Masahiro Fukuda facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Masahiro Fukuda | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | December 27, 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1984 | Sagami Institute of Technology High School | ||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1988 | Chuo University | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1989–2002 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 287 | (143) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 287 | (143) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | Japan | 45 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Masahiro Fukuda (福田 正博, Fukuda Masahiro, born December 27, 1966) is a famous former Japanese football player. He was known for playing as a forward, scoring many goals for his team. He also played for the Japan national team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Masahiro Fukuda started playing football in high school and college. After finishing his studies, he joined a football club called Mitsubishi Motors in 1989. This team played in the Japan Soccer League Division 2. In his very first season, he scored an amazing 36 goals! This helped his team move up to Division 1.
Becoming a Professional Player
In the early 1990s, Japan started its first professional football league, called the J1 League. Mitsubishi Motors became the Urawa Red Diamonds team. Fukuda continued to play for them as a professional.
First J1 League Goal
On June 9, 1993, Fukuda scored his first goal in the J1 League. It was against the Kashima Antlers team. All his teammates, except the goalkeeper, rushed to celebrate with him. While they were celebrating, the referee allowed the other team to restart the game. Kashima's player, Hisashi Kurosaki, quickly scored a goal right away!
Top Scorer and "Mr. Reds"
In the 1995 season, Fukuda was incredible, scoring 32 goals. This made him the top scorer in the J.League that year! He was also chosen as one of the best players in the league, making the J.League Best XI team.
In 1998, his team, Urawa, was in danger of being moved down to a lower league. They needed to win their last match in the normal 90 minutes to stay in the J1 League. The league had a special rule then: if a game was tied after 90 minutes, they played extra time with a "golden goal" rule. If a team scored, they won instantly. Urawa didn't win in the first 90 minutes, so the players knew they were already relegated. Fukuda scored the golden goal in extra time. Fans still remember it as the "saddest golden goal in the world" because it didn't save their team from relegation.
Fukuda played his entire professional club career with just one team, Urawa Red Diamonds. He was so important to the club that fans called him "Mr. Reds." He stopped playing football after the 2002 season. In early 2003, a special farewell match was held for him at Saitama Stadium. More than 50,000 fans came to say goodbye.
Playing for Japan
Early International Games
Masahiro Fukuda played for the Japan national team from 1990 to 1995. He played 45 games and scored 9 goals for his country. His first game for Japan was on July 27, 1990, against South Korea. He scored his first goal for Japan on August 24, 1992, against China. Both of these games were in Beijing.
Asian Cup Victory
Fukuda was part of the Japan team that won the 1992 Asian Cup. This was a big achievement for Japanese football! He played in 4 games during the tournament and scored one important goal in the semi-final match against China.
The "Agony of Doha"
Under coach Hans Ooft, Japan tried to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Fukuda came into the last qualifying game against Iraq in the 59th minute. Japan was winning, but Iraq scored a goal in the very last moments of the game. This meant Japan did not qualify for the World Cup. Japanese fans remember this match as the "Agony of Doha" because it was such a heartbreaking moment.
Life After Football
After retiring from playing, Masahiro Fukuda became a football commentator. He also writes columns for different programs and magazines. In 2007, he earned a special coaching license that allows him to manage a J.League club. He worked as an assistant coach for Urawa Red Diamonds from 2008 to 2010.
Club Statistics
Here's a look at Masahiro Fukuda's playing record for his clubs:
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1989/90 | Mitsubishi Motors | JSL Division 2 | 26 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 36 |
| 1990/91 | JSL Division 1 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | |
| 1991/92 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 9 | ||
| 1992 | Urawa Red Diamonds | J1 League | - | 4 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 6 | |
| 1993 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 | ||
| 1994 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | ||
| 1995 | 50 | 32 | 3 | 2 | - | 53 | 34 | |||
| 1996 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 7 | ||
| 1997 | 29 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 25 | ||
| 1998 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 11 | ||
| 1999 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 14 | ||
| 2000 | J2 League | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2001 | J1 League | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 37 | 4 | ||
| Total | 287 | 143 | 27 | 16 | 41 | 13 | 355 | 172 | ||
National Team Statistics
Here's how many games Masahiro Fukuda played and goals he scored for the Japan national team:
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1990 | 5 | 0 |
| 1991 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 8 | 3 |
| 1993 | 15 | 3 |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 15 | 3 |
| Total | 45 | 9 |
Awards and Achievements
Individual Honors
- J.League Top Scorer: 1995 (He scored the most goals in the league!)
- J.League Best XI: 1995 (He was chosen as one of the best 11 players in the league.)
- AFC Player of the Month: 1995
- Urawa Red Diamonds Top Scorer: 152 (He scored the most goals ever for his club!)
Team Honors
- 1992 Asian Cup (Champions) (His team won this big tournament!)
See also
In Spanish: Masahiro Fukuda para niños
