Hidetoshi Nakata, OSSI is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Considered one of the best talents to come from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) country in the early late 1990s and early 2000s, Nakata became the first ever AFC player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
The J1 League, a.k.a. the J.League or the Meiji Yasuda J1 League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Japan Professional Football League system. Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian professional club football history. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J2 League. It was known as the J.League from 1993 to 1998 before becoming a two-division league, and as J.League Division 1 from 1999 to 2014. Vissel Kobe successfully defended their second consecutive title in the 2024 season, after previously winning it in the 2023 season.
Kazuyoshi "Kazu" Miura, nicknamed King Kazu, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Japan Football League club Atletico Suzuka, on loan from J2 League club Yokohama FC. He is the world's oldest active player to play and score in a professional match.
Olympique Lyonnais, commonly referred to as simply Lyon or OL, is a French professional football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. With origins dating back to 1899, they were founded in 1950 and provisionally compete in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club won its first Ligue 1 championship in 2002, beginning a national record-setting streak of seven successive titles. Lyon has also won eight Trophées des Champions, five Coupes de France, and three Ligue 2 titles.
Shunsuke Nakamura is a Japanese former professional footballer. He is currently a first-team coach of Yokohama FC. He is the only person to have been named J.League Most Valuable Player more than once, receiving the award in 2000 and 2013. Renowned as one of the best free kick takers ever and one of the greatest Japanese footballers of all time, Steve Perryman once remarked that Nakamura "could open a tin of beans with his left foot".
Football Club de Nantes, commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes, is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, as a result of local clubs based in the city coming together to form one large club. From 1992 to 2007, the club was referred to as FC Nantes Atlantique before reverting to its current name at the start of the 2007–08 season. Nantes play in Ligue 1, the first division of Football in France. Nantes is one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won eight Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France wins and attained one Coupe de la Ligue victory.
Cerezo Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name Cerezo is also the flower of the city of Osaka. The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. They form a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka.
Teruyuki Moniwa is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
Daisuke Matsui is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He previously played for the Japan national team. His wife is Japanese actress Rosa Kato.
Kataller Toyama is a football club based in Toyama, Capital of Toyama Prefecture. The club currently play in J2 League after promotion from J3 in 2024, Japanese second tier of professional football.
Hajime Hosogai is a Japanese professional footballer who plays for Thespa Gunma. He is a flexible player, able to play as a full-back or defensive midfielder. He made 30 appearances for the Japan national team scoring once.
Shinji Kagawa is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Cerezo Osaka. He is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players of all time.
Gōtoku Sakai is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Vissel Kobe. He was born in the United States but raised in Japan, where he represented internationally.
Masatada Ishii is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the currently head coach of the Thailand national football team.
Wataru Endō is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre back for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Japan national team.
Meikayla Jean-Maree Moore is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Canadian club Calgary Wild and the New Zealand national team. She is best known for scoring a hat-trick of own goals in a match against the United States at the SheBelieves Cup.
Sei Muroya is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga and for the Japan national team.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Crystal Palace.
The 2017 J1 League was the 25th season of the J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. This was third season of J1 League as renamed from J. League Division 1. The season began on 25 February 2017 and ended on 2 December. Fixtures for the 2017 season were announced on 26 January 2017.
Mina Tanaka is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Utah Royals and the Japan women's national team. She has previously played for Nippon TV Beleza, Bayer Leverkusen, and INAC Kobe Leonessa.
