Ayase Ueda's rise from quiet schoolboy to Japan's World Cup scoring star

Ayase Ueda has emerged as one of the hottest strikers at the 2026 World Cup, and his composed reaction after scoring against Tunisia reflected the player he has always been: modest, focused and almost understated. In Japan’s 4-0 win, the 27-year-old scored twice and added an assist for Junya Ito, following a first-half strike with a powerful header. He now heads into the match against Sweden as one of the tournament’s standout forwards, while reports in Japan already link him with a move to a bigger club after the World Cup.

Ueda was born in Mito, about two hours from Tokyo, and grew up in a small wooded village in Ibaraki prefecture with his parents and two older sisters. His father played amateur football and inspired him to play, but Ueda said he did not initially like the game. That changed when, at age six, he scored in a friendly and saw the joy it brought his teammates, coach and family. Since then, he has said, “I live for goals” and could never imagine being a defender or midfielder.

Unlike many elite European players, Ueda took the university route in Japan. He studied sports science at Hosei University, mainly because of its strong football team, then joined Kashima Antlers after graduation. Over four seasons there he became one of Japan’s best strikers, finishing as his team’s top scorer twice before moving to Europe through Belgian club Cercle Brugge. Ueda said Europe is where Japanese players can prove themselves, adding that Japanese football has risen dramatically.

That move paid off quickly. He scored 23 goals in one season in Belgium, prompting Feyenoord to pay 8 million euros for him. His first years in Rotterdam were difficult because Santiago Gimenez was the first-choice striker and injuries disrupted him, including more than three months out with muscle problems during the 2024/25 season. But after Gimenez left, Ueda exploded under Robin van Persie, scoring 26 goals in 38 matches, including 25 in the Eredivisie, to finish as the Dutch league’s top scorer by eight goals. By December, he had already scored 18 times and led all major European leagues ahead of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. He has not celebrated much because, he said, he hears the crowd, lets the moment sink in, and thinks of his wife and the family and coaches who supported him. Against Sweden, Japan needs at least a draw to advance, and perhaps finish first in the group.