Miyabi Moriya
|
Moriya with Angel City FC in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 August 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Kanmaki, Kitakatsuragi, Nara Prefecture, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position | Right back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Utah Royals | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2014 | JFA Academy Fukushima | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2025 | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 122 | (8) |
| 2025 | Angel City | 25 | (1) |
| 2026– | Utah Royals | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Japan | 24 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:03, 11 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:42, 7 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
Miyabi Moriya (守屋 都弥, Moriya Miyabi; born 22 August 1996) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right back for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Japan national team. She previously played for WE League club INAC Kobe Leonessa and NWSL club Angel City FC.
Club career
INAC Kobe Leonessa
Moriya made her WE League debut on 26 September 2021.[1] Since making her professional debut in 2015, Moriya scored eight goals in 118 match appearances for INAC Kobe Leonessa of the Japanese WE League, helping the club win their first ever WE League title in 2022. In the 2023 season, Moriya was awarded 2023 WE League Valuable Player and was also named to the 2023 WE League Best XI.[2]
Angel City FC
On 31 January 2025, Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League announced they had acquired Moriya for an undisclosed fee and signed her to a one-year contract with a club option for 2026.[2] Moriya made her debut for Angel City on 16 March, coming on a substitute in the home opener against San Diego Wave FC to close out the match and secure a 1–1 draw.[3] Moriya recorded her first assist for Angel City on 1 September 2025, delivering a corner kick which was headed in by teammate Maiara Niehues, which was the eventual game winner to secure a 2–1 win over Bay FC.[4] After making 25 appearances in her first season in the NWSL, Moriya departed from Angel City upon the expiration of her contract.[5]
Utah Royals
On 2 December 2025, fellow NWSL club Utah Royals signed Moriya to a one-year, salary cap-exempt contract through the end of 2026.[6]
International career
On 13 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[7] On July 26, 2023, she made her first World Cup appearance in Japan's second-round 2–0 victory over Costa Rica in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Group C.
On 14 June 2024, Moriya was included in the Japan squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[8]
Moriya was a part of the Japan squad that competed at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup where Japan defeated the hosts, the United States in a 2–1 victory on February 26, 2025, to win the SheBelieves Cup for the first time.
Career statistics
International
- As of match played 7 March 2026[9]
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2023 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Moriya goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 October 2023 | Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | India | 5–0 | 7–0 | 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 2 | 1 November 2023 | Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Vietnam | 2–0 | 2–0 |
Honours
Japan
INAC Kobe Leonessa
Individual
- WE League Best XI: 2022–23
- WE League Valuable Player Award: 2022–23
References
- ^ "Scoresheet" (PDF). weleague.jp. September 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Angel City Signs Japan International Miyabi Moriya". angelcity.com. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Match Recap: Angel City 1, San Diego Wave 1 | 3.16.25". angelcity.com. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Bay FC loses on late goal to Angel City FC; last season's leading scorer reportedly on way out". The Mercury News. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ "Angel City Football Club End of Season Roster Update". Angel City FC. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "URFC Signs Defender Miyabi Moriya To Salary Cap-Exempt Contract For 2026 NWSL Season". RSL. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ^ "Iwabuchi left out of Japan's World Cup squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) squad & schedule - MS&AD Cup 2024: Noto Peninsula Earthquake Reconstruction Support Match "Ganbarou Noto" / Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Paris 2024)". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Moriya Miyabi". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
External links
- Miyabi Moriya at Soccerway
- Miyabi Moriya at WorldFootball.net
- Japan Football Association