Liverpool Women's Mao Itamura Selected for Japan U20 World Cup

Liverpool Women's Mao Itamura selected for Japan U20 World Cup, set to face New Zealand, USA, and Italy in Group D, potentially missing WSL season opener

24 Aug 2026 By Catherine Nettleton · senior correspondent

Liverpool Women's new attacking arrival Mao Itamura is set to join Japan at the upcoming U20 World Cup.

What's next for Itamura?

Itamura will continue making an impact at the youth level for Japan.

Impact on Liverpool Women

Unfortunately for the Reds, this likely confirms Itamura will miss out on at least the first Women’s Super League match of the season, with the WSL 2026-27 season kicking off on the same day. The Japanese youth international has looked bright in pre-season, scoring a brace in Liverpool’s dominant 5-0 win against Sheffield United.

Recent form

As of the final 2025 table, Liverpool Women stood 11th in FA WSL, with 17 points from 22 games, and a recent form of LLLWD. With 21 goals scored and 34 conceded, Liverpool Women had a -13 goal difference, and were 38 points behind leaders Manchester City W. Itamura was a key player in her youth national team’s triumph at the U20 Women’s Asian Cup this past April, scoring three goals through the tournament.