Kagawa, Shinji (1989-…), is a Japanese professional soccer player. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Kagawa—often known simply as Shinji—is a star midfielder and playmaker. He is known for his ball-handling skills and superior field vision. In soccer, a playmaker controls a team’s offense, often coordinating scoring chances through precise passing. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials).
Kagawa was born on March 17, 1989, in Kobe, Hyōgo. He began playing soccer at age 5. In 2006, he became the first Japanese soccer player to sign a professional contract before graduating from high school. Kagawa played for Japan’s Cerezo Osaka soccer team before debuting for the Japanese national squad, commonly known as the Samurai Blue, in 2008.
In 2010, Kagawa began playing for Borussia Dortmund, a leading German soccer team. He excelled at Dortmund and quickly gained popularity. Kagawa transferred to England’s Manchester United in 2012. He played for the Samurai Blue in the FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil in 2014. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Later in 2014, Kagawa returned to Germany to play for Borussia Dortmund. He played for Japan again in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. From 2019 to 2022, Kagawa played for teams in Turkey, Spain, Greece, and Belgium. In 2023, he returned to Cerezo Osaka.
