Suita, Japan | Peru | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 8 | 5 September 2024 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan | China | 2–0 | 7–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

Kawasaki Frontale
* J1 League: 2020
* Emperor's Cup: 2020
* Japanese Super Cup: 2021
Individual
* J.League Best XI: 2020
* Japan Pro-Footballers Association Awards
** MVP: 2022, 2023
** Best XI: 2022, 2023, 2024
* Premier League Goal of the Month: August 2023, February 2025
* BBC Goal of the Month: August 2023, February 2025
* IFFHS Asian Men's Team of the Year: 2023, 2024