Keisuke Honda facts for kids
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Honda with Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keisuke Honda | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Settsu, Osaka, Japan | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1998 | Settsu | ||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Gamba Osaka | ||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Seiryo High School | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 90 | (11) | ||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | VVV-Venlo | 68 | (24) | ||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | CSKA Moscow | 94 | (20) | ||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | AC Milan | 81 | (11) | ||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Pachuca | 29 | (10) | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Melbourne Victory | 18 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 2019 | Vitesse | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2020 | Botafogo | 22 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Portimonense | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Neftçi Baku | 7 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Sūduva | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Paro | 5 | (2) | ||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | Japan U20 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Japan U23 | 18 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2018 | Japan | 98 | (37) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Cambodia | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Cambodia U-23 | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Keisuke Honda (本田 圭佑, Honda Keisuke, born 13 June 1986) is a famous Japanese former professional footballer. He mostly played as a midfielder. He also worked as a manager for football teams.
Keisuke Honda was a very flexible player. He often played as an attacking midfielder. But he could also play as a winger or a "false nine" (a forward who drops back). He was known for his amazing free-kicks, powerful shots, and great dribbling skills.
Honda played for the Japanese national team over 90 times between 2008 and 2018. He played in three World Cups: 2010, 2014, and 2018. He also helped Japan win the 2011 Asian Cup. He was even named the best player of that tournament!
Contents
Keisuke Honda's Club Career
Starting Out in Japan and Netherlands
Keisuke Honda grew up in Settsu, Japan. He started his professional football journey in 2005. His first team was Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan's top league.
In 2008, Honda moved to Europe. He joined Eredivisie side VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands. Even though his team was relegated (moved down a league) at first, he helped them get back to the top division. He scored 16 goals in one season! Fans at VVV-Venlo called him Keizer Keisuke, which means Emperor Keisuke.
Playing in Russia with CSKA Moscow
At the end of 2009, Honda moved to the Russian club CSKA Moscow. He signed a four-year contract. He made his first appearance for CSKA in a big UEFA Champions League match. He scored a winning goal from a free kick. This made him the first Japanese player to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Honda won his first trophy with CSKA in 2011. They won the Russian Cup. He also helped them win the Russian Premier League in 2013 and the Russian Super Cup in 2013. He became a very important player for the team.
Time in Italy with AC Milan
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In 2014, Keisuke Honda joined the famous Italian club AC Milan. He joined for free and wore the number 10 jersey. This is a special number often given to the team's best attacking player.
He scored his first goal for Milan in a cup game. Then he scored his first league goal. In the 2014–15 season, he started scoring more often. He scored two goals in one game against Verona. In 2017, he scored a free kick that helped Milan qualify for the Europa League.
Later Club Adventures
After Milan, Honda played for several clubs around the world.
- In 2017, he joined Pachuca in Mexico. He scored a goal in his very first game for them.
- In 2018, he moved to Australia to play for Melbourne Victory. He scored on his debut in the "Melbourne Derby."
- In 2019, he briefly played for Vitesse in the Netherlands.
- In 2020, he joined Botafogo in Brazil. He scored his first goal from a penalty kick.
- In 2021, he had a short time with Portimonense in Portugal.
- Later in 2021, he joined Neftçi PFK in Azerbaijan. He helped them win the Azerbaijan Premier League title.
- He then played for Sūduva in Lithuania in 2021.
- After a break, he returned to play for Paro FC in Bhutan in 2024.
Keisuke Honda's International Career
Playing for Japan's Youth and Senior Teams
Honda played for Japan's youth teams, including the Under-20 and Under-23 teams. He played in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He made his first appearance for the main Japan national team in 2008. He scored his first goal for Japan in 2009. He scored 37 goals in 98 games for Japan.
World Cup Star in 2010
Keisuke Honda became very famous during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He scored the only goal in Japan's first game against Cameroon. This win was Japan's first World Cup victory on foreign soil. He was named "Man of the Match."
In the game against Denmark, he scored a fantastic free kick. He also set up another goal. Japan won 3–1 and moved to the next round. He was again named "Man of the Match." Japan was later knocked out by Paraguay in a penalty shootout.
Winning the Asian Cup in 2011
Honda was a key player when Japan won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He scored a penalty kick against Syria. In the semi-finals against South Korea, he scored in the penalty shootout. Japan won the tournament, and Honda was named the "Most Valuable Player" of the whole competition!
Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup
Honda played a big part in Japan qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored a hat-trick (three goals) against Jordan in 2012. In a crucial game against Australia in 2013, he scored a penalty kick in extra time. This goal made the score 1–1 and secured Japan's spot in the World Cup. Japan was the first country to qualify for the tournament.
2014 and 2018 World Cups
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Honda scored against Ivory Coast. This made him the first Japanese player to score in two different World Cups. He also became Japan's top scorer in World Cup history with three goals.
At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Honda scored a goal against Senegal. With this goal, he became the top-scoring Asian player in World Cup history. After Japan was knocked out, Honda announced he would retire from international football.
Keisuke Honda's Managerial Career
Leading Cambodia's National Team
In 2018, while still playing, Honda took on a new role. He became the general manager of the Cambodia national team. He would have weekly meetings with the coaches. He was on the sidelines for Cambodia's games during international breaks.
He managed Cambodia until early 2023. He also managed the Cambodia U-23 team for the 2023 SEA Games. Even though they didn't always win, Honda helped Cambodia improve their football.
Keisuke Honda's Personal Life
Keisuke Honda comes from a family of athletes. His older brother also played football. His great-uncle, Daisaburo, was an Olympic canoeist. His cousin, Tamon Honda, is a professional wrestler and former Olympic wrestler.
Keisuke Honda is married to Misako, whom he met in high school. They have three children.
Honours and Awards
Keisuke Honda won many awards and trophies during his career:
Club Trophies
- Eerste Divisie: 2008–09 (with VVV-Venlo)
- Russian Premier League: 2012–13 (with CSKA Moscow)
- Russian Cup: 2010–11, 2012–13 (with CSKA Moscow)
- Russian Super Cup: 2013 (with CSKA Moscow)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2016 (with Milan)
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2020–21 (with Neftçi PFK)
- Bhutan Premier League: 2024 (with Paro FC)
International Trophies
- AFC Asian Cup: 2011 (with Japan)
Individual Awards
- Eerste Divisie Player of the Year: 2008–09
- Japanese Footballer of the Year: 2010
- AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player: 2011
- Best Footballer in Asia: 2013
Images for kids
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Honda's footprint on display at the main lobby of J-Village
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