1. Early Life and Amateur Career
1.1. Youth and Education
Masato Fukui was born on November 14, 1988, in Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. During his youth, he developed his football skills playing for various local clubs. He was part of Unbigo FC while attending Kurayoshi Municipal Kawakita Elementary School. Subsequently, he joined FC Kamino from 2001 to 2003, during his time at Kurayoshi Municipal Kawakita Junior High School. For his high school education, he attended Tottori Chuo Ikuei High School (鳥取県立鳥取中央育英高等学校Tottori-kenritsu Tottori Chuo Ikuei KōtōgakkōJapanese) from 2004 to 2006, continuing his football development.
1.2. Collegiate and Early Amateur Activities
Following his high school graduation, Fukui continued his academic and athletic pursuits at Nippon Bunri University (日本文理大学Nihon Bunri DaigakuJapanese) from 2007 to 2010. His collegiate football career prepared him for the professional ranks, leading to his debut with Gainare Tottori in 2011.
2. Club Career
Masato Fukui's professional football journey spans across multiple countries, including Japan, Singapore, Montenegro, and Albania, where he played for several clubs.
2.1. Gainare Tottori
Fukui joined Gainare Tottori, a club in the J2 League, in 2011. He made his first appearance for the team on March 6, 2011, marking his official professional debut. His first professional goal was scored on October 30, 2011, in a J2 League match against Kataller Toyama at Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium. He played for Gainare Tottori for two seasons, with his contract ending after the 2012 season. During his tenure, he played 38 matches and scored 5 goals.
2.2. Home United
In 2013, after leaving Gainare Tottori, Fukui signed with Home United of the S.League in Singapore on a free transfer. Despite playing thirteen games in the S.League, he did not manage to score any goals during his time with the club. He departed Home United in July of the same year.
2.3. Sutjeska Nikšić
Following his departure from Home United in July 2013, Fukui joined Sutjeska Nikšić, a team in the Montenegrin First League, on a free transfer. He made an impactful debut for the club on August 10, scoring a goal in a 2-0 victory over FK Mornar. A particularly notable moment occurred in a match against FK Mladost Podgorica, where he scored a remarkable goal from a distance of 230 ft (70 m), though some sources reported approximately 197 ft (60 m), reminiscent of Wayne Rooney's long-range strikes. This goal secured a 1-0 victory for Sutjeska. During his time at Sutjeska Nikšić from 2013 to 2015, he played 60 league matches and scored 12 goals, contributing to the club's success, including winning the Montenegrin First League title in the 2013-14 season. He also made two appearances in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds in 2014-15 and two appearances in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds in 2015-16, scoring one goal in the latter competition.
2.4. Tirana
On July 16, 2015, Fukui moved to Albania, joining Albanian Superliga side Tirana on a one-year contract, becoming the first Japanese player to sign for an Albanian club. In his unofficial debut on July 22, he entered the game and scored two goals, leading his team to a 2-1 victory against FK Mladost Carev Dvor during a preparation phase match in Macedonia. On August 23, 2015, in Tirana's opening match of the 2015-16 season against newcomers KF Tërbuni Pukë, Fukui provided an assist for Gilman Lika's equalizer and then scored the winning goal in the 68th minute, securing a 2-1 away win for Tirana. He played 34 league matches and scored 2 goals for Tirana.
2.5. Skënderbeu Korçë
On June 21, 2016, Fukui signed a two-year contract with fellow Albanian Superliga club Skënderbeu Korçë, after failing to reach a new agreement with Tirana. Skënderbeu Korçë was, however, banned from European football due to match-fixing allegations.
2.5.1. Loan to Kukësi
Due to Skënderbeu's European ban, Fukui was sent on loan to Kukësi for their European campaign on July 10, 2016, along with teammates Liridon Latifi and Sabjen Lilaj. Four days later, he played for 82 minutes in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against Austria Wien, which ended in a 1-0 defeat. He also played 61 minutes in the second leg at Elbasan Arena, which resulted in a 4-1 defeat, confirming Kukësi's elimination from the competition with a 5-1 aggregate score.
After Kukësi's elimination from the Europa League, Fukui returned to Skënderbeu. He made his first appearance for Skënderbeu on August 25 in the 2016 Albanian Supercup, where he scored a temporary equalizer with a header. However, Skënderbeu ultimately lost 3-1 to Kukësi in that match at Selman Stërmasi Stadium. He made his first league appearance for Skënderbeu on September 7, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 home win against Flamurtari Vlorë. After starting in the initial matches, Fukui lost his regular spot by early November, playing only 94 minutes until January. Despite a new manager convincing him to stay for the second half of the season, he only appeared in two additional league matches.
2.6. Kamza
On August 3, 2017, following a challenging season at Skënderbeu, Fukui signed with newly promoted side Kamza as a free agent. During the winter training camp in Antalya, Turkey, he was not part of the team due to visa problems. Instead, he trained with Kastrioti Krujë and participated in one friendly match.
Fukui was one of the most frequently used players in the Kamza squad during the 2017-18 season, making 33 league appearances, although he did not score any goals. The team narrowly avoided relegation on the final matchday. He initially left the club during the summer transfer window, claiming that the club had not paid him correctly. However, on August 31, he returned and signed a contract for the 2018-19 season. He scored his first league goal of the new season on September 15 against Kastrioti Krujë, netting the second goal in a 2-0 victory. He remained with Kamza until July 2019.
3. Statistics
Masato Fukui's official match appearances and goal-scoring records are detailed below, categorized by club, season, and competition type.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gainare Tottori | 2011 | J2 League | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 12 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 27 | 2 | |||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | 39 | 5 | |||
| Home United | 2013 | S.League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | |
| Sutjeska Nikšić | 2013-14 | Montenegrin First League | 30 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | 30 | 7 | |
| 2014-15 | 30 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 5 | ||
| 2015-16 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 60 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 68 | 13 | ||
| Tirana | 2015-16 | Albanian Superliga | 34 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | 37 | 4 | |
| Skënderbeu Korçë | 2016-17 | Albanian Superliga | 14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Kukësi (loan) | 2016-17 | Albanian Superliga | - | - | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Kamza | 2017-18 | Albanian Superliga | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 35 | 0 | |
| 2018-19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | |||
| Total | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 37 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 193 | 20 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 216 | 24 | ||
4. Honours
Masato Fukui has achieved the following team honours during his professional playing career:
- Montenegrin First League: 2013-14 (with FK Sutjeska Nikšić)
5. Personal Life and Anecdotes
5.1. Nickname and Origin
Masato Fukui is known by the nickname "Baki" (バキBakiJapanese). This nickname was given to him by his former teammate Masayuki Okano during their time together at Gainare Tottori. Okano reportedly coined the name because Fukui's well-developed upper body reminded him of Baki Hanma, a character from the Japanese manga series Grappler Baki.
6. Controversies and Issues
During his tenure at FC Kamza, Masato Fukui faced several difficulties, notably involving his visa and alleged financial disputes with the club. He was unable to participate in the team's winter training camp in Antalya, Turkey, due to visa problems. Instead, he trained with Kastrioti Krujë and participated in one friendly match.
Furthermore, after the 2017-18 season, Fukui initially left Kamza, claiming that the club had not paid him correctly for his services. This dispute led to him reportedly stating, "I'm done with Albania!" (E mbylla me Shqipërinë!I'm done with Albania!Albanian) and taking his case to the federation regarding unpaid debts. However, despite these public grievances, he eventually returned and re-signed with Kamza for the 2018-19 season.