Shinji Kagawa
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Kagawa with Japan in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shinji Kagawa | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 17 March 1989 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kobe, Japan | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Cerezo Osaka | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Marino FC | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Kobe NK FC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | FC Miyagi Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Cerezo Osaka | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Cerezo Osaka | 125 | (55) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Borussia Dortmund | 49 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Manchester United | 38 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2019 | Borussia Dortmund | 99 | (20) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Borussia Dortmund II | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 14 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Real Zaragoza | 33 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | PAOK | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Sint-Truiden | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Cerezo Osaka | 69 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Japan U19 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Japan U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Japan U23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2019 | Japan | 97 | (31) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 September 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 August 2019 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Shinji Kagawa (Japanese: 香川 真司, Kagawa Shinji [kaꜜɡawa ɕiꜜndʑi]; born 17 March 1989) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cerezo Osaka. He is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players of all time.
Kagawa became the first midfielder in J.League history to claim the top scorer title, playing as a shadow striker. In the 2009 season, he formed a partnership with Takashi Inui, which played a role in his emergence as the J2 League's top scorer. He led the J2 League in both goals and assists.
Kagawa began his professional career in Japan with Cerezo Osaka before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2010. After two years with Dortmund, Kagawa signed for Manchester United on a four-year contract. Two years later, he returned to Dortmund. Kagawa holds the records for most appearances and goals by a Japanese player in UEFA club competitions. He later also played for Beşiktaş in Turkey, Real Zaragoza in Spain, PAOK in Greece, and Sint-Truiden in Belgium before returning to Japan, as he rejoined Cerezo Osaka at the end of January 2023.
Since making his senior international debut in May 2008, he has won over 90 caps and scored over 30 goals. On 29 November 2012, Kagawa was named Asian Football Confederation International Player of the Year.