Kai Meriluoto (born 2 January 2003) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Superettan club IFK Värnamo.
Early life Meriluoto was born in Pori, Finland, to a Japanese Catholic mother from Hakodate, Hokkaido, and to a Finnish father. His parents met in 1989 when they both were studying in Wisconsin, US.Oletko aina syönyt sushia täysin väärin? Kai Meriluoto, 20, paljastaa nyt ”sisäpiirin” niksin, Ilta-Sanomat, 5 April 2023 When he was a one-year-old, he moved to Vienne, Isère, France, with his family and lived there for five years before returning to Finland. Meriluoto lived in Shanghai, China, due to his father's work from when he was ten years old until he was twelve years old. He has dual citizenship of Finland and Japan, and he speaks Finnish, Japanese, French and English fluently. Meriluoto has an older brother, Aki, who is also a footballer and has played for US Lesquin at the semi-pro level in France.
Club career Ilves (loan) On 15 February 2022, Meriluoto joined Veikkausliiga club Ilves on loan for the 2022 season. He finished his first full season in the league scoring ten goals for the team. After the season, he returned to HJK.
Return to HJK In April 2023, he extended his contract with HJK until the end of 2025.
Stal Mielec (loan) On 14 July 2023, Meriluoto joined Polish Ekstraklasa side Stal Mielec on a season-long loan, with an option to make the move permanent.Kai Meriluoto: ”Tuntuu, että puolalainen futis sopii minulle hyvin”, Finnish FA, 22 July 2023 He scored his first Ekstraklasa goal on 18 September 2023, a header in a 4–2 home win against Zagłębie Lubin.Kai Meriluodolle ensimmäinen maali uudessa seurassaan, suomifutis.com, 18 September 2023 On 9 December 2023, in a match against Cracovia, Meriluoto made a crucial impact after coming in from the bench, when his team was in a 2–0 losing position. He first scored the 2–1 goal on the 86th minute, and one minute later provided an assist to the equalizer. The game eventually ended in a 2–2 draw.CRACOVIA VS. STAL MIELEC 2 - 2, int.soccerway.com During his loan stint, Meriluoto was mainly used as a late substitute, starting only two of his 23 Ekstraklasa appearances.Kai Meriluoto kertoi Veikkausliigan ja Ekstraklasan eroista – ei ole ollut yhteyksissä HJK:n kanssa: ”Kaikki on auki”, suomifutis.com, 21 March 2024
Return to HJK After the 2023–24 season, he returned to HJK. On 13 December 2024, Meriluoto scored a decisive over-time goal for HJK, in a UEFA Conference League league phase match against Molde, securing his side a point in a 2–2 draw.Tyytyminen pistejakoon – ”Kasvojen pesu toisella puoliajalla”, hjk.fi, 13 December 2024
Maribor (loan) On 15 February 2025, Meriluoto joined Slovenian PrvaLiga club Maribor on loan for the remainder of the 2024–25 season, with a deal including an option to buy.Kai Meriluoto lainalle Sloveniaan, hjk.fi, 15 February 2025 On 22 April, Meriluoto scored his first goals for Maribor by a brace, including a winning goal in a 2–1 win over Mura.Kai Meriluoto nousi joukkueensa sankariksi Sloveniassa – iski kaksi maalia, suomifutis.com, 22 April 2025
IFK Värnamo On 8 August 2025, Meriluoto signed with Allsvenskan club IFK Värnamo until the end of 2028 for an undisclosed fee.VÄLKOMMEN TILL IFK VÄRNAMO, KAI MERILUOTO!, ifkvarnamo.se, 8 August 2025 Three days later he scored in his Allsvenskan debut, in a 2–2 away draw against IF Elfsborg. On 14 September, Meriluoto scored a hat-trick against Öster.
Personal life Meriluoto is a religious person. He is a teetotaller and has never drunk alcohol.
Career statistics Club
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsKlubi 042019Kakkonen12712——1392020Kakkonen151410——16142021Ykkönen24731——2782024Ykkönen11———11 Total52295300005732HJK2020Veikkausliiga3100——312021Veikkausliiga0000—00002022Veikkausliiga00000000002023Veikkausliiga1421152002052024Veikkausliiga720000711432025Veikkausliiga3200204193 Total27711721124612Ilves (loan)2022Veikkausliiga25101032—2912Stal Mielec (loan)2023–24Ekstraklasa23231——263Maribor (loan)2024–25Slovenian PrvaLiga13420——154IFK Värnamo2025Allsvenskan12410——1342026Superettan23733——2610Total35114300003914 Career total1756216810411221375
International
National teamYearCompetitiveFriendlyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsFinland2023002020Total002020
Honours HJK Veikkausliiga: 2020, 2023 Finnish Cup: 2020 Finnish League Cup: 2023
Klubi 04 Kakkonen Group B: 2020
References