[Player Profile #24] Suzuki Junnosuke | The 22-Year-Old Left Stopper from Kakamigahara, Shock Call-Up After Brazil Upset Takes Him from CL to the World Cup
A deep dive into Suzuki Junnosuke (22, from Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture), tagged as a 'shock call-up' in our projected 26-man squad. After just six months at Shonan Bellmare, he transferred to FC Copenhagen and went on to make 7 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, then started the full 90 minutes at left CB against Brazil, completely shutting down Chelsea's Esteban.
Junnosuke Suzuki, 22 years old. Having moved from Shonan Bellmare to FC Copenhagen in just six months, he has made 7 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper. In the match against Brazil on October 14, 2025, he started the full game at left CB and kept Chelsea's rising star Esteban completely at bay, earning the highest praise from Takefusa Kubo, who said he "was growing during the match itself." This left stopper — flagged as a "shock call-up" in our projected 26-man squad — now carries enormous expectations with WC 2026 just around two months away. We take stock of those expectations and the challenges he must overcome.
menu_book Basic Profile
_※ No individually usable portrait image is currently available on Wikimedia Commons or image databases; a photo will be added as soon as one is ready._
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 12, 2003 (22 years old) |
| Hometown | Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture |
| Height / Weight | 180 cm / 71 kg |
| Position | DF (CB in a back-three as left stopper / left SB / former DMF — versatile multi-role player) |
| Preferred Foot | Right (capable of using both feet; notably high accuracy with the left) |
| Club | FC Copenhagen (Superliga / Denmark) |
| Squad Number | Club: 20 / National team: 25 |
| Japan National Team | Senior debut on June 10, 2025 vs. Indonesia. 6 caps, 0 goals. Started the full game in the 3-2 victory over Brazil on October 14, 2025 |
arrow_forward Getting to Know His Hometown
Kakamigahara, located in southern Gifu Prefecture along the Kiso River, is a core city of approximately 140,000 residents. Home to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Gifu Air Base and Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Aerospace Company plants, it is known as "the city of the skies" — an industrial hub whose southern half is also blessed with the clear waters and riverbanks of the Kiso River.
In terms of football culture, it falls within the home-town area of J3 side FC Gifu, and numerous youth teams and clubs are rooted throughout the city. FC DIVINE, the club Suzuki attended as a child, is one such local outfit, and the two-footed technique drilled into him by his coaches there — with instructions to "be able to kick with either foot" — became the very foundation of the multi-role versatility he possesses today. His performances on the World Cup stage will be a source of immense pride for the city of Kakamigahara.
calendar_month Career Timeline by Age
| Age | Period | Club / Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 | Up to 2015 | FC DIVINE (Kakamigahara). Develops two-footed technique |
| 13–15 | 2016–2018 | SC Gifu VAMOS. Developed through a club academy rather than a school club |
| 16–18 | 2019–2021 | Teikyo University Kani High School (Gifu). Outstanding player at the 2021 & 2022 All-Japan High School Soccer Tournament. Emerges as a midfielder |
| 18 | 2022 | Joins Shonan Bellmare. 0 league appearances, 1 Emperor's Cup appearance |
| 19 | 2023 | Shonan Bellmare. 5 league appearances |
| 20 | 2024 | Shonan Bellmare. Converted from midfielder to CB; 23 league appearances. J1 Young Player of the Month for October |
| 21 | Early 2025 | Shonan. Ranked No. 1 in J1 for aerial duels as of May; highest-rated U-25 CB |
| 21 | July 9, 2025 | Permanent transfer to FC Copenhagen (5-year contract, transfer fee approx. €1.2 million, squad number 20) |
| 22– | October 2025–present | Establishes himself as a key player at Copenhagen; 7 UCL appearances. First senior international start vs. Brazil on October 14 |
local_fire_department 2025/26 Season — From Conversion to UCL Regular in Just 18 Months
In July 2025, Suzuki completed a permanent move from Shonan to FC Copenhagen on a five-year contract. In the 2025/26 season he has featured in 18 Superliga matches (1 goal), 5 cup matches, and 7 UEFA Champions League matches, totalling approximately 30 competitive appearances. With a Flashscore rating of 7.1, he has been a cornerstone of the side.
It is a remarkable pace: a 22-year-old who had only just been converted from midfielder to CB at Shonan in 2024 becoming a regular starter in the UCL proper within just 18 months of that positional switch.
| Season | Club | League | Cup etc. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Shonan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | Shonan | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2024 | Shonan | 23 | 2 | 25 |
| Early 2025 | Shonan | 21 | 3 | 24 |
| 25/26 | Copenhagen | 18 | 12 (Cup + UCL) | approx. 30 |
sports_soccer International Career — A Shock Call-Up That Put Him Alongside Five Senior Stars in the Brazil Match
Suzuki received his first senior international call-up on May 23, 2025, when manager Hajime Moriyasu named him in the squad for the third-round qualifiers against Indonesia and China — a shock debut summons at just 22 years old. He had earned his call-up barely six months after being converted to CB.
Then, on October 14, 2025, in the moment that truly embodied the "shock call-up" label, he started the full game at left CB against Brazil (Kirin Challenge Cup). Japan secured a historic first win against Brazil in 14 attempts, triumphing 3-2, and Suzuki kept Chelsea's highly touted Esteban completely quiet in one-on-one situations in the second half. After the match, Takumi Minamino called him the "unsung MVP" and Takefusa Kubo offered the ultimate compliment: "He was growing during the match itself. I was astonished." He instantly emerged as a genuine candidate for a regular starting berth.
There are four reasons this paper labelled his inclusion a "shock call-up." First, a genuine emergency in the CB ranks: Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Kodai Takai and others had repeatedly suffered minor injuries. Second, the scarcity of left stoppers: although right-footed, his notably accurate left-footed delivery is an indispensable piece for the left stopper role in Moriyasu's back three. Third, his multi-role capability: able to play CB (centre or left of a back three), left SB, and — thanks to his midfielder background — as a build-up pivot too, he is a "versatile piece" who can cover multiple roles with a single substitution. Finally, his experience in the UCL in Europe: however modest Denmark's UCL allocation may be, 7 appearances in the UCL proper is a significant asset for a CB who is still new to international football.
star Suzuki in a Nutshell — "The Left-Stopper Formula" and "Aerial Monster" Combined
There are two key phrases essential to understanding Suzuki.
| Keyword | How It Manifests in Play |
|---|---|
| The Left-Stopper Formula (Polyvalent Converter) | Build-up ability from a midfielder background / the rare combination of being right-footed yet highly accurate with the left / broad positional flexibility across CB, SB, and DMF |
| Aerial Monster | Top of the J1 aerial-duel rankings despite an average height of 180 cm (as of May 2025) / the tackles and physical contests that shut out Brazil's Esteban / FC Copenhagen's official description of him as a player with "aggressive tackling" |
The significance of combining both qualities is clear: carrying responsibility for both defensive duties and build-up play as a single player. The fact that a player described as someone who has "finally brought Japan a defender who can battle in the physical confrontation" (Jung Tae-se) in terms of physicality also possesses the technical quality of a former midfielder is the very reason Moriyasu's Japan has incorporated this 22-year-old into the squad.
favorite Expectations at WC 2026 — The Key to Japan Breaking Out of Group F
Japan have been drawn in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. Suzuki is expected to feature as left stopper in the back three, either rotating with or coming on as a substitute for Hiroki Ito.
| Opponent | Key Attacking Characteristics | Suzuki's Expected Role |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Combination of an explosive right-winger and a tall centre-forward | Use his UCL-honed one-on-one defending to delay the right winger, and exploit the Dutch high line with his left-footed delivery |
| Sweden | Tall two-striker pairing of Isak and Gyökeres | Leverage his J1 aerial-duel record to tenaciously contain set pieces and crosses |
| Tunisia | Compact African-style defensive block with set-piece threat | Disciplined set-piece defending tailored to Moriyasu's national-team system, plus serving as a left-footed build-up pivot |
live_tv Social Media & Media Presence
Suzuki's communication style is sincere and humble. His Instagram account @junnosuke0712 open_in_new is regularly updated with both on- and off-pitch moments at club and international level. An official personal account on X (formerly Twitter) has not been confirmed at this time.
His media manner is characterised by calm and precise self-analysis. He is the type to articulate his game in concrete terms rather than emotional ones — phrases like "I felt my aggression in the physical duels was good" and "it gave me a new benchmark" are typical. A former coach (SC Gifu VAMOS) has described him as a grounded, self-made character, noting, "even now that he's a Japan international, I've never heard anyone say he's got a big head." Another distinctive trait is the thoughtful and genuine way he speaks about his former club Shonan, who were relegated to J2.
info The Challenges Ahead — "Lack of International Experience and CB Inexperience"
Lack of international experience and inexperience as a CB — this is where Suzuki's biggest challenges converge. He will have only around 6 senior caps by the time the tournament begins. In terms of international experience, he is at a clear disadvantage compared with Tomiyasu (80+ caps) and Itakura (30+ caps).
Even in the Brazil match, it was noted that "there were moments early on where he struggled with the opponents' positional play", making it uncertain how he will maintain concentration over the longer stretches of a World Cup. Being selected from the Danish Superliga — a mid-tier league with roughly 1.0 UCL spots per season — also means he ranks slightly lower in the pecking order compared with players from the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A.
The fact that he has been playing as a CB in earnest for only about 18 months is also an undeniable limitation. There will likely be moments where his inexperience shows in positioning and organising the defensive line (communicating and directing teammates). The Kirin Challenge Cup match against Iceland on May 31 and the training camp on location will be his final mission: to absorb Japan's international football culture into his very bones.