Ryunosuke Sato (the younger of two R. Satos in the Japan setup) was born on 16 October 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. He came through FC Tokyo's youth ranks and made his J1 League debut in 2024 — astonishingly young for a top-flight Japanese player. The 2024 J1 season produced 3 J1 League appearances plus J.League Cup and Emperor's Cup matches.
In January 2025 he moved on loan to Fagiano Okayama in J1 to gain regular senior minutes. He won the AFC U17 Asian Cup with Japan in 2023.
For Japan, Sato has been outstanding for his age. He played 3 EAFF E-1 Football Championship matches in 2025 (Japan winners), and contributed 5 goals and an assist across 24 senior friendly appearances in the calendar year — extraordinary international output for an 18-year-old.
A 171cm two-footed attacking midfielder with elite ball-control, vision and the goal-scoring instinct of a rare young creator, Sato is one of Japan's most exciting young attacking talents. He is in the wider 2026 FIFA World Cup squad picture as a young midfielder development option.