Maya Yoshida

Maya Yoshida
吉田 麻也
Yoshida in 2022
Personal information
Full name Maya Yoshida
Date of birth (1988-08-24) 24 August 1988
Place of birth Nagasaki, Japan
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
LA Galaxy
Number 4
Youth career
2001–2006 Nagoya Grampus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Nagoya Grampus 71 (5)
2010–2012 VVV-Venlo 54 (5)
2012–2020 Southampton 154 (6)
2020Sampdoria (loan) 14 (0)
2020–2022 Sampdoria 58 (3)
2022−2023 Schalke 04 29 (0)
2023– LA Galaxy 61 (3)
International career
2008 Japan U23 10 (1)
2012–2021 Japan Olympic (O.P.) 12 (1)
2010–2022 Japan 126 (12)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Winner2011 Qatar
Runner-up2019 United Arab Emirates
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 June 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 December 2022

Maya Yoshida (吉田 麻也, Yoshida Maya; born 24 August 1988) is a Japanese professional footballer who captains and plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.

Yoshida formerly played for the Japan national team, making over 120 appearances. He was a member of the side's squads for the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018 and 2022, and the AFC Asian Cup in 2011, 2015 and 2019, winning the latter tournament in 2011 and finishing as runner-up in 2019. He was additionally part of Japan's Olympic football team at the 2008, 2012 and 2020 games.