Kenji Cabrera
.jpg) Cabrera in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kenji Giovanni Cabrera Nakamura[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Shiga, Japan[1] | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Esther Grande | |||
| Alianza Lima | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2025 | FBC Melgar | 98 | (13) |
| 2025– | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 15 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2023 | Peru U20 | 14 | (0) |
| 2025– | Peru | 7 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 23, 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:13, 5 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Kenji Giovanni Cabrera Nakamura (中村ジョバンニカブレラ健司, Nakamura Jobanni Kaburera Kenji; born 27 January 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Born in Japan, he represents the Peru national team.
Club career
Born in Shiga, Japan to a Peruvian father and a Japanese mother,[2] Cabrera started his career with Esther Grande, before a short spell in the Alianza Lima academy.[3] He joined FBC Melgar in 2021, immediately being promoted to the first team, making his debut the same year.[3]
In July 2025, Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced they had signed Cabrera to a deal through 2028, with an option for 2029.[4] He made his debut for his new club on August 13 against Forge FC in the semi-finals of the 2025 Canadian Championship.[5] On September 20, on his first start for the club, he scored his first MLS goal in the Whitecaps' 2–0 victory over Sporting Kansas City.[6]
International career
Cabrera was born in Japan to a Peruvian father and Japanese mother, and moved to Peru at a young age. He holds dual-citizenship.[7] He has represented Peru at under-20 level.[1]
On September 4, 2025, he made his debut for the senior Peru national team in an away defeat against Uruguay (3–0).[8][9]
Career statistics
Club
- As of May 23, 2026[10]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FBC Melgar | 2021 | Peruvian Primera División | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2024 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 4 | ||
| 2025 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10[c] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 9 | ||
| Total | 98 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 16 | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2025 | Major League Soccer | 6 | 1 | 3[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[e] | 1 | 13 | 2 |
| 2026 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[f] | 1 | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 113 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 148 | 19 | ||
- Notes
- ↑ Appearances in the Copa Sudamericana
- 1 2 Appearances in the Copa Libertadores
- ↑ Four appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores, six appearances and two goals in Copa Sudamericana
- ↑ Appearances in Canadian Championship
- ↑ Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs
- ↑ Appearances in CONCACAF Champions Cup
International
- As of match played 5 June 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | 2025 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
Honours
FBC Melgar
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
References
- 1 2 3 4 Kenji Cabrera at WorldFootball.net
- ↑ TROME, NOTICIAS. "| DEPORTES | TROME". Trome (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- 1 2 Zanatta, Diego (14 August 2022). "¿Quién es Kenji Cabrera, futbolista nacido en Japón que es sensación en Melgar?" [Who is Kenji Cabrera, a soccer player born in Japan who is a sensation in Melgar?]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ↑ "Whitecaps FC acquire U22 Initiative midfielder Kenji Cabrera from FBC Melgar". 22 July 2025.
- ↑ "Blackmon and White score; Cabrera makes his debut". 13 August 2025.
- ↑ Gold, Alistair. "New club record🔥". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ↑ "Kenji Cabrera habló sobre su golazo de tiro libre con Melgar: "Lo sorprendí a Ángelo"". 30 April 2024.
- ↑ en, Por Miguel Solis RuizSeguir (4 September 2025). "Perú vs Uruguay 0-3: goles y resumen de la dura derrota 'bicolor' por la fecha 17 de las Eliminatorias 2026". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ↑ "Kenji Cabrera debutó con Perú contra Uruguay en las Eliminatorias". espn.com.pe (in Spanish). 5 September 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- ↑ Kenji Cabrera at Soccerway
- ↑ "FOUR-PEAT: Vancouver Whitecaps retain Canadian Championship title". Major League Soccer. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
External links
- Kenji Cabrera at Soccerway.com
- Kenji Cabrera at WorldFootball.net
- Kenji Cabrera at National-Football-Teams.com
- Kenji Cabrera at FBref.com
- Kenji Cabrera at Kicker (in German)
- Kenji Cabrera at Major League Soccer
- 2003 births
- Living people
- Peruvian people of Japanese descent
- Japanese people of Peruvian descent
- Football people from Shiga Prefecture
- Peruvian men's footballers
- Japanese men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Esther Grande footballers
- Club Alianza Lima footballers
- FBC Melgar footballers
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC players
- Peruvian Primera División players
- Peru men's youth international footballers
- Peru men's international footballers
- 21st-century Peruvian sportsmen
- Peruvian expatriate men's footballers
- Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
- Major League Soccer players