10 Things You Never Knew About Hidetoshi Nakata

Everything you need to know about Hidetoshi Nakata, the “Japanese Beckham”, from his bleached hair in 1998 to his anime tribute.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Nakata

1️⃣ Captain Tsubasa made him want to play football. At the end of the 1980s, football was not yet very popular in Japan, which was dominated by baseball. It was thanks to the manga and animated series Captain Tsubasa that Hidetoshi Nakata developed a passion for the sport. After discovering the series, he decided to join his school’s football team instead of the baseball team.

2️⃣ A tribute in a football anime. Nakata’s career in Italy left a mark on Japanese popular culture. In the anime Inazuma Eleven, a player from the Italian national team is named Hide Nakata, a nod to Hidetoshi Nakata and his memorable time in Italian football.

3️⃣ A hair trick to get noticed in 1998.During the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Nakata bleached his hair to stand out from his Japanese teammates and attract the attention of European scouts. A strategy that helped increase his international visibility.

4️⃣ Between the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Japan played 10 matches in the final stages. Nakata was the only Japanese player to appear in every single one of those matches.

5️⃣ A very early retirement at 29. After Japan’s elimination at the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Ronaldo Nazário’s Brazil, Hidetoshi Nakata knew that this would be the final match of his career. In tears on the pitch, he left the international stage before officially announcing his retirement.

10 anecdotes about Hidetoshi Nakata

6️⃣ “The Japanese Beckham” boosted tourism in Italy. When Nakata signed for AC Perugia Calcio, he caused an unexpected phenomenon: 5,000 Japanese supporters traveled to Italy to watch his debut. In 1999, nearly 30,000 Japanese tourists visited the city of Perugia, increasing Japanese tourism there by 800%.

7️⃣ A prestigious distinction in Italy. After several strong seasons in Italian football, Hidetoshi Nakata was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006 by the Italian government.

8️⃣ The only Japanese player in the FIFA 100.In 2004, Pelé included Nakata in the FIFA 100, the list of the 125 greatest football players in history published by FIFA. He was the only Japanese player on the list.

9️⃣ A polyglot footballer turned businessman. After his career, Nakata became an influential businessman, particularly in the Japanese food and sake industry. He speaks six languages: Japanese, English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French.

🔟 A record charity auction.In March 2010, he organized an online auction to help victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. A pair of boots worn during the match against Croatia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup was sold for €1.5 million, with the money donated to the victims.

If you want to channel the style of the “Japanese Beckham”, don’t hesitate to grab our Hidetoshi Nakata T-shirt.

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