Wataru Endō in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Parents, Wife, Height, Nationality, Transfer Values, and FAQs

Who Is Wataru Endō?

Wataru Endō is a Japanese professional footballer born on 9 February 1993 in Yokohama. He plays mainly as a defensive midfielder but has also filled in at centre-back and full-back when needed. He is the captain of the Japan national team and currently plays for Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, a club he joined in August 2023 from Germany's VfB Stuttgart.

He is known for his no-nonsense style, his reading of the game, and the way he quietly wins the ball back without any fuss. Fans at Anfield have given him the nickname 'Legendo' because of how often he steps up in big games and delivers.

Early Life and Parents

Wataru was born and raised in Totsuka-ku, a ward in Yokohama. He grew up in what is described as a middle-class Japanese household, and his parents played a huge role in shaping the man he has become. His father in particular pushed him towards football from a young age and supported his dream of playing abroad.

The kanji in his first name, 航, carries the meaning of sailing or navigating across the sea. Many people close to him say his parents picked that name hoping he would one day travel the world and make his mark beyond Japan. Looking at his journey from Shonan Bellmare to Belgium, Germany, and now England, it is hard not to smile at how well that name has matched his life.

He also has a brother who works closely with him on a charity project he launched in June 2025 called the SEKAI NI WATARU Project. The project helps young Japanese children between the ages of 7 and 12 by giving them scholarships and chances to study abroad. His brother serves as the representative director of the organisation, which shows how tight the family still is.

Wataru Endō Wife and Family Life

Wataru is a family man, and that is something he rarely hides when he speaks. He is married to Momo Endō, and the couple have been together for years, going back to his early playing days. Momo has followed him through every chapter of his European career, from Belgium to Germany, and now to England.

The couple are parents to four children, but they keep the kids' names and faces away from the public eye. Wataru has spoken in a few interviews about how important it is for him to create a normal home life for them, especially with all the moving around football has forced on the family.

When Liverpool played Yokohama F. Marinos during a pre-season tour in Japan in July 2025, his whole family came to watch the match, and he later said it was one of the proudest nights of his career. That is Wataru in a nutshell, quiet, grateful, and always pointing back home.

Wataru Endō Height and Physical Build

Wataru stands at 1.78 metres, which is about 5 feet 10 inches. He weighs around 74 kilograms. He is not the tallest midfielder in the Premier League, but he more than makes up for that with his strength, timing in the tackle, and willingness to throw his body in the way of a shot. Coaches who have worked with him often say he wins duels that bigger players lose because he reads the game two seconds earlier than most.

Nationality and Background

Wataru Endō is 100 percent Japanese, born and raised in Yokohama. He has represented Japan at every major level and made his senior debut for the national team in 2015 at the EAFF East Asian Cup. He has gone on to earn more than 70 caps for his country and played at two FIFA World Cups, in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. In June 2023, he was officially named captain of the Japan national team, which is one of the biggest honours in Japanese football.

Net Worth and Salary in 2026

Icon Polls estimates that Wataru Endō's net worth in 2026 sits somewhere between 4 million and 8 million US dollars. That figure takes into account his career earnings across Japan, Belgium, Germany, and England, along with his endorsements and personal projects.

His biggest income still comes from his Liverpool contract. When he signed his four-year deal in August 2023, he was placed on a base salary of around £50,000 per week, which works out to about £2.6 million per year before bonuses. That wage has stayed roughly the same through the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons. Add in appearance bonuses, win bonuses, and team-success payments like the Premier League title win, and the number goes up nicely.

Outside of football, Wataru has a deal with Puma as his boot and kit sponsor. He also runs a paid content platform on the Japanese website Synchronous, where fans pay around 880 yen a month, about 6 US dollars, for exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes thoughts. It is a small but steady side income that many Japanese stars have copied since.

Transfer Values Over the Years

Wataru's transfer journey is one of steady growth. He did not explode on the scene as a teenager. He built his value the hard way, year after year.

He began his professional career at Shonan Bellmare in Japan before moving to Urawa Red Diamonds in 2016. In 2018, he made his first move to Europe, joining Belgian side Sint-Truiden for a modest fee. A year later, VfB Stuttgart took him on loan, and in April 2020 they signed him permanently for a reported figure in the low single-digit millions of euros.

His biggest move came on 18 August 2023, when Liverpool signed him from Stuttgart for a transfer fee of around £16 million, which was roughly 18 million euros at the time. That deal made him only the second male Japanese player to ever play for Liverpool, after Takumi Minamino.

As of 2026, his market value has naturally dropped a little because of his age and an ankle ligament injury, with a return expected around May 2026. Icon Polls places his current market value in the range of 4 to 6 million euros, though his value to Liverpool as a leader and squad player is clearly far higher than any number on paper.

Club Career Highlights

Wataru's trophy cabinet keeps growing, and some of those medals are the kind most players only dream about. He won the 2016 J.League Cup with Urawa Red Diamonds, scoring the winning penalty in the final shoot-out. In 2017, he lifted the AFC Champions League, still seen as the greatest prize in Asian club football.

His most emotional win came in the 2024-2025 Premier League season, when Liverpool were crowned champions of England. Wataru made 20 league appearances that season and became just the fourth Japanese player in history to win the Premier League, joining Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki, and Takumi Minamino on that short list.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wataru Endō

1. How old is Wataru Endō in 2026?

Wataru Endō is 33 years old as of 2026. He was born on 9 February 1993.

2. Where was Wataru Endō born?

He was born in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan.

3. What is Wataru Endō's nationality?

He is Japanese by birth and nationality.

4. How tall is Wataru Endō?

He stands at 1.78 metres, which is roughly 5 feet 10 inches.

5. What position does Wataru Endō play?

He plays as a defensive midfielder, though he is also comfortable at centre-back and has filled in at full-back when asked.

6. Which club does Wataru Endō play for in 2026?

He plays for Liverpool FC in the English Premier League, a club he joined in August 2023.

7. What is Wataru Endō's shirt number at Liverpool?

He wears the number 3 shirt at Liverpool, which is an unusual choice for a midfielder and has become part of his identity at the club.

8. How much is Wataru Endō's net worth?

Icon Polls estimates his net worth in 2026 sits between 4 million and 8 million US dollars, based on his career earnings and endorsements.

9. What is Wataru Endō's salary at Liverpool?

His base salary is around £50,000 per week at Liverpool, which comes to about £2.6 million per year before bonuses.

10. Who is Wataru Endō's wife?

He is married to Momo Endō. The couple have been together for many years and keep most of their private life away from the cameras.

11. Does Wataru Endō have children?

Yes, Wataru and his wife have four children. The family keeps details about the kids very private.

12. Who are Wataru Endō's parents?

Wataru was raised by Japanese parents in Yokohama. His father played a big role in encouraging his football career. The family has always kept the parents' full names out of the public space.

13. Does Wataru Endō have siblings?

Yes, he has a brother who works as the representative director of the SEKAI NI WATARU Project, a charity Wataru launched in June 2025 for Japanese youth.

14. What was Wataru Endō's transfer fee to Liverpool?

Liverpool signed him from VfB Stuttgart for a reported fee of around £16 million, or about 18 million euros, on 18 August 2023.

15. Is Wataru Endō the captain of Japan?

Yes. He has been the official captain of the Japan national team since June 2023.

16. Has Wataru Endō won the Premier League?

Yes. He won the 2024-2025 Premier League title with Liverpool, becoming the fourth Japanese player in history to do so.

17. When does Wataru Endō's Liverpool contract end?

His current contract with Liverpool runs until 30 June 2027.

18. What sponsorship deals does Wataru Endō have?

He is sponsored by Puma, which supplies his boots and training kit. He also runs a paid subscription page on the Japanese platform Synchronous.

19. What is Wataru Endō's current market value?

Icon Polls places his current market value in the range of 4 to 6 million euros as of 2026, though his value as a leader in the Liverpool squad goes beyond the transfer number.

20. Has Wataru Endō played at the World Cup?

Yes, he was part of the Japan squad for both the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Japan reached the round of 16.

21. What clubs has Wataru Endō played for?

He has played for Shonan Bellmare, Urawa Red Diamonds, Sint-Truiden, VfB Stuttgart, and Liverpool during his professional career.