| Shoma Sato | |
| Height: | 1.86 m |
| Birth Date: | 6 October 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Yonezawa, Yamagata, Japan |
| Currentclub: | Davao Aguilas |
| Clubnumber: | 40 |
| Position: | Centre-back |
| Youthclubs1: | Yonezawa Phoenix |
| Youthclubs2: | Abeeca Yonezawa |
| Youthyears3: | 2016–2018 |
| Youthclubs3: | Yonezawa Chuo High School |
| Years1: | 2018–2019 |
| Clubs1: | Thespakusatsu Challengers |
| Years2: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs2: | SC Sagamihara |
| Years3: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs3: | Albirex Niigata (S) |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs4: | FC Awaji-shima |
| Caps4: | 7 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 2023–2023 |
| Clubs5: | Vonds Ichihara |
| Years6: | 2023 |
| Clubs6: | Favoritner AC |
| Caps6: | 9 |
| Goals6: | 2 |
| Years7: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs7: | Bisamberg |
| Caps7: | 18 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2024– |
| Clubs8: | Davao Aguilas |
| Caps8: | 9 |
| Goals8: | 1 |
| Pcupdate: | 4:24, June 22, 2024 (UTC) |
is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Philippines Football League club Davao Aguilas.[1]
Sato was born in Yonezawa in the prefecture of Yamagata.[2] He began playing football at a very young age and is currently a Yamagata Oshoshina Tourism Ambassador.[3]
Sato played youth football for his high school, Yonezawa Chuo HS,[4] as well as for Yonezawa Phoenix and Abeeca Yonezawa.[5] At the age of 19, he played for the U21 of lower league team SC Sagamihara.[6]
Sato left Sagamihara and played professionally for a number of lower tier Japanese sides. From 2018 to 2019, he played for the challengers team of Thespa Kusatsu.[7]
After returning to Japan two years later, he played for one season at FC Awaji-shima where he made 7 appearances,[8] [9] playing for Vonds Ichihara the following season.[10]
In between his stints at Japanese clubs, Sato signed his first professional contract abroad with Albirex Niigata of the Singapore Premier League,[11] [12] a club then composed of mostly Japanese nationals.[13] Albirex ended the season as champions of the 2020 Singapore Premier League, though Sato remained on the bench for most of the season and didn't play a competitive match, before departing early the next year.[14]
Sato next played in Austria, signing for Austrian fourth-tier side Favoritner AC where he scored two goals.[15] After a brief spell, he had a more successful stint with FC Bisamberg, making 18 appearances across two seasons.[16] [17] [18]
In 2024, Sato left Austria to sign a contract in the Philippines. He signed with Davao Aguilas, a club returning to the PFL for the first time in 6 years.[19] [20] He made his first start in a 1–0 win over Mendiola, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Manila Digger.[21] [22]