2002 Japan Home – Nakata #7

Tournament Overview

This is the home shirt Japan wore at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the tournament they co-hosted with South Korea. It was only Japan's second World Cup appearance, after they lost all three group games in 1998. This time the Samurai Blue made history. They won Group H with a first-ever World Cup finals victory over Russia, a 2–2 draw with Belgium and a 2–0 win over Tunisia.

The run ended in the Round of 16. Turkey won 1–0 in Miyagi on 18 June, and they went on to finish third. It was still Japan's best finish at that point, and the 2002 shirt remains one of the most recognisable Asian kits ever made. This Adidas design was worn through 2002–04.

Player's Impact – Hidetoshi Nakata

Nakata went into the tournament as Asia's most recognisable footballer, a Serie A star at Parma. He started all four of Japan's matches at the tournament, wearing the number 7. In the final group game against Tunisia he made a late run into the box and headed home to seal victory and Japan's place in the knockout stage. It was his first World Cup goal and also his last.

Nakata's name on the back makes this one of the most sought-after Japan shirts. A Nakata #7 from the home World Cup is an easy piece to build a collection around. This one is a size Medium with the front sponsor intact, and it is a one-of-one piece.

Japan Squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup

Manager: Philippe Troussier

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (1), Seigo Narazaki (12), Hitoshi Sogahata (23)

Defenders: Yutaka Akita (2), Naoki Matsuda (3), Ryuzo Morioka (4), Toshihiro Hattori (6), Koji Nakata (16), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (17), Daisuke Ichikawa (22)

Midfielders: Junichi Inamoto (5), Hidetoshi Nakata (7), Hiroaki Morishima (8), Alessandro Santos (14), Takashi Fukunishi (15), Shinji Ono (18), Mitsuo Ogasawara (19), Tomokazu Myojin (20), Kazuyuki Toda (21)

Forwards: Akinori Nishizawa (9), Masashi Nakayama (10), Takayuki Suzuki (11), Atsushi Yanagisawa (13)