Daizen Maeda

Matsumoto Yamaga

In 2016, Maeda joined Matsumoto Yamaga. He got his J-League debut on 28 February 2016. It was on 28 August 2016, that he scored his first goal as a professional in an Emperor's Cup game against Tokuyama University. After his loan spell at Mito, he struggled for regular playing time and was loaned to the Portuguese club, Maritimo in 2019. He left the club in 2021 after his loan with Yokohama F. Marinos was made permanent.

Mito HollyHock (loan)

Maeda joined Mito HollyHock on a loan deal from February 2017 until January 2018. He ended the season while scoring 13 goals.

Maritimo (loan)

On 11 August 2019, he made his debut in the opening round of Portuguese League against Sporting CP when he came on as a substitute in the 57th minute. On 25 August 2019, Maeda scored his debut goal in a 3–2 loss to Tondela.

Yokohama F. Marinos

In August 2020, he was loaned to Yokohama F. Marinos. He scored his first goal after the transfer in the match against Shimizu S-Pulse on 19 August, and contributed to the team's first victory in three games. By the end of the season, the deal was made permanent. On 7 March 2021, he scored a brace against Sanfrecce Hiroshima and continued his prolific run of form on 17 March, scoring four goals in one game against Tokushima Vortis. On 25 September 2021, with a goal against Yokohama FC, Maeda became the top scorer in the J1 League. On 6 November against FC Tokyo, he scored his second hat-trick of the…

On 24 May 2019, Maeda was called by Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu to feature in the Copa América played in Brazil. He was also the first Matsumoto Yamaga player to ever feature for the senior side. He made his debut on 17 June 2019 in the game against Chile, as a starter. In Japan's 2022 World Cup game against Germany, Maeda was placed as starting striker. He was substituted in the 57th minute by Takuma Asano. Japan advanced out of the group stage after beating Spain 2–1. On 5 December 2022, Maeda scored a goal in the 43rd minute to put Japan in front during the round of 16 game against Croatia which eventually ended 1–1, with Japan crashing out after their defeat on penalties. Along with his Celtic teammate Reo Hatate, Maeda was called up to the Japanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. On 28 March 2026, Maeda captained Japan for the first time in a friendly match against Scotland. In May, he was named in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On 25 June, Maeda scored in Japan's final group stage match against Sweden, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

Though primarily and initially used by both Matsumoto Yamaga and Yokohama F. Marinos as a left winger, Maeda is able to operate in a number of positions as a forward, including on the opposite flank, as an attacking midfielder or occasionally a second striker. Regarding his stamina and conditioning, former coach John Hutchinson referred to Maeda as a "machine", while Arthur Papas, who also coached Maeda during his time at Yokohama, hailed his pace and sprinting.

Club

As of match played 25 August 2026

International

As of match played 29 June 2026

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.