Tomoya Ando was born on 10 January 1999 in Toyota City, Aichi. He came through Imabari's youth football and signed with Oita Trinita in January 2023. After playing 37 J2 League matches with Oita in 2024, he moved to Avispa Fukuoka in January 2025. The 2025 J1 season was outstanding: 36 J1 League matches with 4 goals as a centre-back.
In December 2025 Ando made a surprise move to FC St. Pauli in Germany's Bundesliga. The 2025–26 Bundesliga half-season has produced 13 league matches with an assist plus 1 DFB-Pokal appearance — a remarkable European debut for an Avispa-graduated centre-back.
For Japan, Ando was a member of the squad that won the EAFF E-1 Football Championship in 2025, playing 2 tournament matches plus a senior friendly.
A 190cm two-footed centre-back with elite aerial dominance, ball-playing security and the goal-scoring instinct from set pieces, Ando is one of Japan's most surprising European exports of 2025–26. He is in the wider 2026 FIFA World Cup squad picture as a senior CB option.