Previously Arrested Player in Japan's World Cup Squad: NEC Player's Brother Faced Controversy and Publicly Apologized

At the upcoming World Cup, Sano (25) is not expected to be a guaranteed starter. However, the absence of captain Wataru Endo has boosted his chances. In 2025, he regularly featured for the Japanese squad that became the first team to qualify for the World Cup after the host nations. His inclusion in the squad at all is thanks to national coach Hajime Moriyasu, who reinstated Sano after he was accused of a serious offense.

In 2024, shortly after signing his contract with Mainz, Sano was arrested by the police. The then 23-year-old footballer was suspected of having raped a woman along with two friends.

His new club, Mainz, reacted at the time with a brief statement expressing surprise at the sudden news. After nearly two weeks, Sano was released by the police. Mainz reported that the public prosecutor's office in Tokyo had decided to drop the investigation into the footballer. Consequently, no official charges were filed, and thus no conviction.

Sano himself initially responded with a short statement through his management. "I offer my sincere apologies to the victim for my actions that caused significant problems. I take the consequences of my actions seriously, and I will do everything I can to regain trust."

Japan's national coach, who has been at the helm since 2018, decided to re-include him in the squad in the summer of 2025. But not before carefully considering everything that had happened surrounding Sano. "I monitored him for a long time, and after speaking with him personally, I am convinced that he genuinely regrets what happened," Hajime Moriyasu stated at a press conference.

"If we view every player as family, I ask myself whether we should exclude someone from society or football simply because they made a mistake. I have therefore decided that it is better – as a family – to offer him a path to a second chance."

Upon his return to the national team, Sano decided to hold his own press conference, where he reiterated his apologies. "I truly regret causing problems with my actions," he said, bowing his head for three seconds – a sign of respect and humility in Japan. "I felt I wanted to convey in my own words how I feel. I am grateful to be back in the national team, and I will play with a greater sense of responsibility than anyone."

He quickly realized that people would form opinions about him. "All I can do is fight for Japanese football, and I want to continue to do that and show it with my play and actions."

He has now been playing for Japan for almost a year and is part of the World Cup squad, unfortunately without his younger brother Kodai Sano from NEC. On social media, several widely circulated posts are resurfacing the case, ensuring that fans in Mexico (where Japan has its base camp) do not forget the dark past Sano carries.

The Netherlands vs. Japan is the first match in Group F of the World Cup on Sunday, June 14. The match will be played in Dallas.

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