Mana Iwabuchi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mana Iwabuchi
岩渕 真奈

Iwabuchi with Japan in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1993-03-18) 18 March 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.56 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
2005–2007	Nippon TV Beleza
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–2012	Nippon TV Beleza	64	(30)
2012–2014	1899 Hoffenheim	30	(10)
2014–2017	Bayern Munich	24	(5)
2017–2020	INAC Kobe Leonessa	47	(11)
2020–2021	Aston Villa	13	(2)
2021–2023	Arsenal	14	(1)
2023	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	13	(1)
National team‡
2007–2008	Japan U17	7	(3)
2009–2010	Japan U20	7	(6)
2010–2023	Japan	89	(37)
Honours Representing  Japan Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2011 Germany Silver 2015 Canada AFC Women's Asian Cup Gold 2018 Jordan Asian Games Gold 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Team AFC U-19 Women's Championship Gold 2009 China AFC U-16 Women's Championship Silver 2007 Malaysia
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 June 2023. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:39, 1 September 2023 (UTC)

Mana Iwabuchi (born March 18, 1993) is a Japanese former professional footballer. She played as a forward or attacking midfielder. Mana was known for her amazing skills and ball control. She was nicknamed Manadona in Japan, like the famous player Diego Maradona.

Mana played for many top clubs, including Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, 1899 Hoffenheim, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur. She also played for the Japan national team from a young age.

She helped Japan win the World Cup in 2011 when she was just 18. She also won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. Mana Iwabuchi retired from professional football on September 1, 2023.

Early Life and Football Start

Mana Iwabuchi was born and grew up in Musashino, Japan. She started playing football at age six. At first, she also took piano and ballet lessons. But her older brother, Ryota, and his football coach kept asking her to join their team.

When she was eight, Mana joined her brother's local club, Sekimae SC. Her talent was clear right away. She was even invited to train with the older boys. The club was originally called 'Sekimae Boys Soccer Club'. But because Mana was the first girl to join, they changed the name to 'Sekimae Soccer Club'.

A famous Japanese actor, Ryo Ryusei, was her teammate back then. He later said that Mana could easily dribble past boys. He even joked that watching her play made him realize he wouldn't be good enough to be a professional footballer. Mana's older brother, Ryota, is also a professional footballer.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Nippon TV Beleza

At just 14 years old, Mana made her debut for Nippon TV Beleza. This was in Japan's top women's football league in 2007. The next year, she became a key player for the team. She won the Best Young Player award for 2008.

In 2010, Mana scored a winning goal in the final minute of the Nadeshiko League Cup. This helped her team win 3–2. She was named the tournament's best player. The next season, at 17, she took over the number 10 jersey from the famous player Homare Sawa. In 2011, Mana was her team's top scorer. She also won the Most Hardworking Player award.

Moving to Germany: Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich

In 2012, Mana moved to Germany to play for 1899 Hoffenheim. She chose the number 28 shirt, which was her first number as a pro player in Japan. She scored her first goal for Hoffenheim in March 2013. Her team won their division and moved up to the top league, the Bundesliga.

In the next season (2013–14), Mana scored Hoffenheim's first goal ever in the Bundesliga. She even scored two goals and made an assist against Bayern Munich. This helped Hoffenheim win and stay in the league.

In 2014, Mana joined Bayern Munich. She helped them win the Bundesliga title in her first season. They didn't lose any games that year. She helped them win the title again in 2016. In 2017, she left Bayern to go back to Japan to recover from an injury.

Back in Japan: INAC Kobe Leonessa

In 2017, Mana signed with INAC Kobe Leonessa. Many people were surprised because this team was a big rival of her old club, NTV Beleza. But Mana wanted to play for manager Takeo Matsuda again. He had coached her when she was younger.

She made her return to the Japanese league in September 2017. She scored her first goal for the club in November. In 2020, she reached 100 games in the Nadeshiko League. She was also made captain in her last season with the team.

Playing in England: Aston Villa and Arsenal

Mana returned to Europe in 2021, joining Aston Villa in England. The club saw her as a very important signing. Mana herself was excited to play in what she called "the most attractive league in the world." She scored her first goal and made an assist for Aston Villa in January 2021. She also scored a powerful goal from far away against Tottenham Hotspur, which was nominated for Goal of the Season.

After her contract with Aston Villa ended, Mana joined Arsenal in May 2021. Arsenal had tried to sign her before. She scored her first goal for Arsenal in her very first game, in the Champions League. In her second game, she scored twice. One of her goals won the club's Goal of the Month award. She scored her first league goal for Arsenal against her old team, Aston Villa. Mana left Arsenal in June 2023.

Loan to Tottenham Hotspur

In January 2023, Mana joined Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Arsenal. She played three games in the league. She scored her first goal for Tottenham in an FA Cup game in January 2023.

International Career for Japan

Youth Team Success

Mana started playing for the Japan U-17 national team when she was 15, in 2008. At the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, she won the Golden Ball award as the best player. This was the first time a Japanese player won this award in a FIFA event. A French coach even called her a "future star."

In 2009, Mana helped the Young Nadeshiko (Japan's U-20 team) win the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship. She scored important goals, including the winning goal in the final. She was the top scorer and won the MVP award again. Because of her great play, she was named the Asian Young Footballer of the Year in both 2008 and 2009. She was even nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2009, which was a huge honor.

Senior Team Achievements

Mana made her debut for the Japan women's national football team in February 2010. She was only 16 years old. A few days later, she scored her first two goals for Japan. She said she wanted to be like Lionel Messi, who is small but amazing at dribbling. Japan won that championship, and Mana was a top scorer.

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup In 2011, Mana was the youngest player on Japan's team for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in almost every game. Japan made history by winning the World Cup for the first time! They beat the United States in the final. This win brought a lot of joy to Japan, which was recovering from a big earthquake and tsunami. The whole team received a special award from the Prime Minister of Japan. Mana was the youngest person ever to receive this award as part of a team.

2012 Summer Olympics Mana played in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Japan reached the gold medal match again, facing the United States. Mana came on as a substitute. She had a chance to score and tie the game, but the US goalkeeper saved her shot. Japan won a silver medal. Mana later said she kept a picture of that moment on her computer to remind her to work harder.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup In 2015, Mana was again the youngest player on Japan's World Cup team. She played a big role as a substitute, helping Japan win close games. She scored her first World Cup goal in the quarter-finals against Australia. Japan finished as runners-up, losing to the USA in the final.

Becoming a Team Leader After the 2016 Olympics, many older players retired from the national team. Mana was seen as the new star and leader for Japan. She stepped up to the challenge.

At the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup, Mana played every minute of all five games. She scored two goals and helped Japan win the championship. She was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament. Later that year, she helped Japan win a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Mana played in her third World Cup in 2019. She scored Japan's first goal of the tournament against Scotland and was named Player of the Match. Japan reached the Round of 16 but lost to the Netherlands.

In December 2019, Mana was captain for the first time at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship. She scored five goals, including three against China. She was the top scorer and led Japan to win the title.

2020 Summer Olympics At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan, Mana wore the number 10 jersey, like her idol Homare Sawa. In the first game, she scored a late goal to tie the game against Canada. This goal meant she had scored in five international matches in a row, breaking a record. Japan lost in the quarter-finals to Sweden.

Mana believes that Japanese players should play overseas to get better. She said that playing in England was fun and hoped it would encourage more Japanese players to try it. By February 2022, she had played 85 games and scored 37 goals for Japan. This made her Japan's sixth-highest goal scorer.

How Mana Played Football

Iwabuchi is known to drop deep, link-up with midfielders, orchestrate attacking plays, and create goal-scoring opportunities.

Mana Iwabuchi was a very flexible player. She could play as a midfielder or a forward. She often played as an attacking midfielder or a deep-lying forward. This meant she could drop back to get the ball and help connect plays. She was good at moving around the field and creating space for her teammates. Her great vision and passing skills helped her set up goals for others. She also played on the left-wing because she was fast and good at dribbling. She could beat defenders and then shoot.

Even though she wasn't very tall or strong, Mana was praised for her shooting, especially from outside the box. She was also known for her great technique and understanding of the game. She said she wanted to play like Lionel Messi, who was her idol. She wanted to dribble past any opponent and help her teammates shine.

Iwabuchi evades Julie Ertz and Crystal Dunn in a match against the USA

Because she was small and had amazing dribbling skills, Japanese media called her the "Female Messi." Her nickname Manadona also came from comparing her to Diego Maradona. Fans and experts also compared her to former Arsenal player Santi Cazorla.

Mana was also a very hard-working team player. Her coach at Aston Villa, Marcus Bignot, said her work ethic was often overlooked. He said her hard work came naturally to her. When she had injuries, some coaches told her to change her playing style. But Mana refused, saying she would rather retire than change how she played. She worked hard to strengthen her leg muscles to support her unique style of play.

Personal Life and Friendships

Mana has an older brother, Ryota, who is also a professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Fujieda MYFC.

She is good friends with several players from the Japan men's national team. This includes Takashi Usami, who is the same age as her. They both played in Germany at the same time. Mana is also close with Takehiro Tomiyasu, an Arsenal defender and Japan international. They both joined Arsenal in 2021. Mana said it was helpful to have Tomiyasu there so she could speak Japanese and feel comfortable.

Miedema (second row, third from left) and Iwabuchi (first row, second from right) starting a match together for Bayern Munich in 2016

Mana has a long-standing friendship with her former Arsenal teammate Vivianne Miedema. They were best friends and roommates when they played for Bayern Munich. They often spoke German together, even though it wasn't their first language. Miedema said that she and Mana just "clicked" on the field.

Mana loves dogs and has two toy poodles named Coco and Lala in Japan. She wrote an autobiography called Trust yourself, be yourself! in 2021. It shares her journey as a professional footballer and her life experiences.

Honours and Awards

Nippon TV Beleza

• Nadeshiko League: 2007, 2008, 2010
• Nadeshiko League Cup: 2007, 2010, 2012
• Empress's Cup: 2008, 2009

Hoffenheim

• 2. Frauen-Bundesliga: 2012–13

Bayern Munich

• Frauen-Bundesliga: 2014–15, 2015–16

Japan U19

• AFC U-19 Women's Championship: 2009

Japan National Team

• EAFF Women's Football Championship: 2010, 2019
• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2011
• Olympic Silver Medal: 2012
• AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2018
• Asian Games: 2018

Individual Awards

• Nadeshiko League Best Young Player: 2008
• Nadeshiko League Cup MVP: 2010
• Nadeshiko League Most Hardworking Player: 2011
• Nadeshiko League Best Eleven: 2011
• Asian Young Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2009
• FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 2008
• AFC U-19 Women's Championship MVP: 2009
• AFC U-19 Women's Championship Golden Boot: 2009
• FIFA World Player of the Year Nominee: 2009
• EAFF Women's Football Championship Golden Boot: 2010, 2019
• AFC Women's Asian Cup MVP: 2018
• IFFHS AFC Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020

Images for kids

• 

  Iwabuchi signs autographs for fans after an open training session with the Japan national team in 2019

• 

  Iwabuchi wears number 10 for Japan, a number famously worn by Nadeshiko legend Homare Sawa

See also

In Spanish: Mana Iwabuchi para niños