Keisuke Honda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Keisuke Honda
本田 圭佑

Honda with Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Keisuke Honda
Date of birth	(1986-06-13) 13 June 1986 (age 39)
Place of birth	Settsu, Osaka, Japan
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
2005	Japan U20	1	(0)
2006–2008	Japan U23	18	(5)
2008–2018	Japan	98	(37)
Managerial career
2018–2023	Cambodia
2023	Cambodia U-23
Medal record Representing  Japan AFC Asian Cup Winner 2011 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Keisuke Honda is a Japanese former professional footballer. He also worked as a manager. He mostly played as a midfielder.

Honda was a very flexible player. He often played as an attacking midfielder. He could also play as a winger or a false nine. He was known for his strong shots and great dribbling skills. He was also good at taking free-kicks.

Honda played over 90 games for Japan's national team. He played in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups. He helped Japan win the 2011 Asian Cup. He was also named the best player of that tournament.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Honda playing for VVV-Venlo in 2008

Keisuke Honda grew up in Settsu, Japan. He played for a junior team at Gamba Osaka. But he did not join their main youth team. In 2004, while still in high school, he played in a J.League Cup game. He started his professional career in 2005. He joined J1 League team Nagoya Grampus Eight.

In 2008, Honda moved to Europe. He signed with Eredivisie team VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands. In his first six months, his team was moved down to the second division. But in the 2008–09 season, he scored 16 goals. This helped his team get back to the top league. Fans at the club called him Keizer Keisuke, meaning Emperor Keisuke.

Playing in Russia with CSKA Moscow

Honda with CSKA Moscow in 2010

In late 2009, Honda joined Russian club CSKA Moscow. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for CSKA in the UEFA Champions League. This was against Sevilla. In the second game, he scored a winning goal from a direct free kick. This helped CSKA reach the quarterfinals. He was the first Japanese player to do this.

Honda scored his first league goal for CSKA on March 12, 2010. It was against Amkar Perm. He scored in the last minutes of the game. This secured a win for CSKA Moscow. On May 22, 2011, he won his first trophy with CSKA. They beat Alania Vladikavkaz 2–1 in the Russian Cup final. In 2013, Honda scored two goals in the Russian Super Cup final. CSKA won 3–0 against Zenit. He left CSKA in December 2013.

Time with AC Milan in Italy

Honda playing for AC Milan in 2015

On January 4, 2014, Honda officially joined Milan in Italy. He signed a contract until June 2017. He wore the number 10 jersey. He made his first appearance on January 12, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a game against Sassuolo.

Honda scored his first goal for Milan on January 15. It was in a Coppa Italia game against Spezia. He scored his first league goal against Genoa. In the 2014–15 season, Honda started strong. He scored Milan's first goal of the season against Lazio. He also scored two goals against Verona in October 2014. On May 21, 2017, Honda scored a free kick against Bologna. This win helped Milan qualify for the Europa League.

Later Club Adventures

After Milan, Honda played for several clubs around the world.

• In July 2017, he joined Mexican club Pachuca. He scored in his first game for them.
• In August 2018, he moved to Australia. He signed with A-League team Melbourne Victory. He scored in his first A-League game. He left the club in May 2019.
• In November 2019, he signed with Eredivisie club Vitesse in the Netherlands. He played only four games before leaving.
• In January 2020, Honda joined Brazilian club Botafogo. He scored his first goal from a penalty kick in March. He left the club in December 2020.
• In February 2021, he tried to join Portuguese club Portimonense. But the deal did not work out.
• In March 2021, Honda joined Azerbaijan Premier League club Neftçi PFK. He helped them win the Azerbaijan Premier League title. He left Neftçi in June 2021.
• In September 2021, he joined Lithuanian club Sūduva.
• After a break, Honda returned to playing in July 2024. He joined Bhutan Premier League team Paro FC.

International Career for Japan

Youth and Early Senior Games

Honda played for Japan's youth teams. He was part of the U-20 team in 2005. He also played for the U-23 team. This team qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He played his first game for the senior Japan team on June 22, 2008. It was a World Cup qualifier against Bahrain. He scored his first goal for Japan on May 27, 2009. This was in a friendly game against Chile. He earned the nickname "Emperor Keisuke" from fans. He scored 37 goals in 98 games for Japan.

2010 FIFA World Cup Success

Honda playing for Japan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Honda became very well known during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored the only goal in Japan's first game against Cameroon. This earned him the "Man of the Match" award. It was Japan's first World Cup win on foreign soil.

In the game against Denmark, he scored a fantastic free kick. He also helped Shinji Okazaki score another goal. Japan won 3–1 and moved to the next stage. Honda was again named "Man of the Match". Japan was later knocked out by Paraguay in a penalty shootout.

Winning the 2011 AFC Asian Cup

Honda was part of the team for 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 game.

Japan won the Asian Cup, their fourth title. Honda was named the "Most Valuable Player" of the tournament.

Qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Honda played a big role in Japan's qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On June 3, 2012, he scored a great goal against Oman. Japan won 3–0. On June 8, 2012, he scored three goals against Jordan. Japan won that game 6–0.

On June 4, 2013, Japan needed a draw against Australia to qualify. Honda scored a penalty kick in extra time. The game ended 1–1. This result secured Japan's spot in the World Cup in Brazil.

2014 FIFA World Cup Performance

In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Japan was in Group C. They played against Colombia, Greece, and Ivory Coast. In Japan's first game against Ivory Coast, Honda scored a goal. This made him the first Japanese player to score in two World Cups. He also became Japan's top scorer in World Cup history with three goals. Japan lost that game 2–1.

2015 AFC Asian Cup and Beyond

Honda was in Japan's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. He scored a penalty in their 4–0 win against Palestine. He scored another penalty against Iraq. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the United Arab Emirates in a penalty shootout. Honda missed his penalty kick.

2018 FIFA World Cup and Retirement

On June 24, 2018, Honda scored a goal against Senegal in the group stages. This goal made him the top-scoring Asian player in World Cup history. He also became the only player to score and assist in three different World Cups. After Japan was eliminated, Honda announced he would retire from international football.

Managerial Career

Leading Cambodia's National Team

Honda managing Cambodia against Iran in 2019

In August 2018, while still playing, Honda became the general manager of Cambodia. He held weekly meetings with the coaching staff. He was on the sidelines for Cambodia's games during international breaks. His assistant, Felix Dalmas, took over when Honda was busy.

His first game as manager was a 3–1 loss to Malaysia. Cambodia finished last in their World Cup qualifying group. They had some tough losses, including 14–0 and 10–0 to Iran. In January 2023, it was announced that the 2022 AFF Championship would be his last tournament with the team. He helped Cambodia achieve their best result in the tournament with two wins. Honda also managed the Cambodia U-23 team in the 2023 SEA Games. However, his team did not make it out of the group stage.

Personal Life

Keisuke Honda comes from a family of athletes. His older brother was also a footballer. His great-uncle, Daisaburo Honda, was an Olympic canoeist in 1964. His cousin, Tamon Honda, is a professional wrestler. Tamon also competed in three Olympic Games as a freestyle wrestler.

Keisuke Honda is married to Misako. They knew each other since high school. They have three children.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

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

List of international goals scored by Keisuke Honda

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 May 2009	JPN Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan	Chile	4–0	4–0	Friendly
2	10 October 2009	JPN Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan	Scotland	2–0	2–0	Friendly
3	14 October 2009	JPN Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan	Togo	5–0	5–0	Friendly
4	3 March 2010	JPN Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	Bahrain	2–0	2–0	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
5	14 June 2010	RSA Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	Cameroon	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup
6	24 June 2010	RSA Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa	Denmark	1–0	3–1	2010 FIFA World Cup
7	13 January 2011	QAT Qatar SC Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Syria	2–1	2–1	2011 AFC Asian Cup
8	10 August 2011	JPN Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan	South Korea	2–0	3–0	Friendly
9	3 June 2012	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Oman	1–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	8 June 2012	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Jordan	2–0	6–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11				3–0
12				5–0
13	6 February 2013	JPN Home's Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan	Latvia	2–0	3–0	Friendly
14	4 June 2013	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Australia	1–1	1–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	19 June 2013	BRA Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil	Italy	1–0	3–4	2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
16	14 August 2013	JPN Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan	Uruguay	2–4	2–4	Friendly
17	6 September 2013	JPN Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan	Guatemala	1–0	3–0	Friendly
18	10 September 2013	JPN International Stadium Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan	Ghana	3–1	3–1	Friendly
19	16 November 2013	BEL Cristal Arena, Genk, Belgium	Netherlands	2–2	2–2	Friendly
20	19 November 2013	BEL King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2–1	3–2	Friendly
21	7 June 2014	USA Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States	Zambia	1–2	4–3	Friendly
22				3–2
23	14 June 2014	BRA Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil	Ivory Coast	1–0	1–2	2014 FIFA World Cup
24	14 November 2014	JPN Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	Honduras	2–0	6–0	Friendly
25	12 January 2015	AUS Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia	[[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]	3–0	4–0	2015 AFC Asian Cup
26	16 January 2015	AUS Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia	Iraq	1–0	1–0	2015 AFC Asian Cup
27	20 January 2015	AUS Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia	Jordan	1–0	2–0	2015 AFC Asian Cup
28	27 March 2015	JPN Ōita Bank Dome, Ōita, Japan	Tunisia	2–0	2–0	Friendly
29	11 June 2015	JPN Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan	Iraq	1–0	4–0	Friendly
30	3 September 2015	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Cambodia	1–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
31	8 September 2015	IRN Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Afghanistan	6–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
32	8 October 2015	OMA Seeb Stadium, Seeb, Oman	Syria	1–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
33	12 November 2015	SIN National Stadium, Singapore	Singapore	2–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
34	17 November 2015	CAM Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia	Cambodia	2–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
35	29 March 2016	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Syria	3–0	5–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
36	1 September 2016	JPN Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	United Arab Emirates	1–0	1–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
37	24 June 2018	RUS Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, Russia	Senegal	2–2	2–2	2018 FIFA World Cup

Managerial Record

Awards and Achievements

VVV-Venlo

• Eerste Divisie: 2008–09 (Second Division Champions)

CSKA Moscow

• Russian Premier League: 2012–13 (Top League Champions)
• Russian Cup: 2010–11, 2012–13
• Russian Super Cup: 2013

Milan

• Supercoppa Italiana: 2016 (Italian Super Cup)

Neftçi PFK

• Azerbaijan Premier League: 2020–21 (Top League Champions)

Paro FC

• Bhutan Premier League: 2024 (Top League Champions)

Japan National Team

• AFC Asian Cup: 2011

Individual Awards

Honda's footprint on display at the main lobby of J-Village

• Eerste Divisie Player of the Year: 2008–09
• Japanese Footballer of the Year: 2010
• AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player: 2011
• AFC Asian Cup Quality Player: 2011
• Best Footballer in Asia: 2013
• AFC Asian Cup Fans' All-time XI: 2018
• IFFHS Men's Team of the Decade (AFC): 2011–2020
• AFC Opta All-time XI at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
• AFC Fans' All-time XI at the FIFA World Cup: 2020
• AFC Asian Cup All-time XI: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Keisuke Honda para niños