Matheus Thuler feels increasingly at home as Kobe stalwart in Japan | OneFootball

Brazilian centre-back Matheus Thuler is cementing his status in Japan, a fan favourite at Vissel Kobe who has reached 104 J-League appearances. According to Globo.com, he was the club’s player of 2025 and the league’s best defender in 2024, and now serves as a team leader in his fifth season.

Thuler said it is a very special moment for him, his bond with Vissel is huge, it is the club he has played for most in his career, and he feels fully settled. He is about to complete four years there and his main target is to reclaim the national title. He noted they have started well but the season is in its early stages, adding the focus must stay high because they want to fight for the trophy until the final round.

Since arriving in 2022, he has featured in title-winning campaigns in 2023 and 2024. This season Vissel are among the early pacesetters with 8 points from 4 matches, having beaten Avispa Fukuoka 2-1 in the latest round.

Vissel are also progressing steadily in the Champions League Elite, sitting second in the East group. Thuler underlined the growth of Japanese football, saying the league has strengthened and the national team has backed that up on the pitch, while competition is intense with no easy fixtures, so standards must remain high to hit their targets.

A Flamengo academy graduate, Thuler was part of the 2019 Libertadores and Brasileirão-winning squad, a regular defensive option. He later sought minutes and experience with loan spells at Montpellier in France before establishing himself in Japan.

Source: Globo.com