Yui Hasegawa
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Japan
JapanYui Hasegawa was born on January 29, 1997, in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. A Japanese midfielder, she currently plays for Manchester City and captains the Japan national team. At club level, she won five Nadeshiko League Division 1 titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and five Empress's Cups (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) with Tokyo Verdy Beleza. Individually, she earned four Nadeshiko League Best Eleven selections (2017–2020), three PFA WSL Team of the Year honors (2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25), and three Ballon d'Or nominations (2023, 2024 and 2026). Internationally, Hasegawa has represented Japan at the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cups, earning over 100 caps and scoring 20 goals. She won the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2018 and 2026, and the Asian Games gold medal in 2018 with Japan.
Her 2025-2026 season:
Deep-lying playmaker: Hasegawa acts as the central conductor for her team, orchestrating play from deep areas with composure, vision, and tactical discipline.
Defensive intelligence: Despite her lightweight frame, she excels at reading opposition passes and recovering possession cleanly through sharp anticipation and positioning.
League-leading pass accuracy: According to Opta metrics, Hasegawa posted an 88.9% pass completion rate during the 2022/23 WSL season, the highest among all midfielders in the English top flight.
Exceptional ball recovery: Across the first ten league fixtures of the 2023/24 WSL campaign, she led the entire league with 113 possession recoveries and 24 interceptions.
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