Junya Itō

Junya Itō (伊東 純也) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for club Reims and the Japan national team.

Club career
After attending Kanagawa University for four years, Itō first became a Special Designated Player for Ventforet Kofu, and then obtained a new contract with the J1 League side.

His first season as a professional player attracted attention from Kashiwa Reysol. The Chiba club signed him in January 2016.

On 31 January 2019, Junya Itō moved from Kashiwa Reysol to Genk on a one-year loan deal. On 18 September, he made his Champions League debut as a starter in the group stage match against Red Bull Salzburg. On 30 March 2020, Ito signed permanently with Genk on a three-year contract.

On 29 July 2022, Itō joined Ligue 1 club Reims.

On 23 October 2022, he scored the winner in a 2–1 victory against Auxerre. In the 2023–24 Ligue 1 opening game on 12 August, Ito scored a stunning goal against Ligue 1 powerhouse Marseille to open the scoring, but his team eventually lost 2–1.

International career
Ito made his Japan national team debut in 2017.

He was part of the Japan team that finished runner-up in the 2019 Asian Cup.

In the 2022 WC qualifiers, he scored four goals in four consecutive games, the last two being winning goals against Vietnam and Oman respectively.

He was selected for Hajime Moriyasu's final World Cup squad in October 2022.

Adultery and sexual assault allegations
On 31 January 2024, the Daily Shincho reported that police had launched an investigation into Ito following a criminal complaint filed by two women alleging that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with them while they were intoxicated at a hotel in Osaka without their consent after a match for Japan against Peru in June 2023.

In response to this report, the Japan Football Association decided on February 1 to withdraw Ito from the ongoing 2023 AFC Asian Cup after considering Ito's physical and mental condition.

On February 1, Ito filed a criminal complaint against the two women with the Osaka Prefectural Police for filing false complaints. On February 19, Ito filed a lawsuit against the two women at the Osaka District Court, claiming that their sponsorship contracts were terminated due to false complaints and demanding 200 million yen in damages.

The case was transferred to the Tokyo District Court in May and both Ito and the women were referred to prosecutors in July.
 * work=Yomiuri online news
 * url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20240702-OYT1T50152/}}

International

 * Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Itō goal.

Honours
Genk
 * Belgian First Division: 2018–19
 * Belgian Cup: 2020–21
 * Belgian Super Cup: 2019

Individual
 * Japan Pro-Footballers Association awards: Best XI (2022, 2023)