Wataru Endo is a Japanese professional footballer who captains the Japan national team and plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League side Liverpool. He is noted for his quick awareness and ability to read the game, as well as his ability to win balls.

Endo began his career with Shonan Bellmare in the J1 League before joining Urawa Red Diamonds in 2016, where he won the league title and the 2017 AFC Champions League. In 2018, he joined Belgian Pro League team Sint-Truiden before being loaned to VfB Stuttgart in 2019 and signing a permanent contract with them in April 2020. In August, he signed with Liverpool after four years in Germany. 2023

Endo made his Japan national team debut in 2015 and has since made over 50 appearances for the team, including at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In June 2023, he was named Japan’s captain.