Houston Dash F Yuki Nagasato retires after storied career

Houston Dash forward Yuki Nagasato has retired from professional soccer following a storied career that spans more than two decades and several continents.

Nagasato's seven seasons in the NWSL includes stints with the Chicago Red Stars (2017-2019, 2022-23), Louisville Racing (2021) and Houston, where she played in 24 games across all competitions in the 2024 season.

The 37-year-old appeared in 134 NWSL matches (114 starts), recording 23 goals and 25 assists.

In four out of five seasons in Chicago, she led the team to the postseason, including a trip to the NWSL Championship in 2019, though the Red Stars were shut out by the North Carolina Courage.

Nagasato, who began playing professionally in 2002, earned 12 championships or titles over the course of her career, including the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup with her native Japan.

"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.

"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 made history in 2020 when she was loaned to the men's club Hayabusa Eleven in the Kanagawa Prefecture League in Japan. She was the first woman to play for Hayabusa Eleven and one of only a few women to ever play for men's teams in professional soccer.

"We want to thank Yuki for her contributions, not only to the Houston Dash, but to the sport across her remarkable career," Angela Hucles Mangano, Dash President of Soccer, said in a statement Monday. "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."

--Field Level Media