With over 100 international caps and six seasons of service for women's soccer titan Olympique Lyonnais, defender Saki Kumagai is already recognized by those in the know as one of the sport's top players.
Now the rest of the world will have a chance to find out, after the 28-year-old was nominated for BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2019 alongside Norway's Ada Hegerberg, Australia's Sam Kerr, Denmark's Pernille Harder, and American Lindsey Horan.
The shortlist for the award, now in its fifth year, was determined with the help of over 50 expert panelists from around the world including media, former players and coaches.