Yasuhito Endō facts for kids
Endō playing for Japan in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yasuhito Endo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 January 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kagoshima, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Yokohama Flügels | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | 53 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2021 | Gamba Osaka | 605 | (98) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Júbilo Iwata (loan) | 50 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Júbilo Iwata | 51 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 775 | (113) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Japan U-20 | 11 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Japan U-23 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2015 | Japan | 152 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yasuhito Endō (遠藤 保仁, Endō Yasuhito, born 28 January 1980) is a famous Japanese former football player. He was a midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field.
Endō played his entire career in Japan. He spent 20 years with the team Gamba Osaka. He started playing for the Japanese national team in 2002. He played in three World Cups and three Confederations Cups. He played over 150 games for Japan, scoring 15 goals. This made him the Japanese male player with the most international games ever. He also played over 1,100 official matches in his career. He holds the record for the most games played in the J.League with 672 appearances.
His brother, Akihiro Endō, was also a football player. However, they are not related to another player named Wataru Endō.
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Yasuhito Endō's Club Career
Starting with Yokohama Flügels
Yasuhito Endō was born in Kagoshima, Japan, on January 28, 1980. After finishing high school, he joined the J1 League club Yokohama Flügels in 1998. He played his first game in March 1998. He helped his team win the 1998 Emperor's Cup. This club later closed down and joined with another team.
Moving to Kyoto Purple Sanga
In 1999, Endō moved to Kyoto Purple Sanga. He quickly became a regular player for this team. He played in many matches for them. However, the club moved down to the J2 League at the end of the 2000 season.
Becoming a Legend at Gamba Osaka
In 2001, Endō joined Gamba Osaka, another J1 League club. He was a very important player for Gamba Osaka for a long time. He played under manager Akira Nishino from 2002 to 2011. Endō was chosen for the J.League Best Eleven team for 10 years in a row!
In 2005, Gamba Osaka won the J1 League championship for the first time ever. In 2008, Gamba Osaka also won the AFC Champions League. This is a big tournament for Asian clubs. They also won the Emperor's Cup that year. Endō was named the "Japanese Footballer of the Year." In 2009, Gamba won the Emperor's Cup again. Endō was then named the Asian Footballer of the Year.
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After 2011, Gamba Osaka's performance got worse. In 2012, the team finished near the bottom and was moved down to the J2 League. But Endō stayed with Gamba. In 2013, Gamba Osaka won the J2 League championship. This meant they moved back up to J1.
In 2014, Gamba Osaka had an amazing year. They won all three major titles in Japan: the J1 League, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. Endō was named the J.League MVP and "Japanese Footballer of the Year" for the second time.
Playing for Júbilo Iwata
In October 2020, Endō joined Júbilo Iwata on loan from Gamba Osaka. A loan means he played for them for a short time. In December 2021, he officially joined Júbilo Iwata. In May 2023, Endō was named the MVP of the J.League's first 30 years.
On January 9, 2024, Yasuhito Endō announced he was retiring from professional football. He played in a record-breaking 672 J.League matches during his career.
Yasuhito Endō's International Career
Endō played in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship where Japan finished second. He became a member of the Japanese national team in 2002. He played in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cup tournaments. He also helped Japan win the 2004 and 2011 Asian Cup titles.
On June 24, 2010, Endō scored a goal from a free kick against Denmark. Japan won that game 3–1 and moved on to the next round of the World Cup.
On October 12, 2010, he played his 100th international game for Japan. This was a friendly match against South Korea. On October 16, 2012, Endō became Japan's most-capped player ever. He played his 123rd game for the national team, beating the old record of 122 games.
Endō was part of Japan's team for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. He scored the first goal for Japan in the tournament. They won that game 4–0 against Palestine. In the next game, he played his 150th match for Japan. Japan won 1–0 against Iraq. He played 152 games and scored 15 goals for Japan until 2015.
Yasuhito Endō's Playing Style
Endō is seen as a hero by fans of Gamba Osaka and the Japanese national team. He was known for playing for a very long time as a professional. He was also known for his great skills, leadership, and ability to score goals. He was especially good at taking free kicks with amazing accuracy. Many people think he was one of Japan's most creative midfielders. He is also considered one of the most talented Japanese football players of his time.
Yasuhito Endō's International Goals
Here is a list of the goals Yasuhito Endō scored for the Japanese national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
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| 1 | 20 August 2003 | National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  Nigeria |
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Friendly | |
| 2 | 7 February 2004 | Kashima Stadium, Kashima, Japan |  Malaysia |
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Friendly | |
| 3 | 7 July 2004 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan |  Serbia and Montenegro |
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Friendly | |
| 4 | 16 July 2007 | Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam |  Vietnam |
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2007 AFC Asian Cup | |
| 5 | 6 February 2008 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan |  Thailand |
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2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification | |
| 6 | 7 June 2008 | Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat, Oman |  Oman |
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2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification | |
| 7 | 6 September 2008 | Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain |  Bahrain |
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2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification | |
| 8 | 14 February 2010 | National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  South Korea |
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2010 East Asian Football Championship | |
| 9 | 24 June 2010 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa |  Denmark |
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2010 FIFA World Cup | |
| 10 | 15 August 2012 | Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan |  Venezuela |
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Friendly | |
| 11 | 6 September 2013 | Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan |  Guatemala |
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Friendly | |
| 12 | 10 September 2013 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan |  Ghana |
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Friendly | |
| 13 | 2 June 2014 | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States |  Costa Rica |
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Friendly | |
| 14 | 14 November 2014 | Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan |  Honduras |
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Friendly | |
| 15 | 12 January 2015 | Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia |  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]] |
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2015 AFC Asian Cup |
Yasuhito Endō's Awards and Trophies
Yasuhito Endō won many awards and trophies during his amazing career:
With Yokohama Flügels
- Emperor's Cup: 1998
With Gamba Osaka
- J1 League: 2005, 2014
- J2 League: 2013
- Emperor's Cup: 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015
- J.League Cup: 2007, 2014
- Japanese Super Cup: 2007, 2015
- AFC Champions League: 2008 (This is a big tournament for clubs in Asia!)
- Pan-Pacific Championship: 2008
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2008 (Bronze Medalist, meaning they finished third)
With Júbilo Iwata
- J2 League: 2021
With Japan National Team
- AFC Asian Cup: 2004, 2011 (Japan won the championship!)
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 2007
- Kirin Cup: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
Individual Awards
- Asian Footballer of the Year: 2009 (He was named the best player in Asia!)
- AFC Champions League Best Player: 2008
- J.League MVP Award: 2014 (He was the most valuable player in the J.League!)
- Japanese Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2014
- J.League Best Eleven: He was chosen for the best team in the J.League many times: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
- J.League Best XI#J.League 20th Anniversary Team
- J.League 30th Anniversary Team
- MVP of the J-League's first 30 years
See also
In Spanish: Yasuhito Endō para niños
