Junya Itō
Japanese footballer (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Junya Itō (伊東 純也, Itō Jun'ya; born 9 March 1993) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Japan national team.
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Itō with Reims in 2025 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Junya Itō[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 March 1993 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | ||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Genk | |||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Kamoi SC | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Yokosuka Seagulls | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Zuyo High School | |||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Kanagawa University | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2015 | Ventforet Kofu | 30 | (4) | |||||||||||
| 2016–2020 | Kashiwa Reysol | 101 | (19) | |||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Genk (loan) | 42 | (8) | |||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Genk | 78 | (19) | |||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Reims | 99 | (13) | |||||||||||
| 2025– | Genk | 18 | (4) | |||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Japan | 66 | (14) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 October 2025 | ||||||||||||||
Club career
Early club career
After attending Kanagawa University for four years,[2] Itō first became a Special Designated Player for Ventforet Kofu,[3] and obtained a new contract with the J1 League side.[4] His first professional season attracted attention from Chiba-based Kashiwa Reysol, which signed him in January 2016.[5]
On 31 January 2019, Itō moved from Kashiwa Reysol to Genk on a one-year loan.[6] On 18 September, he made his Champions League debut as a starter in the group stage match against Red Bull Salzburg. On 30 March 2020, Itō signed permanently with Genk on a three-year contract.[7]
Stade Reims and return to Genk
On 29 July 2022, Itō joined Ligue 1 club Reims.[8] On 23 October, he scored the winner in a 2–1 victory against Auxerre.[9] In the 2023–24 Ligue 1 opening game on 12 August 2023, Itō scored a stunning opening goal against Marseille, but Reims eventually lost 2–1.[citation needed] In August 2025, following his club's relegation from Ligue 1 in the 2024–25 season, Itō returned to Genk and signed a three-year contract.[10]
International career
Itō made his Japan national team debut[clarification needed] in 2017.[citation needed] He was selected for Hajime Moriyasu's final World Cup squad in October 2022.[11]
Controversy
Adultery and sexual assault allegations
On 31 January 2024, Shukan Shincho reported that police had launched an investigation into Itō following a criminal complaint filed by two women alleging that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with them while they were intoxicated at a hotel in Osaka without their consent after a match for Japan against Peru in June 2023.[12]
In response to this report, the Japan Football Association decided on February 1 to withdraw Ito from the ongoing 2023 AFC Asian Cup after considering Ito's physical and mental condition.[13]
On 1 February, Itō filed a criminal complaint against the two women with the Osaka Prefectural Police for filing false complaints. On 19 February, he filed a lawsuit against the two women at the Osaka District Court, claiming that their sponsorship contracts were terminated due to false complaints and demanding 200 million yen in damages.[14]
The case was transferred to the Tokyo District Court in May and both Itō and the women were referred to prosecutors in July.[15][16] On 9 August, prosecutors dropped both charges against Ito and Ito's countersuit on his accusers, citing lack of evidence.[17]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ventforet Kofu | 2015 | J1 League | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 4 | ||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2016 | J1 League | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 7 | ||
| 2017 | J1 League | 34 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 6 | |||
| 2018 | J1 League | 34 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[a] | 2 | — | 41 | 9 | ||
| Total | 101 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 124 | 22 | |||
| Genk (loan) | 2018–19 | Belgian Pro League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[b] | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20 | Belgian Pro League | 29 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 6[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 38 | 6 | ||
| Total | 42 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 9 | |||
| Genk | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 38 | 11 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 42 | 12 | |||
| 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 39 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[e] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 49 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 78 | 19 | 5 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 20 | |||
| Reims | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | |||
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 3 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 1[f] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |||
| Total | 99 | 13 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 106 | 13 | ||||
| Genk | 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 1 | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 368 | 66 | 22 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 438 | 73 | ||
- Appearances in AFC Champions League
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
- Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearance in Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs
International
- As of match played 14 October 2025[22]
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Itō goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 September 2018 | Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan |  Costa Rica | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 2 | 12 October 2018 | Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata, Japan |  Panama | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2018 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 3 | 30 March 2021 | Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan |  Mongolia | 8–0 | 14–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 10–0 | |||||
| 5 | 11 June 2021 | Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan |  Serbia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 11 November 2021 | Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam |  Vietnam | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 16 November 2021 | Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman |  Oman | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 27 January 2022 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan |  China | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 1 February 2022 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan |  Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 20 June 2023 | Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan |  Peru | 3–0 | 4–1 | 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 11 | 9 September 2023 | Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany |  Germany | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 12 | 12 September 2023 | Cegeka Arena, Genk, Belgium |  Turkey | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 13 | 17 October 2023 | Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan |  Tunisia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 14 | 5 September 2024 | Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan | China | 5–0 | 7–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Genk
Reims
- Coupe de France runner-up: 2024–25[25]
Individual
- Belgian First Division A Team of the Season: 2020–21[26]
- Belgian First Division A top assist provider: 2021–22[27]
- Belgian First Division A Goal of the Season: 2021–22[28]
- Japan Pro-Footballers Association Best XI: 2022, 2023, 2024[29]