LA Galaxy's Maya Yoshida Joins Japan National Team for 2026 Kirin Challenge Cup in Tokyo
MLS LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy's Maya Yoshida Joins Japan National Team for 2026 Kirin Challenge Cup in Tokyo

Published on May 21, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


LOS ANGELES - The LA Galaxy announced today that defender Maya Yoshida has been called up to the Japanese National Team for the 2026 Kirin Challenge Cup against Iceland on Sunday, May 31 at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. The match is expected to be the longtime captain of Japan's final match for his country and the 140th appearance of his international career overall.

Yoshida, 37, made his international debut for Japan against the Netherlands nearly 16 years ago in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After missing the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to injury, the Nagasaki native went on to represent his country in each of the next three World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He took over as full-time captain for Japan in late 2018 and notably captained the side in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he led the team to the Round of 16. In total, Yoshida has played in 53 international friendlies, 43 World Cup Qualifiers, 15 Olympic fixtures, 15 AFC Asian Cup contests, an Asian Cup qualifier, and three Confederations Cup group stage matches. In nearly 12,000 minutes played for Japan all-time, the defender has added 12 goals and two assists and has donned the captain's armband over 50 times since 2017.

Since arriving in LA in 2023, Yoshida has appeared in 105 matches across all competitions for the Galaxy and has captained the G's throughout, including to their league-leading sixth MLS Cup with a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls in 2024. This past April, the Japanese international eclipsed 700 appearances in his professional career both internationally and across the top leagues of England, Germany, Italy, Japan and Netherlands since making his pro debut in 2007. Yoshida has tallied seven goals for the Galaxy and 35 for his career. This season, Yoshida completed 95.6% (391/409) of his passes in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, the highest of any player to attempt 250 or more passes in a single edition of the tournament since 2016.

Check out the LA Galaxy Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from May 21, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central