The National Team’s First-Ever “Brother Double-Pivot” Comes to Life… Kodai Sano Talks About Playing Alongside His Brother Kaishu and Making a Fresh Start After Missing the World Cup
At the Kirin Cup, he and his older brother Kaishu became the first “brother double defensive midfielders” in national team history
“I wonder if I could have done better…”
With the CONCACAF World Cup behind them, Moriyasu’s Japan has set its sights on winning the 2027 Asian Cup.In the first match of a four-game series that began on September 24—against Uruguay—Kodai Sano (23) drew significant attention. He started alongside his older brother, Kaishu (25). The fact that the brothers formed a double defensive midfield pairing and anchored the Japanese national team’s midfield became a major talking point.
However, when I spoke with Kodai, the first thing he mentioned wasn’t the brothers’ partnership, but his own performance.
“I don’t think it’s particularly important to say whether things went well or not just because I was playing with my older brother. It’s not like it’s easier or harder to play just because we’re brothers. I believe what matters is what I do and how I performed.”
Even though they both play as defensive midfielders, the brothers have different strengths. Kaishu excels in physicality and ball recovery, while Kodai is a player who, in addition to his high work rate, actively gets involved in the attack by utilizing his technical skills and creativity. In the match against Uruguay, whenever Kodai pushed forward, Kaishu supported him from the back.
However, Kōdai was substituted in the 45th minute of the first half.The opening goal was scored by Kuriyu Matsuki (23), a teammate of the same age who has been competing with him since high school, while the game-winning goal in the closing minutes was scored by Kento Shiokai (21), a former NEC teammate one year his junior. Because of this, Kōdai was left with the feeling that “I could have done more.”
Although Kōdai doesn’t treat his older brother as special on the pitch, the two are very close. Even since they started living apart, they’ve been talking on the phone frequently.
“We talk all the time—about soccer and everything else,”
At the CONCACAF World Cup, while Koudai missed the final roster cut, Kaishu made a dynamic debut. He even scored a goal in the first round of the knockout stage against Brazil, marking a stark contrast in fortunes for the brothers.
“I was disappointed at first, but I quickly got over it and cheered him on like normal during the tournament. To see my own older brother score on a big stage like that—I can’t even put it into words… It was just amazing.”
At the club level, he continues to make steady progress.
From the October 23 & 30, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*
Despite making his national team debut alongside his older brother, Kaishu, Kodai Sano was left with a sense of regret, saying, “I could have done more.” In Part 2, we delve into his growth at PSV and in the Champions League, the challenges he faces with the Japanese national team, and his thoughts on the World Cup four years from now.
Interview and Text： Masao Kurihara