Kō Itakura

Early career

Born in Yokohama, Itakura joined the youth academy of Kawasaki Frontale in 2006 at the primary school level. He progressed through the youth ranks, eventually making his senior debut on 6 August 2016 in a J1 League match against Ventforet Kofu, replacing Yu Kobayashi. He was part of the squad that won the club's first-ever J1 League title in 2017, although his playing time was limited. To gain experience, he was loaned to Vegalta Sendai for the 2018 season, where he became a regular starter, scoring three goals in 24 league appearances and earning the "Tag Heuer Young Guns Award".

Manchester City

In January 2019, Itakura signed for Premier League club Manchester City. He did not make a competitive appearance for the club, spending his entire contract duration on loan at other European clubs to secure a work permit and first-team football.

Loan to Groningen

Immediately following his move to Manchester City, Itakura was loaned to Eredivisie side Groningen. He made his debut in the Dutch top flight during the 2019–20 season, quickly adapting to the technical demands of Dutch football. His loan was extended for the 2020–21 season, where he played every minute of the league campaign until suffering a minor injury late in the season. His performances, characterized by composure on the ball and defensive solidity, earned him the FC Groningen Player of the Year award for the 2020–21 season.

Loan to Schalke 04

On 19 August 2021,…

Itakura was selected for the senior Japan national team for 2019 Copa América and made his debut on 20 June 2019 in the game against Uruguay, as a starter. On 29 March 2021, he scored two goals against the Argentina national under-24 football team, and was also selected to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 4th place. In November 2022, he was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Japan squad for the first time. Participated in all group stage matches and became the first Asian team to win first place in an overseas World Cup group league, contributing to advance to the final tournament for two consecutive tournaments. His long ball was the starting point of the come-from-behind goal against Germany. He was also named in the first group stage best eleven by Spanish media outlet Marca and Italian media outlet Sky Sport. The former named him one of the players to double his value in the World Cup and described him as "the most consistent performance of the entire tournament". On 28 March 2023, he served as captain for the first time in the second match of the second term of Moriyasu Japan against Colombia. On 15 May 2026, Itakura was selected in the 26-man squad and named as captain of the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Club

As of match played 29 August 2026

International

As of match played 25 June 2026

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first.

On 3 August 2026, actress Haruna Kawaguchi announced her marriage to Itakura via an open letter on an Instagram post, and that they are expecting their first child together.