Japanese World Cup-winner Yuki Nagasato, who made history by playing for a senior men’s team in 2020, has announced her retirement from football.

Who is Nagasato?

Yuki Nagasato is a highly accomplished former Japanese footballer who made significant contributions to women’s soccer. Primarily a striker, she gained recognition as a key member of the Japan national team that won at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

Throughout her career, Nagasato showcased her talent on an international stage, playing for various clubs in Germany, England, the United States, and her native Japan.

She also made history by briefly playing for a Japanese men’s team in 2020, demonstrating her pioneering spirit. With a career of 24 years, she has recently retired, leaving behind a legacy of high-level play, and breaking barriers within the sport.

Nagasato’s Football career:

Yuki Nagasato’s football career is marked by a long and diverse journey, filled with significant achievements and groundbreaking moments. She began her professional career with Nippon TV Beleza in Japan in 2001, where she experienced considerable success, winning multiple league championships. In 2002, season, she debuted inL.League.She became one of the division’s top scorers in 2006 season. She also won the league championship 6 times in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Nagasato was a crucial part of the Japan national team from 2004 to 2016, earning 132 caps and scoring 58 goals. She played a vital role in Japan’s victory at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also earned an Olympic silver medal in 2012.

Her career took her to various countries, including Germany (Turbine Potsdam, where she won the UEFA Women’s Champions League), England (Chelsea), and the United States (Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville, Houston Dash).

In spite of all this glory, the true groundbreaking moment in her career came in 2020, when she decided to play for Japan’s men football team. Yuki’s this act was to support the gender equality in sports. This year she played for the men’s amateur team Hayabusa Eleven in Japan.

Nagasato’s long journey with football came to end as she has retired recently from professional football, concluding her long and successful journey.