'Kaito Asano,' the younger brother of the Japanese national team star and sixth son of the Asano family, made his debut against Buriram United, praising the high standards of the Thai League and signaling to Thai clubs, 'I want to play here' (video).
4 February 2026 — In the ASEAN Club Championship football tournament "Shopee Cup 2025/26," Cebu FC, a top team from the Philippines, decided to field Kaito Asano, the younger brother of Takuma Asano, as a "starter for the first time" in the match against Thai League giant Buriram United.
Kaito just signed a contract with Dynamic Herb Cebu on 27 January 2026 to strengthen their foreign player quota for Asian competitions. He traveled to Thailand within days after signing the contract.
In his first match, Kaito was on the bench in the away game against BG Pathum United in the Shopee Cup 2025/26 on 28 January 2026. Although he came on late, he demonstrated excellent speed and nearly scored a goal to reduce the deficit.
Impressed by his performance in the previous match, coach Glenn Ramos decided to start him in the lineup for the first time in the visit to the Thunder Castle stadium. However, they could not withstand the home team's strength and lost heavily to Buriram United 6-0.
After the game, he told Thairath Sport, "Today, Cebu's performance was not very good. We didn't create many scoring opportunities. Tonight, we focused fully on our responsibilities on the field."
"The Thai League is a league with very high standards. Of course, I want to play here as well. I will remember the atmosphere tonight."
"My future goal is to strive to reach a higher level every day. That is the main objective I have in mind."
The career path of 'Kaito Asano,' the relentless journeyman fighter.
Beginnings and university years (2017–2020).
Kaito grew up at Yokkaichi Chuo Technical High School, a renowned football academy that also produced his older brothers. After graduating high school, he chose to further develop his skills at Nippon Sport Science University to prepare for an international career.
Adventures in Germany (2021–2024).
At age 20, he decided to seek challenges in European leagues, spending three years based in Germany.
- Siegburger SV 04 (2021–2024): This was where he made his name most notably in the fifth-tier Mittelrheinliga, playing 90 matches and scoring 19 goals.
- Fortuna Köln II (2024): He moved to the reserve team of Fortuna Köln to elevate his level of play.
A new path in Mongolia (2025).
Kaito surprised many by joining Khangarid FC in Mongolia's top league, where he performed impressively, scoring continuously—netting between 5 to 7 goals in just a few matches—and became the most outstanding foreign player in the league at that time.
Settling in ASEAN with Cebu FC (2026).
He recently finalized a contract with Cebu FC (Philippines) on 27 January 2026. Just one day after signing, he traveled to Thailand and was named a "substitute" in the away match against BG Pathum United.
On 4 February 2026, he earned his first start in the lineup in the match against Buriram United at Chang Arena. Despite the 6-0 loss, he showed determination and a positive attitude after the game.
Signing with Cebu FC marks an important step in the career of the sixth son of the Asano family. It is a golden opportunity for him to prove himself again on the Asian stage, following in the footsteps of his older brothers, professional footballers Takuma Asano (third son) and Yuya Asano (fourth son).