The Midfielder the World Is Watching — Momoko Tanikawa Reflects on the Moment That Shaped Her

Drawn to Homare Sawa

“I was so moved when Nadeshiko Japan won the 2011 World Cup! I remember thinking, ‘Amazing! I want to be like them.’ That was the starting point of my soccer journey.”

Now a 20-year-old midfielder who has captured the world’s attention, Momoko Tanigawa says this with sparkling eyes. When Nadeshiko Japan won the World Cup, she was only six years old—but among all the players shining on TV, she was especially drawn to captain Homare Sawa (47).

After graduating from high school last year, Tanigawa crossed the sea to play professionally. Since January, she has been part of the prestigious Bayern Munich club in Germany. Her weapon is a powerful shot uncommon among Japanese players.

“I’m confident in my long kicks and shooting accuracy. What I focus on most is preparation before receiving the ball—understanding the situation around me, taking the right position, and shooting decisively when I see an opening. In the moment I shoot, I’m actually quite calm.”

During elementary school, she trained and competed with boys in the Nagoya Grampus academy, even serving as captain. In junior high, she left her hometown to fully devote herself to soccer at the JFA Academy Fukushima.

“I was really obsessed with soccer. Whenever I heard there was a good environment to improve, I just went. It was that simple. I didn’t feel anxious about leaving my family to go to Fukushima.”

From childhood, Tanigawa immersed herself in soccer, eventually rising to the top tier of Germany’s Bundesliga. She also has a reliable advisor she always turns to.

“Before every match, I always call my dad. He constantly studies footage of my opponents, so his advice gives me great insights and inspiration.”

That advice paid off during last year’s Paris Olympics group stage match against Brazil. Coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute, Tanigawa scored a dramatic 35-meter winning goal in stoppage time.

“Before the match, my dad told me, ‘Their goalkeeper tends to come off her line, so don’t hesitate to shoot from distance.’ So I was already aiming for a long shot. My parents were there watching, so right after scoring, I ran straight toward the stands.”

That powerful long-range shot could once again lift Japan to the top of the world. Two years from now, at the next World Cup, we may well see that moment unfold.

In the September 19 issue of FRIDAY (October 3–10 combined issue) and the premium edition FRIDAY GOLD, Tanigawa also opens up about her life in Munich, her passion for saunas, and her honest views on love and relationships.

From the October 3 and 10, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”