Maya Yoshida facts for kids

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Maya Yoshida
吉田麻也

Personal information

Date of birth

24 August 1988 (age 36)

Place of birth

Nagasaki, Japan

Height

1.89 m

Playing position

Centre back

Club information

Current club

LA Galaxy

Number

Youth career

2001–2006

Nagoya Grampus

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2007–2010

Nagoya Grampus

(5)

2010–2012

VVV-Venlo

(5)

2012–2020

Southampton

154

(6)

2020

→ Sampdoria (loan)

(0)

2020–2022

Sampdoria

(3)

2022−2023

Schalke 04

(0)

2023–

LA Galaxy

(3)

National team^‡

2008

Japan U23

(1)

2012–2021

Japan Olympic (O.P.)

2010–2022

Japan

126

(12)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Winner	2011 Qatar
Runner-up	2019 United Arab Emirates

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 October 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 December 2022

Maya Yoshida (born 24 August 1988) is a Japanese professional footballer. He is the captain and plays as a centre-back for the Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.

Yoshida used to play for the Japan national team and appeared in over 120 games. He was part of Japan's teams for the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also played in the AFC Asian Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2019. Japan won the Asian Cup in 2011 and was runner-up in 2019. Yoshida also played for Japan's Olympic football team in the 2008, 2012, and 2020 Olympic Games.

Club Career Highlights
International Career
- Youth and Olympic Teams
- Senior National Team
Personal Life and Interests
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Honours
See also

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Japan: Nagoya Grampus

Maya Yoshida began playing football in his hometown of Nagasaki, Japan. His older brother helped him find the youth team for Nagoya Grampus, which he joined. Maya moved to Nagoya to be closer to his team and attended Toyota High School.

After five years in the youth academy, he joined the main team in 2007. Yoshida started as a defensive midfielder but later became a centre-back. He made his first team debut on 3 May 2007. On 5 November 2007, he scored his first goal for the club.

In 2008, Yoshida became a regular starter, playing alongside Miloš Bajalica. He helped Nagoya Grampus have a great start to the season. He also won the Rookie of the Year award for his strong performance.

In 2009, Yoshida scored Nagoya Grampus's first-ever goal in the AFC Champions League. He continued to be a key player, scoring several goals throughout the season. He helped his team reach the Emperor's Cup Final, which was his last game for the club.

Moving to Europe: VVV-Venlo

Yoshida during his time at VVV-Venlo.

In December 2009, Yoshida moved to the Dutch club VVV-Venlo. He had always wanted to play in Europe. His former teammate, Keisuke Honda, who also played for VVV-Venlo, helped him with the move.

Yoshida's start was tough because he fractured his foot and missed the rest of the 2009–10 season. He finally made his debut on 30 October 2010. After playing for Japan in the Asian Cup, he returned to VVV-Venlo and helped them avoid relegation.

In the 2011–12 season, Yoshida continued to be a strong centre-back. He scored an amazing bicycle kick goal on 11 September 2011, which was named the "Goal of the Season" in the Eredivisie. He scored four more goals that season and again helped his team stay in the top league.

Playing in England: Southampton

Yoshida playing for Southampton in 2017.

On 30 August 2012, Yoshida joined Premier League team Southampton. He believed moving to England would help him grow as a player. He made his debut on 15 September 2012.

Yoshida quickly became a regular starter for Southampton, playing as a centre-back. He helped the team avoid relegation in his first season. In the 2013–14 season, his playing time was less, but he scored his first goal for Southampton in November 2013.

In the 2014–15 season, Yoshida played more often after a teammate left. He signed a new contract with Southampton until 2018. He helped the club finish seventh in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

For the 2015–16 season, Yoshida helped Southampton keep clean sheets in the Europa League qualifiers. He scored two goals that season, helping the club finish sixth in the league.

In the 2016–17 season, Yoshida became a backup player but still played in the Europa League. He scored his first goal of the season in January 2017 and dedicated it to his new baby daughter. He also captained Southampton for the first time. Yoshida helped Southampton reach the EFL Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United. He made his 100th appearance for Southampton, becoming the first Japanese player to do so in the Premier League.

In the 2017–18 season, Yoshida signed another contract extension until 2020. He scored two goals that season. Despite some injuries, he helped Southampton avoid relegation from the Premier League.

In the 2018–19 season, Yoshida's playing time was limited at first. However, he later regained his spot and helped Southampton avoid relegation again. He left the club in June 2020 after eight years.

Italy and Germany: Sampdoria and Schalke 04

On 31 January 2020, Yoshida joined Serie A team Sampdoria on loan. He quickly became a fan favorite. After the loan, he signed a permanent contract with Sampdoria. He scored his first goal for the club in January 2021.

In the 2021–22 season, Yoshida continued to play regularly and scored two goals. He left Sampdoria in June 2022.

On 5 July 2022, Yoshida joined German club Schalke 04 on a free transfer. He became the third Japanese defender to play for Schalke. He was given the number 22 shirt, which was worn by his friend Atsuto Uchida. Yoshida became a first-choice centre-back and even captained the team. Despite some criticism, he helped Schalke 04 improve their results. He left the club after his contract ended in 2023.

United States: LA Galaxy

On 3 August 2023, Yoshida joined Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. He made his debut on 26 August 2023, helping the team keep a clean sheet. He quickly became a regular starter.

He scored his first goal for LA Galaxy on 16 September 2023. Yoshida also captained the team for the first time in September 2023. In 2024, he was named the new captain of LA Galaxy. He scored two goals early in the 2024 season.

International Career

Youth and Olympic Teams

Yoshida first played for Japan's U-23 team in April 2008. He played in the Toulon Tournament and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Four years later, he was called up again for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was named captain and helped Japan's U-23 team reach the semi-finals. He scored his first goal in the tournament against Egypt. Japan finished fourth, which was their best result in 44 years.

In 2021, Yoshida played in his third Olympic tournament in Tokyo, Japan. He was again the captain. He led Japan to win all their group stage matches. In the quarter-finals, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout against New Zealand. Japan lost in the semi-finals and the bronze medal match, but Yoshida was proud of his team.

Senior National Team

Yoshida and Neymar during a match between Brazil and Japan in 2013.

Yoshida was first called up to the senior national team in December 2009. He made his debut on 6 January 2010.

In December 2010, Yoshida was part of Japan's team for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. He scored his first goal for Japan in a 1–1 draw against Jordan. He played in the final against Australia, where Japan won 1–0 to become champions of the AFC Asian Cup.

Yoshida helped Japan qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He played in all three group stage matches, but Japan was eliminated.

In December 2014, he was selected for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. He scored a goal in Japan's opening match. Japan reached the quarter-finals but lost in a penalty shootout.

Yoshida playing for Japan against Belgium in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Throughout the World Cup qualifying rounds, Yoshida scored several goals and helped Japan keep many clean sheets. In March 2017, he captained Japan for the first time and helped them beat UAE. Japan qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In the 2018 World Cup, Yoshida played every minute of Japan's matches. Japan was knocked out in the round of 16 after a close 3–2 loss to Belgium. His performance earned praise from the media.

Yoshida during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final.

In December 2018, Yoshida was named captain for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He led Japan all the way to the final, keeping four clean sheets. However, Japan lost 3–1 to Qatar in the final.

Yoshida continued to captain Japan in 2019 and scored a goal against Mongolia. In November 2019, he played his 100th match for Japan. He led Japan to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In the 2022 World Cup, Yoshida was again the captain. He played all three group matches, helping Japan reach the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Japan lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout, where Yoshida missed his penalty. After the World Cup, Yoshida hinted that he might retire from international football.

Personal Life and Interests

Maya Yoshida has two brothers, Mirei and Honami. He says his older brother, Honami, was very important in starting his football career. His parents originally planned to name him "Maya" if he was a girl, but they kept the name even when he was born a boy.

Yoshida got married in 2012 and became a father to a baby daughter four years later. While playing for Southampton, he lived in Winchester, England. He even said he felt "25 percent English" after living there for seven years.

His family runs a special boarding house in Nagasaki for children who need support to go to high school. Growing up, Yoshida loved the anime and manga series Dragon Ball Z. He used to have a big collection of Dragon Ball Z items, but his father gave them to charity. Yoshida says this taught him to be generous and help others.

In 2007, Yoshida started working with a sports agent, Tetsuro Kiyooka, to help him move to Europe. After moving, he started a blog to share his experiences. Being from Nagasaki, he often speaks about the Atomic bombings on their anniversary.

In May 2018, Yoshida published his first book called Unbeatable Mind. He speaks Japanese, English, Italian, and Spanish. He learned English in middle school and became fluent in Italian by 2020.

Yoshida was featured on the cover of the Japanese edition of the video game FIFA 14. He considers Atsuto Uchida his best friend and rival. He is also friends with Eiji Kawashima. Yoshida's uncle, Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi, was a professional baseball player.

In 2019, Yoshida pledged one percent of his salary to the Saints Foundation, a charity connected to Southampton FC. He also became an ambassador for the foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoshida urged people to stay home and even bought 10,000 masks from Japan to donate to hospitals in Italy.

In June 2022, Yoshida became the president of the Japan Professional Soccer Players Association. He started a new award called the JPFA Award.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nagoya Grampus	2007	J1 League	19	0	2	1	3	0	—		—		24	1
	2008	J1 League	22	1	3	1	4	0	—		—		29	2
	2009	J1 League	30	4	6	1	1	1	11	2	—		48	8
	Total		71	5	11	3	8	1	11	2	—		101	11
VVV-Venlo	2009–10	Eredivisie	0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
	2010–11	Eredivisie	20	0	0	0	—		—		4	0	24	0
	2011–12	Eredivisie	32	5	1	0	—		—		4	0	37	5
	2012–13	Eredivisie	2	0	—		—		—		—		2	0
	Total		54	5	1	0	—		—		8	0	63	5
Southampton	2012–13	Premier League	32	0	1	0	1	0	—		—		34	0
	2013–14	Premier League	8	1	3	0	3	1	—		—		14	2
	2014–15	Premier League	22	1	0	0	1	0	—		—		23	1
	2015–16	Premier League	20	1	1	0	2	1	4	0	—		27	2
	2016–17	Premier League	23	1	2	1	6	0	6	0	—		37	2
	2017–18	Premier League	24	2	3	0	1	0	—		—		28	2
	2018–19	Premier League	17	0	0	0	3	0	—		—		20	0
	2019–20	Premier League	8	0	1	0	2	0	—		—		11	0
	Total		154	6	11	1	19	2	10	0	—		194	9
Sampdoria (loan)	2019–20	Serie A	14!!0	0	0	—		—		—		14!!0
Sampdoria	2020–21	Serie A	32!!1	2!!0	—		—		—		34!!1
	2021–22	Serie A	26!!2	0!!0	—		—		—		26!!2
	Total		72	3	2	0	—		—		—		74	3
Schalke 04	2022–23	Bundesliga	29!!0	2!!0	—		—		—		31!!0
LA Galaxy	2023	Major League Soccer	12!!1	—		—		—		—		12!!1
	2024	Major League Soccer	34!!2	—		—		—		7!!0	41!!2
	Total		46	3	—		—		—		7	0	53	3
Career total			426	22	27	4	27	3	21	2	15	0	516	31

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan	2010	1	0
	2011	12	2
	2012	9	0
	2013	15	0
	2014	11	1
	2015	13	3
	2016	10	3
	2017	9	1
	2018	9	0
	2019	11	1
	2020	4	0
	2021	9	0
	2022	13	1
Total		126	12

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

List of international goals scored by Maya Yoshida
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 January 2011	Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	2	Jordan	1–1	1–1	2011 AFC Asian Cup
2	2 September 2011	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	9	North Korea	1–0	1–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	14 November 2014	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	47	Honduras	1–0	6–0	Friendly
4	12 January 2015	Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia	49	[[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}\|Palestinian National Authority]]	4–0	4–0	2015 AFC Asian Cup
5	3 September 2015	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	56	Cambodia	2–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	12 November 2015	National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore	60	Singapore	3–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	24 March 2016	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	62	Afghanistan	3–0	5–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	3 June 2016	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	64	Bulgaria	4–0	7–2	2016 Kirin Cup
9	3 June 2016	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	64	Bulgaria	5–0	7–2	2016 Kirin Cup
10	28 March 2017	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	73	Thailand	4–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	10 October 2019	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	98	Mongolia	2–0	6–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	29 March 2022	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	115	Vietnam	1–1	1–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification