Rikako Kobayashi

Rikako Kobayashi (小林 里歌子) is a Japanese professional football player who plays as a midfielder for the Japan national team. She is the sister of footballer Seigo Kobayashi.

Club career
Kobayashi was born in Hyogo Prefecture on 21 July 1997. She attended and played for Tokiwagi Gakuen High School, which competed in the second-division Challenge League. She led Tokiwagi Gakuen, the only high school competing in senior league competition at the time, to its first and only third-division Challenge League championship in 2015 as the league's top scorer and most valuable player. She also won the 2015 AFC young player of the year award.

She joined L.League club Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza in 2016. However, she could not play in her first two seasons due to injury and debuted in the 2018 season.

On 17 July 2023, North Carolina Courage of the American National Women's Soccer League announced their signing of Kobayashi for a two-year contract through the 2024 NWSL season, with an option for an additional year. After failing to make a professional appearance for North Carolina due to injury, the club and Kobayashi mutually agreed to terminate her contract on 21 March 2024.

National team career
In 2013, Kobayashi was selected in the Japan U-16 national team for 2013 AFC U-16 Championship. She scored 7 goals and became a top scorer. Japan team also won the championship. In 2014, Kobayashi was selected in Japan U-17 national team for 2014 U-17 World Cup. She played 5 matches and scored 2 goals, and Japan won the championship.

In 2015, Kobayashi was selected Japan U-19 national team for 2015 AFC U-19 Championship. Japan won the championship and she was selected Best players award. Although Japan qualified for the 2016 U-20 World Cup, she was not selected to the Japan team for the tournament due to injury.

In February 2019, Kobayashi was selected Japan national team for SheBelieves Cup. At this tournament, on 27 February, she debuted against United States.

International

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

Honours
Tokyo Verdy Beleza

Individual
 * Nadeshiko League: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
 * Empress's Cup: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
 * Nadeshiko League Cup: 2016, 2018, 2019
 * AFC Women's Club Championship: 2019


 * WE League Outstanding Players Award: 2022–23