Mikko Kuningas

Mikko Kuningas

Kuningas with Lahti in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-07-30) 30 July 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth	Luumäki, Finland
Position(s)	Midfielder, forward
Team information
Current team	Crema
Youth career
	PEPO
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2017	Lahti	62	(5)
2015–2016	→ Lahti Akatemia	12	(3)
2018–2019	Inter Turku	52	(2)
2020	Lahti	22	(3)
2021–2022	Orange County SC	49	(5)
2023	Lahti	23	(0)
2024	KäPa	6	(2)
2025–	Crema	0	(0)
International career
2015	Finland U18	8	(1)
2016	Finland U19	3	(0)
2017	Finland U21	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024

Mikko Kuningas (born 30 July 1997 ^[1] ) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie D club Crema.

Club career

Kuningas has played for PEPO Lappeenranta, Lahti, Lahti Akatemia and FC Inter Turku. ^[2] Kuningas started his football career in Luumäen Pojat where he played his first junior years. ^[3] Kuningas played same time in PEPO Lappeenranta and he made his debut with the PEPO first team in 2014.

Kuningas made the professional contract with FC Lahti in 2014. He made the debut in Veikkausliiga against FC Ilves on 19 July 2015 and he made the winning goal at the beginning of the second half. ^[4]

In 2015, Kuningas visited Brazil to get acquainted with the activities of Fluminense FC. He was invited to European high-level tournaments Spax Cup in Germany and Terborg Tournament in Holland according to the Fluminense FC U19-team. ^[5] The club management of the Fluminense FC wanted to hire him with a loan agreement from summer 2016. The transfer eventually failed with paperwork. ^[6]

Kuningas signed a contract with FC Inter Turku for the season 2018. FC Inter Turku won the Finnish Cup in May 2018 against HJK Helsinki 0-1 (0-0). Kuningas scored the winning goal in the 82. minute. He had been substituted to the field a moment earlier. ^[7]

In the season 2019 FC Inter Turku and Kuningas finished second place in Veikkausliiga. ^[8]

On 18 December 2020, USL Championship club Orange County SC announced the signing of Kuningas. ^[9]

On 18 January 2023, Kuningas returned to Lahti on a one-year contract. ^[10]

On 15 August 2024, after being without club since January, Kuningas signed with Ykkösliiga club Käpylän Pallo (KäPa) for the rest of the season. ^[11]

International career

He has represented Finland at under-18 and under-19 youth level. ^{[12] [2]}

Career statistics

As of 26 October 2024. ^[13]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup [a]		League cup [b]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
PEPO	2014	Kolmonen	18	7	–		–		–		18	7
Lahti Akatemia	2015	Kakkonen	11	3	–		–		–		11	3
	2016	Kakkonen	1	0	–		–		–		1	0
	Total		12	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	3
Lahti	2015	Veikkausliiga	10	1	–		–		–		10	1
	2016	Veikkausliiga	25	2	4	1	5	1	0	0	34	4
	2017	Veikkausliiga	27	2	4	0	–		–		31	2
	Total		62	5	8	1	5	1	0	0	75	7
Inter Turku	2018	Veikkausliiga	28	2	6	2	–		–		34	4
	2019	Veikkausliiga	24	0	7	1	–		2 [c]	0	33	1
	Total		52	2	13	3	0	0	2	0	67	5
Lahti	2020	Veikkausliiga	22	3	3	2	–		–		25	5
Orange County SC	2021	USL Championship	33	3	0	0	–		–		33	3
	2022	USL Championship	16	1	2	1	–		–		18	2
	Total		49	4	2	1	0	0	0	0	51	5
Lahti	2023	Veikkausliiga	23	0	2	0	4	0	–		29	0
KäPa	2024	Ykkösliiga	6	2	–		–		–		6	2
Crema	2024–25	Serie D	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
Career total			242	26	28	7	9	1	2	0	281	34

1. Includes Suomen Cup and US Open Cup
2. Includes Finnish League Cup
3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Lahti ^[2]

• Finnish League Cup: 2016

Inter Turku ^[2]

• Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2019
• Finnish Cup: 2018

Orange County ^[2]

• USL Championship: 2021

Individual

• Rookie of the Year: 2015 ^[14]

References

1. U18 (1997) maajoukkue
2. Mikko Kuningas at Soccerway. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
3. "Mikko Kuningas nousee jalkapallon liigajoukkue FC Lahteen". LuumaenLehti.fi. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
4. "Kuningas FC Lahden sankarina – "Olimme parempia"". Veikkausliiga.com. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
5. "Mikko Kuningas Fluminensen mukaan". www.fclahti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
6. "Mikko Kuningas – Luumäen kuningas". www.fclahti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
7. "FC Inter voitti miesten Suomen Cupin". www.palloliitto.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
8. "Veikkausliigan kausi 2019 - mestari, kauden parhaat, miten pelattiin?". SuomiFutis (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 May 2020.
9. Communications, Orange County SC (18 December 2020). "Orange County SC signs Former Finland U-21 International Mikko Kuningas". Orange County Soccer Club. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
10. "Kuningas palaa Lahteen" [Kuningas returns to Lahti] (in Finnish). Lahti. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
11. Mikko Kuningas vahvistamaan KäPa-keskikenttää loppukaudeksi, kapylanpalloedustus.fi, 15 August 2024
12. "U18: Suomi avasi Baltic-cupin tasapelillä". Suomen Palloliitto (in Finnish). 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015.
13. Mikko Kuningas stats, Finnish FA
14. "FC Lahti palkitsi kauden parhaitaan". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 May 2020.

External links

• Media related to Mikko Kuningas at Wikimedia Commons