Kashima is a Japanese football club founded in 1991, known more broadly as Kashima Antlers and rooted in Ibaraki Prefecture. This team page brings together the 2026 squad, coaching timeline, recent player movement, competition footprint and a durable club profile. The club’s identity combines deep red traditions, a long domestic record and a distinctive home at Kashima Soccer Stadium. Its story also reflects the transition from Sumitomo Metal Soccer Club to a leading professional institution in the J.League era.
Kashima Upcoming matches by league
J1 League
-
- Regular Season - 8
Kawasaki Frontale
Kashima
-
- Regular Season - 9
KashimaNo H2HGamba Osaka
-
- Regular Season - 10
KashimaNo H2HV-varen Nagasaki
-
- Regular Season - 11
Kyoto SangaNo H2HKashima
Sanga Stadium by Kyocera
AFC Champions League
-
- League Phase - 1
Kashima
Newcastle Jets
-
- Group Stage
Công An Nhân DânNo H2HKashima
-
- Group Stage
KashimaNo H2HPohang Steelers
-
- Group Stage
Buriram UnitedNo H2HKashima
Emperor Cup
-
- Round of 32
KashimaNo H2HVentforet Kofu
Kashima Last matches by league
J1 League
Emperor Cup
Friendlies Clubs
-
- Club Friendlies 3Hinata Miyazaki Prefectural Sports Park Hinata Athletic Stadium
J-League Cup
Kashima Team Roster
Kashima’s recorded 26-player squad has a balanced positional spread: six attackers, nine defenders, three goalkeepers and eight midfielders. Léo Ceará, Élber, K. Tagawa and A. Čavrić provide named attacking options, while I. Sekigawa, K. Anzai, Kim Tae-Hyeon and R. Hirose feature in defence. T. Hayakawa, T. Yamada and Y. Kajikawa form the goalkeeper group. The midfield includes G. Shibasaki and K. Misao alongside Matheus Bueno, Y. Higuchi, Y. Matsumura, Y. Suzuki and Yan Matheus. The position count gives the squad a broad core of defensive and midfield coverage behind its six listed attackers. Shirt numbers range from 1 to 77 across the listed roster.
position Goalkeeper
position Defender
Koki Anzai
Tae-Hyeon Kim
Kaito Chida
Ikuma Sekigawa
Ryoya Ogawa
Ryuta Koike
Y. Okawa
A. Motosuna
Rikuto Hirose
Naomichi Ueda
position Midfielder
Kento Misao
Matheus Bueno Batista
Gaku Shibasaki
Yuta Higuchi
José Élber Pimentel da Silva
Keisuke Tsukui
H. Hayashu
Yuta Matsumura
Yuma Suzuki
Rui Onuki
position Attacker
Leonardo de Sousa Pereira
Kyosuke Tagawa
Yan Matheus Santos Souza
Minato Yoshida
Homare Tokuda
Aleksandar Čavrić
Last Kashima Coachs
Toru Oniki is Kashima’s current head coach, following his appointment on 1 February 2025. The recorded sequence also includes Masaki Chugo from 1 October 2024 to 1 January 2025 and Ranko Popović from 1 January to 1 October 2024. Daiki Iwamasa led the team from 1 August 2022 until 1 December 2023, after René Weiler’s spell from 1 January to 1 August 2022. The timeline shows a succession of Japanese and overseas coaches before Oniki’s current tenure you know.
Toru Oniki
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toru Oniki | Japan | 1 February 2025 | |
| Masaki Chugo | Japan | 1 October 2024 | 1 January 2025 |
| Ranko Popović | Kosovo | 1 January 2024 | 1 October 2024 |
| Daiki Iwamasa | Japan | 1 August 2022 | 1 December 2023 |
| René Weiler | Switzerland | 1 January 2022 | 1 August 2022 |
| Naoki Soma | Japan | 1 April 2021 | 1 February 2022 |
| Antônio Carlos Zago | Brazil | 1 January 2020 | 1 April 2021 |
| Go Oiwa | Japan | 1 June 2017 | 1 January 2020 |
| Masatada Ishii | Japan | 1 July 2015 | 1 June 2017 |
| Ailton dos Santos Ferraz | Brazil | 13 April 2012 | 15 April 2012 |
| Jorge José de Amorim Campos | Brazil | 1 April 2012 | 1 January 2013 |
| Jorge José de Amorim Campos | Brazil | 1 January 2012 | 1 April 2012 |
| Oswaldo de Oliveira Filho | Brazil | 1 July 2007 | 1 December 2011 |
Kashima Transfers
The latest recorded arrivals include R. Hirose from Vissel Kobe and Matheus Bueno from Shimizu S-pulse as transfers, while Yan Matheus joined from Qatar SC as a free agent. Y. Shimoda and M. Sato returned from loans on 29 June 2026, with N. Sutoh also returning from a loan at Kochi United in January. Earlier arrivals include Élber from Yokohama F. Marinos, A. Čavrić from Slovan Bratislava, Léo Ceará from Cerezo Osaka and Kim Tae-Hyeon from Sagan Tosu. R. Ogawa and K. Chida also arrived in June 2025. The arrival picture is a recent snapshot rather than a complete arrivals total.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yan Matheus |
Qatar SC
|
Free agent | 19 July 2026 |
| R. Hirose |
Vissel Kobe
|
Transfer | 19 July 2026 |
| Matheus Bueno |
Shimizu S-pulse
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| M. Sato |
Albirex Niigata
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| M. Sato |
Albirex Niigata
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| Y. Shimoda |
Tochigi City
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Sutoh |
Kochi United
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| Élber |
Yokohama F. Marinos
|
Transfer | 12 August 2025 |
| Élber |
Yokohama F. Marinos
|
- | 11 August 2025 |
| R. Milosavljević |
Radnicki NIS
|
Back from Loan | 1 July 2025 |
| K. Chida |
Tokyo Verdy
|
Transfer | 9 June 2025 |
| R. Ogawa |
St. Truiden
|
Transfer | 9 June 2025 |
| R. Araki |
FC Tokyo
|
Back from Loan | 1 February 2025 |
| Y. Matsumura |
Tokyo Verdy
|
Back from Loan | 1 February 2025 |
| A. Čavrić |
Slovan Bratislava
|
Transfer | 1 February 2025 |
The latest recorded departures include K. Nono to DC United, R. Araki to St. Truiden and K. Chinen to Yokohama F. Marinos on transfers. S. Morooka also transferred to Avispa Fukuoka, while Y. Funabashi went to Mito Hollyhock and S. Mizoguchi to Tokyo Verdy on loans. N. Sutoh left as a free agent for Preston Lions, and Y. Shimoda and M. Sato went on loan to Tochigi City and Albirex Niigata. Earlier entries record R. Milosavljević’s transfer to Radnicki NIS and Talles’s return from loan to Ruh Lviv. These are selected recorded movements, not a complete departures total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| K. Nono |
DC United
|
Transfer | 28 July 2026 |
| R. Araki |
St. Truiden
|
Transfer | 19 July 2026 |
| Y. Shimoda |
Kochi United
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| S. Mizoguchi |
Tokyo Verdy
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| Y. Funabashi |
Mito Hollyhock
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| S. Morooka |
Avispa Fukuoka
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| K. Chinen |
Yokohama F. Marinos
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| N. Sutoh |
Preston Lions
|
Free agent | 11 February 2026 |
| M. Sato |
Albirex Niigata
|
Loan | 31 January 2026 |
| M. Sato |
Albirex Niigata
|
Loan | 31 January 2026 |
| Y. Shimoda |
Tochigi City
|
Loan | 31 January 2026 |
| N. Sutoh |
Preston Lions
|
Free agent | 30 January 2026 |
| Park Eui-Jeong |
Hwaseong
|
Free agent | 15 January 2026 |
| Park Eui-Jeong |
Hwaseong
|
Free agent | 14 January 2026 |
| Talles |
Ruh Lviv
|
Return from loan | 14 January 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Recorded movements show activity in both directions, with club-to-club transfers joined by free-agent movement, loan placements and returns from loan. The arrivals side includes R. Hirose, Yan Matheus, Matheus Bueno, Élber and Léo Ceará, as well as players returning from temporary spells away. The departures side combines transfers to domestic and overseas clubs with loans for Y. Funabashi, S. Mizoguchi, Y. Shimoda and M. Sato, plus a free-agent exit and a return from loan. This creates a mixed movement picture rather than one consistent form of squad change, with incoming and outgoing entries spanning 2025 and 2026. The listed movements are not a complete transfer ledger; they represent a recent snapshot rather than a definitive account of squad change.
Leagues Kashima has participated in
Through the latest recorded year of 2025, Kashima’s recently active competition footprint includes the J1 League, Emperor Cup, J-League Cup and club friendlies. These entries cover league football, domestic cups and preparation matches. The record places Kashima in the AFC Champions League from 2017 through 2020, making that continental entry historical rather than recent. The FIFA Club World Cup appears as a single historical participation in 2016. The domestic competitions span the longest recorded period, from 2012, while club friendlies are recorded for 2024 and 2025. This gives the page a recent domestic context alongside a documented Asian and global history.
More about Kashima
Kashima, commonly known as Kashima Antlers, is a Japanese football club based around Kashima and Kamisu in Ibaraki Prefecture. The modern club was founded in 1991, while its roots reach back to Sumitomo Metal Soccer Club, formed in 1947. Kashima was a founding member of the J.League and has developed one of Japan’s most decorated domestic football traditions, with league and cup success forming a central part of its reputation. Its Asian profile includes an AFC Champions League title, reinforcing a history that extends beyond Japan. The club’s visual identity is built around Antlers Red, supported by deep blue, navy and white accents. The deer imagery connects with Kashima Shrine and its long association with sacred deer, while the badge and colour tradition also reflect local rose symbolism and the club’s competitive character. Brazilian influence is an important part of the football culture, particularly through Zico’s formative role, and the club has traditionally combined disciplined Japanese structures with technical flair and carefully selected international players. Kashima Soccer Stadium in Kashima City is the team’s distinctive home. Opened in 1993 and substantially expanded for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, it is regarded as a major dedicated football venue in Japan, with a characteristic structural steel roof. The stadium has carried the commercial name Mercari Stadium. The club is majority-backed by Japanese e-commerce company Mercari, alongside foundational investment from local municipalities and corporate partners in Ibaraki. Together, the club’s industrial origins, regional symbols, red-and-navy identity, Brazilian connection and stadium culture give Kashima a distinct place in Japanese football. Its ecosystem links community roots with sustained domestic competition and a record of continental ambition.
Last matches statistics for Kashima
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kashima
2 - 0
Vissel Kobe
|
9 / 19 |
|
65 | 11 | 3 | 3 |
|
Kashima
5 - 0
Vegalta Sendai
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Yokohama F. Marinos
3 - 4
Kashima
|
5 / 21 |
|
83 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
|
Kashima
2 - 1
Nagoya Grampus
|
6 / 16 |
|
81 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
|
Kashima
3 - 2
Avispa Fukuoka
|
4 / 11 |
|
85 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
|
Kashima
3 - 0
Suzuka Unlimited
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Tokyo Verdy
0 - 2
Kashima
|
6 / 25 |
|
88 | 11 | 3 | 1 |
|
Mito Hollyhock
4 - 2
Kashima
|
5 / 16 |
|
88 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
|
Kashima
0 - 1
Urawa
|
3 / 17 |
|
0% | 11 | 1 | 3 |
|
Vissel Kobe
2 - 1
Kashima
|
2 / 12 |
|
0% | 13 | 3 | 1 |
Detailed statistics Kashima
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Kashima
Warnings Kashima
Passes Kashima
Goalkeeper saves Kashima
Latest start lineups Kashima (XI)
Vissel Kobe vs Kashima
J1 League 2027 - 1556069
Kashima vs Urawa
J1 League 2027 - 1556055
Mito Hollyhock vs Kashima
J1 League 2027 - 1556045
Tokyo Verdy vs Kashima
J1 League 2027 - 1556038
Kashima vs Avispa Fukuoka
J1 League 2027 - 1556026
Kashima vs Nagoya Grampus
J1 League 2027 - 1554010
2021
1st shirt
2021
2nd shirt
2020
Home shirt