{{short description|Peruvian footballer (born 2003)}} {{family name hatnote|Cabrera|Nakamura|lang=Spanish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Kenji Cabrera <br> {{nobold|ケンジ・カブレラ}} |image = |full_name = Kenji Giovanni Cabrera Nakamura<ref name=wf>{{WorldFootball.net|kenji-cabrera}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|01|27|df=y}} |birth_place = [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]], Japan<ref name=wf/> |height = 1.74 m<ref name=wf/> |position = [[Attacking midfielder]], [[left winger]] |currentclub = [[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]] |clubnumber = 17 |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = [[Esther Grande]] |youthyears2 = |youthclubs2 = [[Club Alianza Lima|Alianza Lima]] |years1 = 2021–2025 |clubs1 = [[FBC Melgar]] |caps1 = 98 |goals1 = 13 |years2 = 2025– |clubs2 = [[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]] |caps2 = 9 |goals2 = 1 |nationalyears1 = 2022–2023 |nationalteam1 = [[Peru national under-20 football team|Peru U20]] |nationalcaps1 = 14 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |nationalyears2 = 2025– |nationalteam2 = [[Peru national football team|Peru]] |nationalcaps2 = 6 |nationalgoals2 = 0 |pcupdate = March 21, 2026 |ntupdate = 23:13, 31 March 2026 (UTC) }}
{{nihongo|'''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 [[association football|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 football team|Peru national team]].
==Club career== Born in [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]], Japan to a Peruvian father and a Japanese mother,<ref>{{Cite news |last=TROME |first=NOTICIAS |title={{!}} DEPORTES {{!}} TROME |url=https://trome.pe/deportes/melgar-kenji-cabrera-el-jugador-que-dejo-ir-alianza-lima-y-que-pateo-el-primer-penal-ante-inter-de-porto-alegre-copa-sudamericana-noticia/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031174417/https://trome.pe/deportes/melgar-kenji-cabrera-el-jugador-que-dejo-ir-alianza-lima-y-que-pateo-el-primer-penal-ante-inter-de-porto-alegre-copa-sudamericana-noticia/ |archive-date=31 October 2023 |access-date=2025-10-18 |work=Trome |language=es-PE |url-status=live }}</ref> Cabrera started his career with [[Esther Grande]], before a short spell in the [[Alianza Lima]] academy.<ref name=ec>{{cite news|url=https://elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/futbol-peruano/quien-es-kenji-cabrera-futbolista-nacido-en-japon-que-es-sensacion-en-melgar-rmmd-dtbn-noticia/|title=¿Quién es Kenji Cabrera, futbolista nacido en Japón que es sensación en Melgar?|trans-title=Who is Kenji Cabrera, a soccer player born in Japan who is a sensation in Melgar?|first=Diego|last=Zanatta|date=14 August 2022|accessdate=15 January 2023|newspaper=El Comercio|language=Spanish}}</ref> He joined [[FBC Melgar]] in 2021, immediately being promoted to the first team, making his debut the same year.<ref name=ec/>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/vwfc-acquire-kenji-cabrera|date=July 22, 2025|title=Whitecaps FC acquire U22 Initiative midfielder Kenji Cabrera from FBC Melgar}}</ref> He made his debut for his new club on August 13 against [[Forge FC]] in the semi-finals of the [[2025 Canadian Championship]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/blackmon-and-white-score-cabrera-makes-his-debut/n-6268747|date=August 13, 2025|title=Blackmon and White score; Cabrera makes his debut}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gold |first=Alistair |title=New club record🔥 |url=https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/new-club-record-mls-points |access-date=2025-09-21 |website=Vancouver Whitecaps FC |language=en}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eldiez.com.pe/liga-1/kenji-cabrera-hablo-sobre-su-golazo-de-tiro-libre-lo-sorprendi-a-angelo-noticia/ | title=Kenji Cabrera habló sobre su golazo de tiro libre con Melgar: "Lo sorprendí a Ángelo" | date=30 April 2024 }}</ref> He has represented Peru at under-20 level.<ref name=wf/>
On September 4, 2025, he made his debut for the senior [[Peru national football team|Peru national team]] in an away defeat against [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] (3–0).<ref>{{Cite web |last=en |first=Por Miguel Solis RuizSeguir |date=2025-09-04 |title=Perú vs Uruguay 0-3: goles y resumen de la dura derrota ‘bicolor’ por la fecha 17 de las Eliminatorias 2026 |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/deportes/2025/09/04/peru-vs-uruguay-en-vivo-hoy-america-tv-atv-movistar-deportes-montevideo-fecha-17-eliminatorias-2026-goles-resumen-resultado/ |access-date=2025-11-22 |website=infobae |language=es-ES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-05 |title=Kenji Cabrera debutó con Perú contra Uruguay en las Eliminatorias |url=https://www.espn.com.pe/futbol/mundial/nota/_/id/15633036/peru-vs-uruguay-fecha-17-eliminatorias-debut-de-kenji-cabrera |access-date=2025-11-22 |website=espn.com.pe |language=es}}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Club=== {{updated|March 21, 2026}}<ref>{{Soccerway|kenji-giovanni-cabrera-nakamura/678549}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="6"|[[FBC Melgar]] |[[2021 Liga 1 (Peru)|2021]] |rowspan="5"|[[Peruvian Primera División]] |4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0 |- |[[2022 Liga 1 (Peru)|2022]] |20||1||0||0||8{{efn|name=CS|Appearances in the [[Copa Sudamericana]]}}||0||0||0||28||1 |- |[[2023 Liga 1 (Peru)|2023]] |30||2||0||0||5{{efn|name=CL|Appearances in the [[Copa Libertadores]]}}||0||0||0||35||2 |- |[[2024 Liga 1 (Peru)|2024]] |28||4||0||0||1{{efn|name=CL}}||0||0||0||29||4 |- |[[2025 Liga 1 (Peru)|2025]] |16||6||0||0||10{{efn|Four appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores, six appearances and two goals in Copa Sudamericana}}||3||0||0||26||9 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !98!!13!!0!!0!!24!!3!!0!!0!!122!!16 |- |rowspan="3"|[[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]] |[[2025 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season|2025]] |rowspan="2"|[[Major League Soccer]] |6||1||3{{efn|Appearances in [[Canadian Championship]]}}||0||0||0||4{{efn|Appearances in [[MLS Cup Playoffs]]}}||1||13||2 |- |[[2026 Major League Soccer|2026]] |3||0||0||0||4{{efn|Appearances in [[CONCACAF Champions Cup]]}}||1||colspan="2"|—||7||1 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !9!!1!!3!!0!!4!!1!!4!!1!!20!!2 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !107!!14!!3!!0!!28!!4!!4!!1!!142!!19 |} ;Notes {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|match played 31 March 2026}}
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="2"|[[Peru national football team|Peru]] |2025||4||0 |- |2026||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!6!!0 |}
== Honours == '''FBC Melgar''' *[[2022 Liga 1 (Peru)#Torneo Apertura|Torneo Apertura 2022]]
'''Vancouver Whitecaps FC''' *[[Canadian Championship]]: [[2025 Canadian Championship|2025]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/four-peat-vancouver-whitecaps-retain-canadian-championship-title|title=FOUR-PEAT: Vancouver Whitecaps retain Canadian Championship title |publisher=Major League Soccer|date=October 2, 2025|access-date=October 2, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Vancouver Whitecaps FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabrera, Kenji}} [[Category:2003 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Peruvian people of Japanese descent]] [[Category:Japanese people of Peruvian descent]] [[Category:Football people from Shiga Prefecture]] [[Category:Peruvian men's footballers]] [[Category:Japanese men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Esther Grande footballers]] [[Category:Club Alianza Lima footballers]] [[Category:FBC Melgar footballers]] [[Category:Vancouver Whitecaps FC players]] [[Category:Peruvian Primera División players]] [[Category:Peru men's youth international footballers]] [[Category:Peru men's international footballers]] [[Category:21st-century Peruvian sportsmen]] [[Category:Peruvian expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Canada]] [[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada]] [[Category:Major League Soccer players]]