Japanese international Yuki Nagasato announces retirement.

The Japanese World Cup winner Yuki Nagasato, who made groundbreaking history by playing for a senior men’s team in 2020, has announced her retirement from football.

The 37-year-old striker debuted in 2002 for Nippon TV Beleza in the Nadeshiko League. She went on to win six league titles with the club as well as becoming the top goal scorer in 2006.

Nagasato left Japan in 2009 for a move to Germany where she signed for FFC Turbine Potsdam. The striker had another successful run whilst in Germany as she picked up the Bundesliga leading goal scorer award as well as winning the UEFA Champions league.

After all her success she was brought over to the English Women’s super league club Chelsea in 2013, where she made 18 appearances and got five goals for the club.

After two years Nagasato left England to return to Germany to play for Wolfsburg as she believed it would strengthen her ahead of the 2015 World Cup. The same season she joined UEFA Champions League winners Frankfurt.

Yuki spent her last playing years over in the States she played for multiple clubs such as Chicago Red Stars, Brisbane Roarand Racing Louisville FC. The 37-year-old hung up her boots for the last time on March 4th 2025 whilst playing for Houston Dash.

Yuki Nagasato famously made history on September 10th 2020 as she became the first woman to play a men’s team. She joined Hayabusa Eleven in Kanagawa Prefecture League on loan until the start of 2021.