Keisuke Honda is a Japanese professional football player who also competes for the Mexican club “CF Pachuca” and the Japanese national team. Although he mostly plays as an attacking midfielder, he occasionally fills the position of a deep-lying playmaker. Honda was born and reared in Osaka, Japan, and as a youngster joined the junior youth team of the neighborhood club “Gamba Osaka.” But despite his best efforts, he was unable to get accepted into their kid’s program. He ultimately began his professional career in 2004 after graduating from high school with the ‘J1 League’ team Nagoya Grampus. After his excellent tenure with “Nagoya,” he gained recognition on a global scale and, in 2009, he joined the Russian team “CSKA Moscow.” He was given a free move to “AC Milan” in 2014. He thereby became one of the few footballers from Japan to play for the Italian team. As a member of the Japanese national football team, he participated in the 2005 “FIFA World Youth Championship,” two “FIFA World Cups,” and two “AFC Asian Cups.”
Early Childhood & Life
On June 13, 1986, Keisuke Honda was born in Settsu, Osaka, into a large athletic family. While growing up, his older brother also played football. Daisaburo, Keisuke’s great-uncle, was a well-known canoeist in his era, while Tamon Honda, Keisuke’s cousin, is a former Olympic wrestler. In a world where football was the most popular sport, Honda followed his older brother and picked it while growing up.
With his brother, Honda played football growing up and loved the game dearly. He made it a point to write an essay as part of a tradition at his elementary school in which he presented a detailed account of his goal to be the finest footballer in the world and for playing for a “Serie A” team. He also made sure to watch every “Serie A” game on TV. Additionally, he wanted to be on the same team as his elder brother.
He began playing football when he was 8 years old and went to a little neighborhood academy called “Settsu.” He joined the local youth club “Gamba Osaka” because he wanted to play football at a much higher level. He joined the club’s junior young team, although his focus was on the youth team. Honda, however, was consistently turned down.
He played for his school squad for two years while a student at “Seiry High School,” causing some noise in the neighborhood. He was eventually chosen to play for “Nagoya Grampus” in the “J1 League” in 2005.
The career of Keisuke Honda
Following the expiration of his contract, Honda continued to play for the “Nagoya Campus” squad for two more seasons. His performance, however, fell short of expectations. He played 90 games for his squad, but only managed to score 11 goals, raising serious doubts about his future in both the team and the game as a whole.
A Dutch team named “VVV-Venlo” approached Honda for a contract in January 2008. However, he was unlucky during this particular term as well. Within the first six months of Honda’s presence, his squad dropped in the standings and moved up to the second division. However, the team recovered and used Honda, who performed remarkably well, therefore the 2008–2009 season ended up being a little better. In his 36 games for the team, he scored 16 goals and excelled in many pivotal games.
As his team returned to the top division, the “Eredivisie,” Honda earned the nickname “Emperor Keisuke” and a large fanbase. He was wanted by the Russian team “CSKA Moscow” in late 2009. Keisuke soon agreed to a four-year contract with them.
No one party confirmed the transfer fee. Nevertheless, according to media sources, the transaction was completed at the agreed-upon cost, or roughly €6 million. This was the price that “VVV” had stated. Honda made his Moscow debut against Sevilla in a UEFA Championship League game. Honda scored the inaugural league goal in March 2010 while competing against “Amkar Perm.”
In May 2011, he scored two goals against “Alania Vladikavkaz” to assist his team in capturing the “Russian Cup.” He added to his team’s league success in September 2012 by scoring twice against “Alania.” He was free to consider opportunities to play for other teams in mid-2013 as soon as the transfer windows opened, and he freely expressed his desire to play for a better club. Honda’s contract with “CSKA Moscow” was terminated in December 2013 as a result of offers from several European clubs, and there were no plans to keep it that way.
Honda signed a three-year contract to play for Italian club “AC Milan” in January 2014. He made his official debut in January during the quarterfinal encounter of the Coppa Italia against Spezia. His performance remained inconsistent throughout the rest of the season, which disappointed his fans.
Honda scored his first goal of the campaign against “Lazio” in August 2014. His performance somehow improved, and he quickly returned to his prior state. He continued to perform well over the following several years in order to maintain his position on the team. His effectiveness became apparent in the middle of 2017, and he assisted his team in being eligible for the “Europa League” for the first time in four years.
Despite the fact that his performance had gotten better throughout the course of his time with “Milan,” it was highly improbable that his contract would be renewed. Honda joined the team, according to a July 2017 announcement from the Mexican team “Pachuca.”
Honda has consistently played for the Japanese national football team, first as a junior and then as a senior. He participated in the 2015 “FIFA World Youth Championship” on behalf of his nation, and he was a member of the 2008 “Under-23” team that earned a spot in the Summer Olympics. He scored his first goal ever while competing for his country’s senior team against Chile in a friendly in 2009.
Japan only managed to score one goal in the 2010 “FIFA World Cup,” which was scored by Honda. His squad defeated Cameroon in the game, giving Japan its first-ever “World Cup” triumph abroad. Japan maintained its outstanding performance throughout the preliminary rounds and advanced to the knockout round. However, in their round of 16 matches, Japan was defeated by Paraguay.
After that, Honda was a part of the Japanese team that will compete in the 2011 “AFC Asian Cup.” For a record-breaking fourth time, Japan took home the trophy. At the conclusion of the competition, Honda received the title of “Most Valuable Player.”
Honda maintained his form at the 2014 “FIFA World Cup” and scored in Japan’s opening game against Ivory Coast. With this incredible goal, he became the first football player from Japan to ever score in two “World Cups.” Honda had already been the only Japanese player with three “World Cup” goals to his name before Japan withdrew from the competition.
He was a member of the Japanese team sent to the 2015 “AFC Asian Cup.” In Japan’s opening game against Palestine, he converted a penalty kick into a goal. In the quarterfinal game against the United Arab Emirates, Japan was defeated.
Individual Life of Keisuke Honda
Since 2008, Keisuke Honda has been wed to Misako, a kindergarten teacher. Their son was born.
Estimated net worth
With his family, Keisuke Honda enjoys a nice existence. Thanks to the notoriety and wealth he has attained as of late as a result of his efforts. In addition, as of 2022, his overall net worth was roughly $13.8 million USD.