Maika Hamano has signed a contract extension at Chelsea, keeping her at the club until the summer of 2029.
“Being able to work alongside amazing players and staff, and to give our all toward the same goal throughout a long season – that’s incredible,” Hamano said in a statement. “Of course, the fans are with us every step of the way, too. Through the fans, I’ve learned just how amazing it is to be part of Chelsea.”
The club’s head of women’s football Paul Green added: “We’re delighted to extend Maika’s deal at the club. She’s adapted well to the Women’s Super League and brings high energy to the team. She’s shown her quality and adaptability in being used in multiple positions. There’s still room for her to develop even further, and we look forward to seeing that development in the upcoming years.”
Hamano scored the second of Chelsea’s two goals in their WSL opening day 2-1 win over Manchester City, adding to a first-half strike from Aggie Beever-Jones. An own goal from Niamh Charles made the last 20 minutes a little tighter than the defending champions would have liked.
Maika Hamano’s career at Chelsea so far
Hamano joined the Blues in January 2023 as an 18-year-old from INAC Kobe Leonessa after coming to global attention for her performances at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022, where she won the Golden Ball and Silver Boot.
Chelsea’s then-manager Emma Hayes described her new acquisition as “a fantastic talent”, and Hamano said at the time: “I am really proud to sign for a club which in my opinion is number one in the world.”
Hamano spent a short loan spell at Hammarby IF in Sweden for their 2023 season, where she played 17 times and scored seven goals.
Since then, the 21-year-old has made 39 appearances for Chelsea – 30 of them in last season’s domestic treble-winning campaign – and struck nine goals in all competitions, six of them last season.
Her first appearance was as a second-half substitute in a 3-0 win over Bristol City in December 2023, and her first WSL start came against Aston Villa in April 2024 – an occasion she marked with a goal.
For Japan, she has picked up 21 caps so far, scoring six goals, and helped her country to victory in the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year, scoring against Australia and Colombia.
Chelsea’s next match is on Sunday, 14th September as they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa.
