Shoya Nakajima was born on 23 August 1994 in Tokyo. A small (164cm), left-footed creative attacker, he came through the FC Tokyo youth ranks and made his J1 League debut at 19. After loan moves to Portimonense in Portugal across 2017 and 2018, he made his name in Europe with 18-month spells of high-level performances that drew major attention.
In January 2019 Al-Duhail of Qatar signed him for around €12 million, before FC Porto bought him for the same fee in summer 2019. With Porto he won the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal in 2019–20 — a remarkable double in his first European top-flight season. Loan spells followed at Al Ain (UAE) and Portimonense, before a free move to Antalyaspor in Turkey in summer 2022 and a return home to Urawa Red Diamonds in July 2023.
His Urawa years have brought stability after a globe-trotting career: 22 J1 appearances with a goal and 4 assists in 2024, then 17 league matches with a goal and 2 assists in 2025 plus 2 J.League Cup goals.
For Japan, Nakajima made his FIFA World Cup debut in 2022, scoring once in 4 matches across qualifiers and group stage. He won the AFC U23 Asian Cup in 2015–16 and remains one of the most-discussed Japanese left-footed creative attackers. A naturally gifted dribbler with vision and shooting range from outside the box, Nakajima continues to feature in Japan camps as a creative option.