Hidetoshi Nakata
Encyclopedia
, is a retired Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese football player. He was one of the most famous Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

n footballers of his generation.

Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...

 Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 in 2001, played for Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

 in three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 tournaments (1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

, 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

 and 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

) and played in the Olympics
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...

 twice (1996
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....

 and 2000
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

). In 2005, he was made the Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....

 of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
The Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity was founded as national order by the first President of the Italian Republic, Enrico De Nicola, in 1947, to recognise civilian and military expatriates or foreigners who made an outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of Italy after World War...

, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas. Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing.

Nakata announced his retirement at age 29 on July 3, 2006 after a ten-year career that included seven seasons in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 and a season in the English Premier League. In March 2004, Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

 named Nakata in his FIFA 100
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...

, a list of the top living footballers at the time.

Club career

Nakata began his professional career at age 18 in 1995, with J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...

 side Bellmare Hiratsuka (now Shonan Bellmare
Shonan Bellmare
are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...

). After the 1998 World Cup in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Nakata was signed by A.C. Perugia in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 for 4M , becoming the second Japanese player ever to appear in the Italian top league after Kazu Miura
Kazuyoshi Miura
----Kazuyoshi Miura , often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993, an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation. He is currently with...

 had done it for Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...

 four years earlier. In his first season in Italy, Nakata scored 10 goals, his single-season highest total.

Roma

In January 2000, after one and a half seasons at Perugia, Nakata moved to Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 for 42 Billion ITL
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...

, (29M ) helping the team win the scudetto. The highlight of Nakata's career at Roma came on May 6, 2001 in the Serie A match against Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 at Stadio Delle Alpi
Stadio delle Alpi
The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range...

. After replacing Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...

 in the second half with Roma trailing 0-2, Nakata netted with a 30-yard screamer beyond Juventus goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...

's reach, with 11 minutes left in the match. Nakata then helped Roma score the equalizer when his fierce drive from outside the box was parried by Van der Sar into the path of Vincenzo Montella
Vincenzo Montella
Vincenzo Montella is a retired Italian footballer. Currently he is the youngest head coach of Serie A, after being named at the helm of Sicilian outfit Catania on 9 June 2011....

, who scored for Roma in the last minute. The match ended with a 2-2 draw and Roma maintained a six-point margin atop the league table.

Later years (2001-2006)

In the summer of 2001, Nakata joined Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

 where he played for two and a half seasons.

In January 2004, Nakata joined Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

 where he played the remainder of the 2003–04 season before moving to Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

, where he played the following season. In August 2005, Nakata moved to Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

 side Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 on loan. During his season at Bolton, which would be the last of his professional career, he scored once in the league, in a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

International career

After having represented Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

 at the 1993 U-17 World Championship
1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship was held in the cities of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, and Gifu City in Japan between 21 August and 4 September 1993...

 (where he scored one goal) and at the 1995 U-20 World Championship
1995 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 10th FIFA World Youth Championship was held in Qatar from April 13 to April 28, 1995. The tournament took place in three venues in one city: Doha.-Qualification:-Group A:-------------------------Group B:--------------------...

 (where he scored twice), Nakata was part of the Japan squads at the 1996 Olympics
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....

, where Japan upset Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

, and at the 2000 Olympics
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

. His senior national team debut came in May 1997 against South Korea.

He was a key member of the Japanese side that qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

, scoring five goals in qualification matches and setting up all three Japanese goals in the qualification play-off against Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...

. He also helped Japan reach the final of the 2001 Confederations Cup, but left the national team before the final to join Roma for their final league matches. Nakata played in all four of Japan's matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

, co-hosted by South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 and Japan, scoring the second goal of a 2-0 first round win against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...

.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

, Nakata played in all three matches for Japan, losing to Australia and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

, and drawing with Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

. His performance against Croatia earned him a Man of the Match award. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, on July 3, 2006, Nakata announced his retirement from professional football and the Japanese national team on his personal website "I decided half a year ago that I would retire from the world of professional football... after the World Cup in Germany." Nakata wrote, "I will never again stand on the pitch as a professional player. But I will never give up football." Even though many people thought he was too young to retire, he didn't change his mind and retired anyway. On June 9, 2007, he made an appearance on the pitch again for the first time in public after his retirement when he played at Luís Figo
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...

's charity match.

Despite Nakata playing every match in Japan's first three world cups appearances, he was not selected for the country's Asian Cup-winning squads in 2000 and 2004. In total, he was capped 77 times for Japan, scoring 11 goals, 9 of which came in official FIFA competitions.

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental1 Super Cup2 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bellmare Hiratsuka
Shonan Bellmare
are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...

1995 26 8 2 1 - 6 1 1 0 35 10
1996 26 2 3 0 12 2 3 0 - 44 4
1997 21 3 3 0 6 1 - - 30 4
1998 12 3 - - - - 12 3
Total 85 16 8 1 18 3 9 1 1 0 121 21
Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....

1998–99 33 10 - 0 0 - - 33 10
1999–00 15 2 - 4 1 3 1 - 22 4
Total 48 12 - 4 1 3 1 - 55 14
A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

1999–00 15 3 - 1 0 2 0 - 18 3
2000–01 15 2 - 0 0 7 1 - 22 3
Total 30 5 - 1 0 9 1 - 40 6
Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

2001–02 24 1 - 6 2 8 1 - 38 4
2002–03 31 4 - 2 0 4 0 1 0 38 4
2003–04 12 0 - 2 0 4 1 - 18 1
Total 67 5 - 10 2 16 2 1 0 95 9
Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

2003–04 17 2 - 0 0 - - 17 2
Total 17 2 - 0 0 - - 17 2
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

2004–05 20 0 - 3 0 - - 23 0
Total 20 0 - 3 0 - - 23 0
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

2005–06 21 1 3 0 2 0 6 0 - 32 1
Total 21 1 3 0 2 0 6 0 - 32 1
Career total 288 41 11 1 38 6 43 5 2 0 382 53

1Includes other competitive competitions, including the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...

, UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

.

2Includes other competitive competitions, including the Japanese Super Cup
Japanese Super Cup
The Japanese Super Cup or is an annual one-match football competition in Japan organised by J. League and the Japan Football Association . This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the J. League Champions and the Emperor's Cup Winners of the previous season...

 and Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...

.

National team

|-
|1997||16||5
|-
|1998||10||1
|-
|1999||3||0
|-
|2000||4||0
|-
|2001||7||1
|-
|2002||8||2
|-
|2003||11||1
|-
|2004||2||0
|-
|2005||10||0
|-
|2006||6||1
|-
!Total||77||11
|}
    • May 1997-June 2006
    • Debut against South Korea
    • FIFA
      FIFA
      The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

       World Cup appearances: 1998, 2002, 2006

Appearances in major competitions

Team Competition Category Appearances Goals Team Record
Start Sub
1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship
1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship was held in the cities of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, and Gifu City in Japan between 21 August and 4 September 1993...

U-17 3 0 1 Quarterfinals
1994 AFC Youth Championship
AFC Youth Championship 1994
The Asian Football Confederation's 1994 AFC Youth Championship was held from September 11 to September 25, 1994 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The tournament was won by for the first time by Syria in the final against Japan.-Group A:-Group B:-Knockout stage:...

U-19 6 0 2 Runner-up
1995 FIFA World Youth Championship U-20 4 0 2 Quarterfinals
1996 Olympics qualification
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....

U-22 5 0 1 Qualified
1996 Olympics
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....

U-23 2 0 0 Round 1
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

Senior 11 1 5 Qualified
1998 Dynasty Cup Senior 2 0 2 Champions
1998 FIFA World Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1
2000 Olympics qualification
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

U-22 2 0 1 Qualified
2000 Olympics
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...

U-23 3 0 1 Quarterfinals
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 4 0 1 Runner-up
2002 FIFA World Cup Senior 4 0 1 Round of 16
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 3 0 1 Round 1
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Asia.44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing...

Senior 5 0 0 Qualified
2006 FIFA World Cup Senior 3 0 0 Round 1

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. June 22, 1997 Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
10-0 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

2. June 22, 1997 Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
10-0 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

3. June 28, 1997 Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
1-1 Draw 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

4. September 7, 1997 Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
6-3 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

5. November 8, 1997 Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
5-1 Won 1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification....

6. February 15, 1998 Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 
3-0 Won Friendly
7. June 7, 2001 Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
1-0 Won 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...

 Semi-finals
8. March 27, 2002 Łódź, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
2-0 Won Friendly
9. June 14, 2002 Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 
2-0 Won 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

 Group Stage
10. June 18, 2003 Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
3-0 Won 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

 Group Stage
11. February 28, 2006 Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 
2-2 Draw Friendly

Honours

  • AFC U-19 Championship Runner-up: 1994
  • Japanese Super Cup
    Japanese Super Cup
    The Japanese Super Cup or is an annual one-match football competition in Japan organised by J. League and the Japan Football Association . This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the J. League Champions and the Emperor's Cup Winners of the previous season...

     Runner-up: 1995
  • Asian Cup Winners Cup
    Asian Cup Winners Cup
    The Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation . The competition was started in 1991 as a tournament for all the domestic cup winners from countries affiliated to the AFC...

     Champions: 1996
  • Asian Super Cup
    Asian Super Cup
    The Asian Super Cup was an annual competition between the winners of the Asian Champions Cup and the Asian Cup Winners Cup.The competition started in 1995, but came to an end in 2002 after both major AFC tournaments were merged into the Asian Champions League...

     Runner-up: 1996
    Asian Super Cup 1996
    The 1996 Asian Super Cup was the 2nd Asian Super Cup, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Asian Club Championship and Asian Cup Winners Cup competitions...

  • Selected to J. League All-Star Soccer
    J. League All-Star Soccer
    The J. League All-Star Soccer, called JOMO All-Star Soccer for sponsorship reasons, is an annual exhibition match organised by the Japan Football Association and J. League. It has been played each year since the inception of J. League in 1993. The players are chosen by the fan voting and the...

    : 1997
  • J. League Best Eleven: 1997
    J. League 1997
    -First stage:-Second stage:- Suntory Championship :----- Golden Boots Ranking :-Individual Awards:-Best Eleven:...

  • Japanese Footballer of the Year: 1997
  • Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
    Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
    is given to one sportsperson or sports team every year since 1968 by the Japan Professional Sports Association. The award is one of the most prestigious all-sport awards in Japanese sport. The recordholders are baseball players Ichiro Suzuki and Sadaharu Oh...

    : 1997
  • Asian Footballer of the Year
    Asian Footballer of the Year
    The Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian footballer each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation since 1994...

    : 1997 1998
  • Dynasty Cup Champions: 1998
  • Dynasty Cup MVP: 1998
  • Selected to AFC All Star Team: 1997 1998 1999
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    FIFA Confederations Cup
    The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...

     Runner-up: 2001
    2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
    -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...

  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    FIFA Confederations Cup
    The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...

     Bronze Ball: 2001
    2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
    -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...

  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    FIFA Confederations Cup
    The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...

     Best Eleven: 2001
    2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
    -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...

  • Serie A
    Serie A
    Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

     Champions: 2001
    Serie A 2000-01
    In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89....

     (with AS Roma)
  • Coppa Italia
    Coppa Italia
    The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

     Champions: 2002 (with AC Parma)
  • Supercoppa Italiana
    Supercoppa Italiana
    The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...

     Runner-up: 2002
    2002 Supercoppa Italiana
    The 2002 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the Serie A 2001-02 winner, and Parma, the Coppa Italia 2001-02 winner.It was the fifth appearance for Juventus and the fourth for Parma...

     (with AC Parma)
  • Selected to FIFA 100
    FIFA 100
    The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...

    : 2004

Achievements

  • Nominated for Ballon d'Or: 1998, 1999, 2001
    Ballon d'Or 2001
    The 2001 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Michael Owen on 18 December 2001....

  • Nominated for FIFA World Player of the Year
    FIFA World Player of the Year
    The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...

    : 1998
    1998 FIFA World Player of the Year
    The 1998 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Zinedine Zidane, after scoring twice in France's 3–0 win over Brazil in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final.-Results:-See also:...

    , 1999
    1999 FIFA World Player of the Year
    The 1999 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Rivaldo with 543 points. David Beckham took second place, the highest ever position for an English footballer.-Results:-See also:...

    , 2001
    2001 FIFA World Player of the Year
    The 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Luís Figo by the slim margin of 12 points. David Beckham was again forced into second place.-Men:-Women:-External links:*...

    , 2002
    2002 FIFA World Player of the Year
    The 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Ronaldo for a record-breaking third time.-Men:-Women:-Notes and references:, rssf.com...


Outside of football

Outside of football Nakata has shown interest in fashion, attending runway shows, wearing designer clothing and sporting colorful haircuts. He dyed his hair blond for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

, hoping to attract the attention of European scouts, and Japanese hairstylist Aki Watanabe credits him as a trendsetter in hair styles. Andrea Tenerani, photographer for GQ
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...

in Italy said of Nakata, "He's perfect; he's like a model. And he's totally obsessed with fashion," and Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....

 designer Italo Zucchelli
Italo Zucchelli
Italo Zucchelli is an Italian fashion designer, best known as the Men's Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection.-Early life:...

 said, "(Nakata) plays with fashion like all of them now, but in a cooler, more sophisticated way than many others." He is one of the models featuring the Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....

 underwear campaign 2010. He was featured in the July 2007 US version of GQ
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...

 with a 12-page spread on Fall Fashion. He was featured in GQ
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...

 in his home country in December 2011.
Often regarded as the "Asian" David Beckham, because of his obsession to fashion and his status as being a role model for many Asian Football exports to Europe, Nakata is currently also an Editor-at-Large at Monocle
Monocle (2007 magazine)
Monocle is a lifestyle magazine and website founded by Tyler Brûlé, a Canadian journalist and entrepreneur. Described by CBC News reporter Harry Forestell as a "meeting between Foreign Policy and Vanity Fair", the magazine provides a globalist perspective on issues as fashion, international...

 at the invitation of his friend Tyler Brûlé
Tyler Brûlé
Tyler Brûlé is a Canadian journalist, entrepreneur, and magazine publisher. He is the editor-in-chief of Monocle and a columnist for the Weekend FT.-Early years:...

, who also serves as the magazine's Editor-in-Chief.

Nakata has cited the popular manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series, Captain Tsubasa
Captain Tsubasa
, also known as Flash Kicker, is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981...

, as his primary inspiration in choosing football as a career.

External links

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