Kawasaki Frontale have announced that forward Yu Kobayashi will retire from professional football on 1 January 2027.
Kobayashi made his J.League debut with Mito Hollyhock in 2008 as a JFA/J.League Special Designated Player while at Takushoku University. After graduating from university, he joined Kawasaki Frontale in 2010 and has spent his entire professional career with the club.
As of 23 September 2026, Kobayashi has made 405 J1 appearances, scoring 144 goals, and five J2 appearances. In 2017, he finished as the J1 top scorer and was named J.League Player of the Year.
Kobayashi commented through the club:
“I’m truly happy to have been able to spend all 17 years of my professional career with one club since joining Frontale in 2010. There have been a lot of difficult moments in recent years, but even when I wasn’t playing, seeing so many of you wearing the No. 11 shirt and cheering me on made me want to keep fighting and keep going. I’ve been able to come this far because our fans and supporters have always believed in me. I want to give something back over these final three months, and the best way I can do that is by scoring goals.”
