Sota Kitano

Sota Kitano is a Japanese midfielder born in Wakayama on August 13, 2004. He began playing with Arterivo Yuasa before joining Cerezo Osaka’s academy, where he progressed through the club’s age groups. Kitano made his Cerezo Osaka U-23 league debut in October 2020, becoming the club’s youngest player to appear in an official match. He scored his first professional goal against Kashima Antlers in March 2022 and won the 2022 J.League Cup New Hero Award. After developing into a regular senior player for Cerezo Osaka, he moved to Red Bull Salzburg in June 2025. At Salzburg, Kitano has been used as an attacking midfielder, contributing energetic pressing, ball progression and movement between the lines. He represented Japan from youth level through under-20, including the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, before making his senior debut in 2025.