Yuki Nagasato announces retirement
(image via Houston Dash)
Houston Dash forward and former Japan international Yuki Nagasato has announced her retirement from the sport. Nagastao, 37, spent one season with the Dash where she scored three goals. Nagasato had yet to report to preseason with Houston this year.
“I have decided to close this chapter of my professional career. For 30 years, ever since I first kicked a ball, football has been my life. I’ve chased the game, challenged myself and grown through every victory and defeat. The journey wasn’t always easy, but every moment had meaning,” Nagasato said. “To all the fans who supported me, whether in the stands or from afar—your support pushed me forward. To my teammates, coaches, staff and family—thank you for shaping me into the person I am today. Even in the toughest times, your belief in me gave me strength. I was never alone, and for that, I’m truly grateful. Retiring wasn’t an easy decision, but I’m excited for what’s next. I will continue to be involved in football, finding new ways to help the game grow. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
Nagasato calls an end to a decorated career that includes winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup with Japan in 2011 and finishing as runner-up in 2015. Nagasato also won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games for her country. On the club level, Yuki won a UEFA Champions League (2010) and two Bundesliga titles (2010 and 2011) with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam in Germany. She also won a DFB Pokal in Germany, with VfL Wolfsburg in 2015.
Nagasato also spent time in Europe with Chelsea and Frankfurt before moving to the United States in May of 2017. She joined Chicago Red Stars that season before joining Racing Louisville ahead of their inaugural season in 2021. In 2022 Nagasato returned to Chicago where she spent two more seasons before signing with the Dash in January of last year.
Nagasato made history in 2020 when she became the first woman to play for the first-team of a Japanese men’s club when she joined Hayabusa Eleven on loan prior to the beginning of the NWSL season.
"We want to thank Yuki for her contributions, not only to the Houston Dash, but to the sport across her remarkable career,” Dash President of Soccer, Angela Hucles Mangano said. “Her legacy will go beyond the titles she won or the goals she scored. You saw that impact on many occasions across the country as fans shouted her name or former teammates embraced her. We are happy to support her in this next chapter and thank Yuki for all the memories many of us hold on and off the pitch.”
With the retirement of Nagasato and Ramona Bachmann joining the team for preseason over the weekend, the Dash roster sits at 27 players, not including non-roster invitees at camp. The roster will have to be trimmed to 26 before Houston begins the season on March 14, hosting the Washington Spirit.
