Tsuneyasu Miyamoto

The central defender who captained Japan through two World Cups and the 2004 Asian Cup victory.

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Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (born 7 February 1977) is a Japanese former football coach and former player who last coached Gamba Osaka. He played for the Japan national team and is the current president of the Japan Football Association. A central defender, Miyamoto made 71 international appearances and led the Japan national team in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as the 2004 Asian Cup. He also captained Gamba Osaka during their 2005 J1 League championship season. He is a graduate of the 13th edition of FIFA Master.

Quick Facts

Born: 7 February 1977
Birthplace: Tondabayashi, Osaka, Japan
Height: 1.76 m / 5 ft 9 in
Position: Defender
Total caps: 358
Total goals: 8

Lore & Background

Miyamoto's international career began at youth level, playing for Japan U17 in the 1993 U-17 World Championship and Japan U20 in the 1997 World Youth Championship, playing full-time in all matches in both tournaments. He debuted for the senior Japan national team on 18 June 2000 against Bolivia. As a centre back, he became captain for Japan in the 2002 World Cup after an injury to Ryuzo Morioka, who had begun the tournament as captain. He continued to captain his country through the 2004 Asian Cup, where he played full-time in all six matches as Japan won the champions, and the 2006 World Cup. At the 2006 World Cup, he played the first two group matches but was suspended for the third match against Brazil after receiving yellow cards against Australia and Croatia. Yuji Nakazawa wore the armband in his place. That competition was his last game for Japan. He played 71 games and scored three goals for Japan until 2006.

Reader's Guide

Miyamoto's club career started at Gamba Osaka, joining from the youth team in 1995 while continuing his studies at Doshisha University. He initially played as a defensive midfielder before settling as a central defender from the late 1990s. In 2004, though he was the de facto team captain of Gamba Osaka, the coach handed the captaincy to Satoshi Yamaguchi due to Miyamoto's time with the national team. In 2005, the club won the J1 League championship. In December 2006, he signed for one season with Red Bull Salzburg with an option for another, later signing a new deal through 2009. On 15 January 2009, he signed for Vissel Kobe, becoming captain and playing as center-back and defensive midfielder. His playing time decreased from 2010, and on 19 December 2011, he confirmed his retirement in a press conference in Kobe, Japan.