Maya Yoshida was born on 24 August 1988 in Nagasaki and grew up through the Nagoya Grampus academy, making his J1 debut at 19. He joined VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands in January 2010 and then Premier League side Southampton in summer 2012 for €2.8 million. His eight seasons at Southampton — over 200 appearances — established him as one of the most reliable Asian centre-backs in modern Premier League history.
After loan and free moves to Sampdoria in 2020 and Schalke 04 in 2022, Yoshida joined LA Galaxy in MLS in summer 2023 on a free transfer. With Galaxy he hit a peak: in 2024 he played 39 MLS matches with 2 goals and won the MLS Cup — only the second Japanese player to win the MLS title at that point. He has continued as a starter in 2025 with 28 league matches, 2 goals and runs in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.
A 189cm centre-back with composure, leadership presence, technical security on the ball, and excellent aerial ability, Yoshida was Japan's captain for many years before passing the armband to Wataru Endo. He won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, made four FIFA World Cup appearances (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), and has retired from international duty — though his veteran presence in the LA Galaxy locker room continues to influence the next generation of Japanese players coming through MLS.