Hiroki Sakai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hiroki Sakai
酒井 宏樹

Sakai lining up for Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Hiroki Sakai
Date of birth	(1990-04-12) 12 April 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Kashiwa, Japan
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Auckland FC
Number	2
Youth career
2003–2008	Kashiwa Reysol
2009	Mogi Mirim
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2012	Kashiwa Reysol	51	(2)
2012–2016	Hannover 96	92	(2)
2016–2021	Marseille	145	(1)
2021–2024	Urawa Red Diamonds	69	(5)
2024–	Auckland FC	23	(3)
International career‡
2011–2012	Japan U23	21	(2)
2021	Japan Olympic (O.P.)	5	(1)
2012–2022	Japan	74	(1)
Medal record Representing  Japan AFC Asian Cup Silver 2019 United Arab Emirates
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 December 2022 (UTC)

Hiroki Sakai (酒井 宏樹, born on 12 April 1990) is a Japanese professional footballer. He plays as a right back and is the first ever captain for the A-League club Auckland FC.

Club Journey

Starting at Kashiwa Reysol

Hiroki Sakai was born in Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. His two older brothers introduced him to football. He joined a school football team when he was in third grade. Sakai first played as a striker, but later became a full-back, which is where he has played ever since. He spent 10 years with his school team before joining Kashiwa Reysol's Under-15 team in 2003.

Sakai moved up through the ranks at Kashiwa Reysol. He also spent a short time studying abroad at Mogi Mirim in Brazil. He said this experience helped him improve his skills as a right-back and centre-back. Sakai returned to Japan in November 2009.

In 2010, Sakai joined Kashiwa Reysol's first team. He made his debut on 5 May 2010, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Ventforet Kofu. His first goal for the club came on 31 October 2010 in a 4–1 win over Mito HollyHock. Sakai helped Kashiwa Reysol get promoted to the J. League Division 1. He played 12 matches and scored one goal that season.

In 2011, Sakai missed the start of the season due to an injury. He returned on 23 April 2011 and quickly became a regular starter at right-back. Sakai helped Kashiwa Reysol win the league title that year. This meant the club qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. He played in the tournament and even scored a goal in the semi-final. At the end of the 2011 season, he was named J. League Rookie of the Year and was part of the J. League Best XI team.

Sakai started the 2012 season well, helping Kashiwa Reysol win the Japanese Super Cup. He scored his first goal of the season in the AFC Champions League on 6 March 2012. His good performances attracted interest from European clubs. Sakai played his last game for Kashiwa Reysol on 30 June 2012. He made 23 appearances and scored 3 goals that season before leaving.

Time at Hannover 96

On 13 June 2012, Hannover 96 in Germany signed Sakai on a four-year contract. The transfer cost about 1 million euros.

Sakai missed some early matches in the 2012–13 season due to international duties and injuries. He made his Hannover 96 debut on 31 August 2012 in a UEFA Europa League match. His league debut was on 23 September 2012. He had limited playing time at first but played more towards the end of the season. In his first season, Sakai played 17 matches.

For the 2013–14 season, Sakai became a regular right-back after a teammate's injury. He scored his first goal for Hannover 96 on 3 November 2013. He played 28 matches and scored once that season, despite a knee injury near the end.

In the 2014–15 season, Sakai became the first-choice right-back. He faced some injury issues and also had two suspensions. He played 29 matches that season.

Before the 2015–16 season, there were rumors that Sakai might leave Hannover 96, but he stayed. He continued as the main right-back. He scored his first goal of the season on 23 April 2016. However, this match resulted in the club being relegated from the Bundesliga after 14 years. Sakai then said he wanted to leave the club. He played 28 matches and scored once that season.

Moving to Olympique de Marseille

Sakai training ahead of Marseille's match against Lens on 3 February 2021.

After Hannover 96 was relegated, Sakai moved to the French club Marseille on a free transfer on 23 June 2016. He became the second Japanese player to join Marseille.

Sakai made his Marseille debut in the first game of the season, helping his team win 4–0. He quickly became a key player at right-back. He sometimes played in other positions, like right-midfield. In his first season, Sakai played 40 matches. His teammates and coach praised his dedication.

In the 2017–18 season, Sakai continued to be a regular starter. He signed a new contract with the club, keeping him until 2021. He sometimes played at left-back when needed. On his 28th birthday, 12 April 2018, he scored his first UEFA Europa League goal. This goal helped Marseille win a quarter-final match. He played 50 matches and scored twice that season. Marseille reached the UEFA Europa League Final but lost.

Sakai remained Marseille's first-choice right-back in the 2018–19 season. He made his 100th appearance for the club on 25 October 2018. He scored his first goal of the season on 18 May 2019. He played 32 matches and scored once. At the end of the season, he was named Olympique de Marseille Player of the Season.

Sakai playing for Marseille's during the match against Lens on 3 February 2021.

Before the 2019–20 season, Sakai was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur but stayed at Marseille. He signed a contract extension until 2022. He played his 100th league match on 24 September 2019. He had some injuries during the season, which ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sakai played 25 matches that season.

In the 2020–21 season, Sakai kept his starting spot at right-back. He was involved in an incident during a match against Paris Saint-Germain where a radio station claimed a player racially abused him. Sakai denied any racist comments. He played his last game for Marseille on 16 May 2021. He made 29 appearances that season.

On 24 May 2021, Sakai announced he was leaving Marseille, even though he had a year left on his contract. He was a fan favorite and said he was "a proud Marseillais."

Returning to Japan with Urawa Red Diamonds

On 10 June 2021, Sakai returned to Japan and signed with Urawa Red Diamonds in the J1 League.

He made his debut for the club on 14 August 2021. He scored his first goal for Urawa Red Diamonds on 25 September 2021. Sakai helped the club win the Emperor's Cup in 2021. He played 18 matches and scored 2 goals that season.

In 2022, Sakai helped Urawa Red Diamonds win the Japanese Super Cup. He suffered two foot injuries during the season, which kept him out for some time. He captained the club for the first time on 13 April 2022. Sakai also helped Urawa Red Diamonds reach the AFC Champions League final. He played 28 matches that season.

Sakai was named the new captain of Urawa Red Diamonds for the 2023 season. He scored his first goal of the season on 18 March 2023. He led Urawa Red Diamonds to win the AFC Champions League title, their third win in the competition. Sakai was named the AFC Champions League's Most Valuable Player. He scored his second goal of the season on 31 May 2023. He suffered a knee injury late in the season but returned for the FIFA Club World Cup. He played 37 matches and scored 2 goals that season.

Sakai continued as captain for the 2024 season. He scored his first goal of the season on 10 March 2024. He had another knee injury in April 2024. After announcing his departure, he received a farewell from the club's fans.

Joining Auckland FC

On 11 June 2024, it was reported that Sakai would move to Auckland FC for their first A-League Men season. His move was confirmed by the club on 24 July 2024.

International Career

Youth and Olympic Teams

Sakai played for Japan's youth teams from 2008 to 2011. He was first called up to the Japan U23 squad in May 2011. He made his debut on 1 June 2011 and scored his first goal for the U23 team on 23 June 2011. He became a regular player for the U23 team.

In July 2012, Sakai was chosen for the 2012 Summer Olympics Football tournament in London. He started in four matches, helping Japan U23 reach the semi-finals and finish fourth.

Sakai was also one of three older players chosen for Japan's team at the Olympic football tournament held in Japan. He played his first match on 22 July 2021 and scored his first goal of the tournament in a 4–0 win against France. Japan reached the semi-finals but lost to Spain and then to Mexico in the bronze medal match.

Senior National Team

Sakai playing for Japan against Paraguay on 12 June 2018.

Sakai was first called up to the senior squad in October 2011. He made his debut for Japan on 23 May 2012 in a 2–0 win against Azerbaijan. He started getting more playing time for Japan throughout 2012.

In 2013, Sakai competed for the right-back position. He was part of Japan's squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup. He played two matches in the tournament. He then started six international matches for Japan.

In May 2014, Sakai was selected for Japan's squad for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, he did not play in any matches. After the World Cup, he continued to play for Japan.

For the next two years, Sakai became a key player at right-back for Japan. He helped Japan qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. He also provided five assists during the qualification matches.

In May 2018, Sakai was again chosen for Japan's squad for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. He made his World Cup debut against Colombia in a 2–1 win. He started all four of Japan's matches in the tournament, as they reached the Round of 16 before losing to Belgium.

Sakai heading the ball away from Abdelkarim Hassan during the AFC Asian Cup final against Qatar.

After the World Cup, Sakai was called up again in October 2018. He scored his first goal for Japan on 16 November 2018 in a 1–1 draw against Venezuela. In December 2018, he was selected for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He helped Japan reach the AFC Asian Cup final, where they finished as runners-up after losing to Qatar.

Sakai continued to play for Japan in 2019 and 2020. He made five starts for Japan in the FIFA World Cup qualification between September 2021 and February 2022.

Sakai playing for Japan against Germany in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 24 November 2022.

In September 2022, Sakai was called up for the Kirin Cup Soccer. On 1 November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On 24 November 2022, Sakai started at right-back against Germany in Japan's surprising 2–1 win. His last appearance for Japan was on 5 December 2022 against Croatia, where Japan lost on penalties. He has not been called up to the national team since.

Personal Life

Hiroki Sakai comes from a family that values education; his father is a doctor, and one of his older brothers is a researcher. Growing up, his football idol was Ronaldo, and he watched his performances in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In 2014, Sakai shared that he married a woman who is not famous, and he said she supports his football career. They had their first child, a baby girl, in January 2015. In September 2019, he announced that he became a father for the second time.

Sakai enjoys Miso soup and has said it is very important to him. Besides Japanese, he can speak Portuguese, German, French, and English. He learned German twice a week when he played for Hannover 96.

In May 2018, Sakai released his first book. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated money to a fund and helped create a website to assist the public.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sakai goal.

List of international goals scored by Hiroki Sakai

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 November 2018	Ōita Bank Dome, Ōita, Japan	Venezuela	1–0	1–1	2018 Kirin Challenge Cup

Honors and Awards

Kashiwa Reysol

• J. League Division 1: 2011
• Japanese Super Cup: 2012
• J. League Division 2: 2010

Marseille

• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2017–18

Urawa Red Diamonds

• AFC Champions League: 2022
• Emperor's Cup: 2021
• Japanese Super Cup: 2022

Auckland FC

• A-League Premiership: 2024-25

Japan

• AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 2019

Individual Awards

• J. League Rookie of the Year: 2011
• J. League Best XI: 2011
• Olympique de Marseille Player of the Season: 2018–19
• AFC Champions League MVP: 2022

See also

In Spanish: Hiroki Sakai para niños