1. Overview
Hinata Miyazawa (宮澤 ひなたMiyazawa HinataJapanese, born November 28, 1999) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Manchester United and the Japan national team. She gained international recognition for winning the Golden Boot as the top scorer at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
2. Early life and youth career
Miyazawa's early life saw her introduced to football by her older brother, leading her to pursue the sport through various youth clubs and high school, where she began to showcase her talent and dedication.
2.1. Early life and education
Miyazawa was born on November 28, 1999, in Minamiashigara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She was introduced to football at the age of three by her older brother, Keita. Miyazawa attended Minamiashigara City Minamiashigara Elementary School and Minamiashigara City Minamiashigara Junior High School. She continued her education at Seisa Kokusai High School (Shonan Learning Center) and later enrolled in the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences at Hosei University. She recalled training diligently every day to compete with boys, and a coach who worked with her from kindergarten to fifth grade noted her exceptional effort and speed, stating that by fourth grade, she was the most skilled player in her age group.
2.2. Youth club career
Miyazawa began her organized football career by joining the local Mukaida Soccer Club in Minamiashigara. Upon entering Minamiashigara City Minamiashigara Junior High School, she joined 'OSA RHEA U-15', the girls' junior youth team of the Seisa Shonan Oiso General Sports Club (OSA) in Oiso, Naka District, where she trained intensively.
In 2015, Miyazawa enrolled in the correspondence course of Seisa Kokusai High School and joined its football club. In her second year, at the 2016 National High School General Sports Tournament (Hiroshima Prefecture), her team was defeated in the second round by Okayama Sakuyo High School. In the 25th All Japan High School Women's Football Championship in 2016, she scored two goals against the strong favorite Hinomoto Gakuen High School in the first round, but her team ultimately lost in a penalty shootout.
In 2017, during her third year of high school, she was appointed captain. At the 2017 National High School General Sports Tournament (Miyagi Prefecture), her team overcame Tokiwagi Gakuen High School in the second round but suffered a 0-5 defeat to Fujieda Junshin High School in the semifinals, failing to reach the final. In the winter's 26th All Japan High School Women's Football Championship, her team narrowly lost 1-2 to Osaka Gakuen High School in the first round. She finished her high school career without winning any major titles.
At the international youth level, Miyazawa was called up to the Japan U-16 national team in 2015 and participated in the 2015 AFC U-16 Women's Championship in Wuhan, China. She scored one goal as a substitute against Uzbekistan, two goals as a starter against Chinese Taipei, and two goals as a substitute against Thailand in the semifinals. The following year, at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan, she played all six matches, including a full ninety minutes against the United States in the third group stage match, where she assisted a goal by Kannon Sugiura and scored the winning goal herself. In the final against North Korea, she started and delivered a powerful shot that hit the crossbar in the 28th minute, but she was substituted in the 69th minute, and the team ultimately lost in a penalty shootout, finishing as runners-up.
In 2017, she was called up to the Japan U-19 national team and participated in the 2017 AFC U-19 Women's Championship in Nanjing, China. She started and scored a goal against Australia in the second group stage match. In the semifinals against China, she scored two consecutive goals in the 47th and 48th minutes, contributing significantly to a 5-0 victory and Japan's second consecutive tournament title. In August 2018, she was selected for the Japan U20 national team for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She played all six matches in the tournament and scored an opening goal in the final against Spain, helping Japan win the championship.
3. Club career
Miyazawa began her professional club career with Tokyo Verdy Beleza after graduating high school. She later moved to MyNavi Sendai and currently plays for Manchester United W.F.C.
3.1. Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza
After graduating from high school, Miyazawa joined Tokyo Verdy Beleza in 2018. During her time there, she was recognized with the Best Young Player Award in the 2018 Nadeshiko League season. Her three years with the club, which coincided with her studies at Hosei University, were a period of uncertainty regarding her playing style. She experienced a slump and was not called up to the senior national team from 2020 to autumn 2021, missing out on the Tokyo Olympics. She faced a dilemma: relying on her speed made it difficult to execute fine technical skills, but overusing technical skills hindered her ability to utilize her speed.
3.3. Manchester United
Prior to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Miyazawa received offers from several clubs. During the World Cup, she received an offer from Manchester United, a strong club in England. On September 6, 2023, she officially transferred to Manchester United, taking the squad number 20. On September 7, she was nominated as one of 30 candidates for the Women's Ballon d'Or Féminin, alongside Yui Hasegawa. She was described as an "incredible presence" who "scored five goals at the 2023 World Cup, including two against eventual champions Spain, forming a fast-paced combination with Riko Ueki and Mina Tanaka that destroyed space with rolling movements." The following week, on September 14, FIFA also nominated her as one of 16 candidates for The Best FIFA Women's Player award.
On November 20, a Manchester Derby match against Manchester City took place at Old Trafford, drawing a record attendance of 43,615 for a women's team home game, where she played against Hasegawa. On November 26, she scored her first goal for the club against Bristol City, opening the scoring in the 5th minute of the second half. On December 3, during a friendly match against the Brazil national team, Miyazawa suffered a serious ankle fracture after a back tackle from Debinha.
She made her return to league play on March 31, 2024, coming on as a substitute in stoppage time against Everton, her first appearance in 10 league matches. On May 12, she came on in the 78th minute of the FA Women's Cup final against Tottenham at a packed Wembley Stadium, contributing to Manchester United's first major trophy win.
4. International career
Miyazawa has represented Japan across various age-group national teams, culminating in her significant contributions to the senior national team, particularly at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
4.1. Youth national teams
In January 2018, Miyazawa, as the sole active high school student, was called up to a training camp for the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan women's national team). She demonstrated her prowess in her youth career with the U-17 and U-20 national teams.
4.2. Senior national team
Miyazawa debuted for Japan's national team on November 11, 2018, against Norway. In June 2023, she was included in the 23-player squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
4.2.1. 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
On July 22, 2023, at the FIFA Women's World Cup, Miyazawa scored the first and third goals in Japan's 5-0 victory over Zambia in the group stage, earning her the Player of the Match award. She also recorded the best average speed in that match. Her two-goal performance marked the first time a Nadeshiko Japan player scored a brace in a Women's World Cup match since Nahomi Kawasumi in the 2011 semifinal against Sweden.
On July 31, Miyazawa again scored twice in Japan's 4-0 victory over Spain, despite only playing the first half. She also assisted Riko Ueki's goal in the same match. She earned her second Player of the Match award, becoming the first player in Nadeshiko Japan history to score multiple braces in a single World Cup tournament.
On August 5, in the round of 16 match against Norway, Miyazawa induced an own goal that gave Japan the lead. She then scored a decisive third goal late in the game, securing Japan's 3-1 victory and their first quarter-final appearance in two tournaments. She received her third Player of the Match award.
Miyazawa finished the tournament with five goals, winning the Golden Boot. Her five goals equaled Homare Sawa's tally from the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, making her the second Japanese player to win the award. Notably, she was the first Golden Boot winner from a team that did not reach the semifinals. Major English media outlets, including The Guardian, selected her for their "Best XI" of the tournament.
Upon returning to Japan, Miyazawa described her World Cup experience as a "great asset" and expressed her increased desire to win the tournament in the future. She also emphasized the need for individual skill improvement to further develop women's football, noting the higher speed of play and decision-making at the World Cup. On June 14, 2024, she was selected as a member of the Nadeshiko Japan squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
5. Playing style
Miyazawa primarily plays as an attacking midfielder or a left-sided midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and sometimes as a left winger in a 4-3-3 formation. At Manchester United, she has been praised for her unselfish play as a "lubricant" for the team's attack rather than focusing solely on scoring, leading to comparisons to a "mini-Modrić".
6. Career statistics
6.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tokyo Verdy Beleza | 2018 | Nadeshiko League | 16 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 2 | - | 29 | 6 | |
| 2019 | Nadeshiko League | 18 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 5 | |
| 2020 | Nadeshiko League | 18 | 6 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 23 | 9 | |||
| Total | 52 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 20 | ||
| MyNavi Sendai | 2021-22 | WE League | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 3 | ||
| 2022-23 | WE League | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 39 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 4 | ||
| Manchester United | 2023-24 | Women's Super League | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | Women's Super League | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| Total | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 114 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 165 | 26 | ||
6.2. International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 45 | 9 | |
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Miyazawa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 30, 2022 | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India | Thailand | 2-0 | 7-0 | 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
| 2 | June 24, 2022 | Sports Centre FAS, Stara Pazova, Serbia | Serbia | 3-0 | 5-0 | Friendly |
| 3 | July 19, 2022 | Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima, Japan | South Korea | 1-0 | 2-1 | 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship |
| 4 | October 9, 2022 | Nagano U Stadium, Nagano, Japan | New Zealand | 1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 5 | July 22, 2023 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand | Zambia | 1-0 | 5-0 | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 6 | 3-0 | |||||
| 7 | July 31, 2023 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand | Spain | 1-0 | 4-0 | |
| 8 | 3-0 | |||||
| 9 | August 5, 2023 | Norway | 3-1 | 3-1 |
7. Honours
Hinata Miyazawa has achieved numerous team and individual accolades throughout her career, spanning club and international competitions.
7.1. Club honours
- Nadeshiko League: 2018, 2019
- Empress's Cup: 2018, 2019, 2020
- Nadeshiko League Cup: 2018, 2019
- AFC Women's Club Championship: 2019
- Women's FA Cup: 2023-24
7.2. International honours
- FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: Runner-up 2016
- AFC U-19 Women's Championship: Winner 2017
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: Winner 2018
- EAFF Women's Football Championship: Winner 2022
- SheBelieves Cup: Winner 2025
7.3. Individual honours
- WE League Valuable Player Award: 2021-22, 2022-23
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Boot: 2023
- IFFHS Women's World Team of the Year: 2023
- Japan Professional Sports Award: Fighting Spirit Award 2023