Hiroki Itō

is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back, left-back and defensive midfielder for club Bayern Munich and the Japan national team.

Club career Júbilo Iwata After growing through Júbilo Iwata youth ranks, Hiroki Ito was promoted to the first team in 2018. He debuted as a pro in March 2018 in J. League Cup, and would soon make his first appearance in J1 League in August 2018. In 2019, he was loaned out to Nagoya Grampus, where he made nine appearances in all competitions.

VfB Stuttgart In June 2021, Ito joined Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart on loan, and was assigned to play for the second team in the Regionalliga Südwest. However, he was instantly promoted to the first team by coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, and started his first match in a 6–0 away win against BFC Dynamo in the DFB-Pokal. On 20 May 2022, VfB Stuttgart exercised a purchase option which tied Ito to the club with a contract until June 2025.

In August 2023, he extended his contract with Stuttgart until June 2027. In the 2023–24 season, he played a crucial role in his club's runner-up finish and qualification to the Champions League.

Bayern Munich On 13 June 2024, Ito signed for fellow Bundesliga club Bayern Munich until 2028, after they had triggered his release clause of an estimated €30 million. However, he sustained a metatarsal fracture during the summer preseason which kept him sidelined for the first half of the 2024–25 season. He made his debut for the club on 12 February 2025, during a 2–1 away victory over Celtic in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs. Later that month, on 23 February, he scored his first goal in a 4–0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. A month later, on 29 March, he suffered another metatarsal fracture during a 3–2 victory over St. Pauli, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024–25 season. Later that year, on 22 November, he made his comeback from a lengthy injury absence, recording an assist as a substitute in a 6–2 victory over SC Freiburg.

Personal Life A white patch caused by vitiligo is visible on Ito's right eyebrow.

International career Ito played for the youth teams of Japan, including the U23 team during the 2018 AFC Championship, the U19 team in the 2018 AFC Championship, and the U20 team in the 2019 FIFA World Cup.

Ito made his debut for the senior Japan national team on 2 June 2022, during a 4–1 friendly win over Paraguay. Later that year, on 1 November, he was selected in 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

He scored his first goal for Japan against Peru on 20 June 2023 during the Kirin Challenge Cup. On 1 January 2024, he was called up for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

On 15 May 2026, Itō was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first. 2025–26 DFB-Pokal: 2025–26 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 2026

Japan U19 AFC U-19 Championship third place: 2018

Individual Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: November 2021