Keisuke Honda

Age40

PositionAttacking Midfielder

Nationality🇯🇵 Japanese

StatusRetired

About Keisuke Honda

Keisuke Honda is a retired Japanese Attacking Midfielder born on June 13, 1986. During a career spanning 17 years across 10 clubs, Keisuke Honda carved out a memorable legacy in the world of football. Their journey through various leagues and countries tells the story of a player who left a lasting mark on the beautiful game.

Career Journey

Keisuke Honda began their professional career at Nagoya Grampus Eight in 2005. Over the course of 17 years, they went on to play for 10 different clubs across 9 countries, experiencing football in diverse leagues and cultures. Their longest spell was at CSKA Moscow, where they spent 4 years. Throughout their career, Keisuke Honda played football in Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, Italy, Russia, Japan, gaining international experience that few players can match.

Playing Style & Position

Keisuke Honda plays as a Attacking Midfielder, the engine room of any team. Midfielders are the most tactically versatile players on the pitch, required to contribute to both attack and defense while controlling the tempo of the game. The career trajectory of a midfielder often reveals the tactical demands of different leagues — from the technical precision required in La Liga to the high-intensity pressing of the Premier League. Their journey across clubs and countries showcases how the midfield role adapts to different football philosophies and coaching systems.

Historical Context

Born in 1986, Keisuke Honda grew up during the golden age of football broadcasting and the rise of the Champions League era. The late 1980s and 1990s saw an explosion in football's global popularity, driven by iconic World Cup tournaments and the transformation of European club competitions. Players born in this decade came of age as football became a truly global industry, with transfer fees reaching unprecedented levels and the sport's tactical landscape being reshaped by pioneers like Arrigo Sacchi, Johan Cruyff, and Sir Alex Ferguson.

Career Timeline

FK Suduva

2021 — 2022🇱🇹 Lithuania

Neftchi Baku

2021 — 2021🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

Botafogo

2020 — 2020🇧🇷 Brazil

Vitesse

2019 — 2019🇳🇱 Netherlands

Melbourne Victory

2018 — 2019🇦🇺 Australia

Pachuca

2017 — 2018🇲🇽 Mexico

AC Milan

2014 — 2017🇮🇹 Italy

CSKA Moscow

2010 — 2014🇷🇺 Russia

VVV-Venlo

2008 — 2009🇳🇱 Netherlands

Nagoya Grampus Eight

2005 — 2007🇯🇵 Japan

Career Statistics

142

Goals

Assists

567

Matches Played

Scout's notes

The clues Daily Play reveals, in order, to anyone trying to name Keisuke Honda.

Clue 1Nicknamed 'The Emperor' or 'Emperor Keisuke'.
Clue 2Represented Japan in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018).
Clue 3Played for major European clubs like CSKA Moscow and AC Milan.
Clue 4He is the only Japanese player to score in three different World Cups.

Fun Facts

1He is the first professional player to score a goal on six different continents.

2He founded his own player representation agency and a network of football schools.

3Besides playing, he has served as coach and general manager for the Cambodia national team.

Test Your Football Knowledge

How well do you really know Keisuke Honda's career? In Daily Play, mystery players are revealed through their career timeline — clubs, dates, and country flags. The challenge is to identify the player before your attempts run out. With 10 clubs across 9 countries, Keisuke Honda's career makes for a moderate challenge in our daily football trivia game.

Think you can guess this player?

Put your football knowledge to the test in our daily trivia game. Study the career clues and figure out who the mystery player is.

Play Now →