From Valencia’s late-summer heat to a four-stop tour of Japan, Ryunosuke Sato’s first weeks at Mestalla have carried him back into the senior international picture. The 19-year-old midfielder has been selected by Japan for September and October friendlies, returning to the national side shortly after beginning his five-year Valencia contract.
SEO Title: Ryunosuke Sato Returns to Japan Squad After Valencia Move
Meta Description: Valencia midfielder Ryunosuke Sato has earned a Japan recall for four home internationals after an encouraging start to life at Mestalla.
Ryunosuke Sato’s Valencia start brings Japan recall
Sato arrived on Spain’s east coast from Tokyo during the summer and has quickly become a meaningful part of Valencia’s opening stretch of the league season. He has appeared in five of the club’s first six matches, starting four of them, for a total of 297 minutes.
That early involvement has earned him another opportunity with Japan’s full national team. It is his first senior selection since joining Valencia and follows his omission from Japan’s World Cup plans. Sato first played for the senior side in June 2025 and has since collected five official appearances.
The midfielder also arrives with a recent AFC Under-23 Asian Cup title to his name. Earlier in his international rise, he became Japan’s youngest-ever player to feature in a World Cup qualifying match.
A four-match home programme for Japan
Japan will keep Sato busy across four fixtures during the coming camp. Uruguay visit Miyagi on 24 September, followed by Venezuela in Hiroshima on 28 September as part of the Kirin Challenge Cup programme. Ecuador then await in Kanagawa on 1 October in the Kirin Football Cup, before a final match in Tokyo on 5 October against either Panama or New Zealand.
For Valencia, the call-up removes one of the club’s young investments at a delicate moment. The Mestalla side are still waiting to appoint a new head coach following Carlos Corberán’s dismissal, and the international break is set to serve as a three-week preparatory period. Sato, instead, will be crossing Japan with a chance to establish a larger role for the national team.
