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The story
Japan national team midfielder Junya Ito (Genk) has reportedly been ranked world No. 2 among the “most underrated players of all time” by the overseas outlet “football-tribe.” Ito also set up Ayase Ueda’s goal in the September 24 Kirin Challenge Cup 2026 match against Uruguay, keeping his form sharp even after the World Cup. Reactions on 5channel were split: many posts focused purely on football merit, comparing him to Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan and floating candidates for Japan’s next-generation center forward, while others speculated about why his profile hasn’t translated into recognition or sponsorships to match.
Junya Ito ranked world No. 2! “One of the most underrated players ever”
Written by: Shota, 2026.09.25, 10:11 am
Japan national team midfielder Junya Ito (Genk) provided the assist for forward Ayase Ueda’s (Lille) goal in the September 24 Kirin Challenge Cup 2026 match against Uruguay. Having stayed in top form even after the FIFA World Cup in North/Central America, his reputation appears to be climbing overseas too, with his remarkable record in full internationals also drawing attention.
Source: football-tribe.com / Original article here
What people said
With Mitoma out injured and Ito gassed by halftime, the second half of that Brazil match was a nightmare.
Brazil was missing several regular starters from Real and Barça too, though.
Yeah, but no one's writing "Ito" in that same sentence, are they (i.e., he's not seen as being in that class of player).
He's got the ability to play winger for a big club, no question.
His image took a hit, so sponsors won't touch him — that's the real problem.
He needs to secure his own paycheck like Keisuke Honda did.
Marketing-wise, Keisuke Honda.
These days, his successor in that department would be Ritsu Doan.
So he's ranked above Mitoma, huh.
Mitoma does get proper credit.
With the national team, though, Ito barely gets marked by opponents — he's just not treated like a threat.
Guys like Zion just pop up out of nowhere, so I bet a big center forward will suddenly show up too eventually.
Patrick's son is in Gamba Osaka's youth academy, and his build is already next-level lol
It's way too obvious he was picked out for the meme, not for his actual ability.
Wait, is Ito a meme now?
He rides the bench a lot for the national team, sure, but Ito's the one actually delivering for his club.
He's a player who performs for both club and country.
No way — he was clearly the offensive axis in both the last World Cup and this one.
If anything, the team would've been dead in the water without him.
If he were 10 years younger, it wouldn't be surprising to see him at a big club.
It's always this kind of talk instead.
Talking about "salaries" (lol) is a baseball thing, not a football thing.
Seeing that, I really wish people would quit dragging up old, unverifiable stories from the outside that are already water under the bridge.
Wait, does Ito have kids?
Background and Talking Points
The source for this article is a piece published September 25 by football-tribe.com (an outlet that covers overseas football news in Japanese), reporting that following Junya Ito’s assist for Ayase Ueda’s goal in the September 24 match against Uruguay (Kirin Challenge Cup 2026), he was ranked world No. 2 among the “most underrated players of all time” abroad. Ito’s club, Belgium’s Genk, isn’t what you’d call a “big club,” and the argument that his actual performances outstrip his name recognition is one that’s come up repeatedly in overseas media. Reactions on 5channel mostly stuck to pure football merit — comparisons with fellow national team players like Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan, and mentions of young center-forward prospects — while some posts speculated that sponsors are reluctant to sign him. Worth noting: that speculation is just individual posters’ impressions, not confirmed information.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Football] Junya Ito ranked world No. 2! “One of the most underrated players ever”.”
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