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There’s a particular kind of audacity in spending a season demolishing a league’s defenses, then publicly declaring you plan to do the same thing to that country’s national team on the biggest stage in football. Ayase Ueda has chosen that path.
The 27-year-old Japanese striker finished the 2025-26 Eredivisie season as its top scorer with 25 goals for Feyenoord, winning the Golden Boot by a margin of eight goals over the second-place finisher. Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching and Japan drawn against host nation Netherlands in the group stage, Ueda has vowed to score the decisive goal against the very fans who cheered him all season.
A season that demanded attention
His 25 league goals came with a blistering start that set the tone early. Through his first 15 league matches, he had already bagged 18 goals.
The signature performance arrived on December 6, 2025, when Ueda scored four times in a commanding 6-1 demolition of PEC Zwolle.
Across all competitions during the 2025-26 season, Ueda tallied 26 goals in 40 appearances for Feyenoord. The striker originally transferred to Feyenoord in August 2023.
The World Cup collision course
Ueda has publicly stated his intention to score the decisive goal in Japan’s group-stage clash against the Netherlands.
What comes next for Ueda
Ueda’s dominant season has attracted interest from Premier League clubs, with Brighton among those reportedly monitoring his situation.
Ueda originally honed his skills at Hosei University before making his mark in the J-League. His journey to European football began with a stint at Cercle Brugge, which paved the way for his move to Feyenoord in 2023. Under coach Robin van Persie, Ueda has flourished in the Eredivisie. Building on his limited playing time in the 2022 World Cup, Ueda has emerged as Japan’s primary attacking threat heading into the 2026 tournament.
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