The Japan women’s national football team, also known as Nadeshiko (サッカー日本女子代表), is managed by the Japan Football Association (JFA).
Nadeshiko, named after a delicate pink flower that grows at high altitudes, is competing in its sixth Olympic Games. The team aims to secure a gold medal at Paris 2024 to complete a sweep of global football titles.
Japan made history by becoming the first Asian nation to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011 and remains the only country to win every FIFA competition. As the most successful women’s national team in the Asian Football Confederation, Japan has also claimed titles at the U-17 (Costa Rica 2014) and U-20 (France 2018) levels.
Although their qualification for Paris 2024 was a close call, with a narrow victory over Korea DPR in the final round, Japan remains a top contender for the title. Ranked seventh in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, they boast a talented squad led by 150-cap defender Saki Kumagai and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 adidas Golden Boot winner Hinata Miyazawa.
Other notable players include Yui Hasegawa, one of the best central midfielders in the world, Fuka Nagano from Liverpool, rising star Aoba Fujino, and Riko Ueki from West Ham United, who will lead the team’s standard 3-4-2-1 formation. At just 18 years old, defender Toko Koga is the youngest player on Japan’s team.
Japan’s Group C Fixtures
All kick-off times are local.
- Thursday, 25 July | Spain vs. Japan | 17:00 | Stade de la Beaujoire
- Sunday, 28 July | Brazil vs. Japan | 17:00 | Parc des Princes
- Wednesday, 31 July | Japan vs. Nigeria | 17:00 | Stade de la Beaujoire
The Coach: Futoshi Ikeda
After retiring early from his playing career with Urawa Red Diamonds, Futoshi Ikeda quickly transitioned to coaching. He began in the youth program at Reds before joining the backroom staff at J.League team Avispa Fukuoka. Ikeda’s first experience with international coaching was a resounding success, as he led Japan to victory at the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup.
At 53 years old, Ikeda also spent time as head coach for the U-17 Women’s team before taking over as manager of the Nadeshiko squad in late 2021. He will make his Olympic debut as a coach at Paris 2024.
Olympics History
- Previous Participations: 5 (Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Tokyo 2020)
- Best Result: Silver medal (London 2012)
Japan’s history at the Olympics is overshadowed by their impressive performances outside of it. The team surprised many with their struggles in Atlanta 1996, where they were eliminated after three consecutive group-stage losses.
In Athens 2004, they exited in the quarter-finals despite finishing last in their group in a tournament where eight out of ten teams advanced to the quarter-finals.
Featured image courtesy of Christopher Johnson via Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.
