Maya Yoshida accompanied the Japanese national team at the 2026 CONCACAF FIFA World Cup, supporting the team not as a player, but as a veteran support member. His presence off the pitch left a lasting impression on many fans. This article delves into the personality of Yoshida, who continues to attract attention even after the tournament, and the watch brand that he has fallen deeply in love with.
Text by Yukaco Numamoto
Edited by: Takashi Tsuchida
Edited by Takashi Tsuchida
[Article published on January 12, 2026]
The excitement of the 2026 World Cup continues.
The press conference announcing the national team selections was broadcast live on television, and many fans stayed up late into the night or early morning to watch the matches despite the time difference, creating a great deal of excitement in Japan for the CONCACAF 2026 World Cup. In particular, the match against Brazil, from the opening goal in the first half to the tenacious defense in the second half, served as a reminder of the excitement of football and the difficulty of advancing in the tournament.
Although Japan was unfortunately eliminated in the first round of the knockout stage, the tournament has continued with spectacular performances from renowned international players, creating an exciting atmosphere that thrills not only football fans but everyone. Naturally, attention tends to be drawn to the glamorous star players, but this time we want to focus on the support staff who back up the team from behind the scenes. Among the Japanese national team players, former captain Maya Yoshida stood out in particular.
A support player is typically a player who accompanies the national team to a tournament as a practice partner, and is often a young player selected to gain experience with an eye towards future national team selection. However, Yoshida's inclusion in this tournament was an unusual selection, based on his veteran experience. In fact, it is said that his presence had a significant impact on the Japanese national team players. He posted a picture on his Instagram of the national team forming a large circle in the locker room, showing his strong feelings for the team.
Manager Hajime Moriyasu praised Yoshida's contributions, along with those of Takumi Minamino, who was unfortunately left out of the squad due to injury, saying, "Maya joined the training sessions with us, demonstrating his own play while also giving feedback to other players, which gave us the mentality to enter matches with courage."
Maya Yoshida has earned trust throughout his football career.
Maya Yoshida, who hails from Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, was named with the hope that he would become a strong man who gets stronger the more he is challenged, like hemp. When he was in the sixth grade of elementary school, he took the Nagoya Grampus U-15 selection test that his older brother found during a family visit to Nagoya, and he was one of only four players selected out of 70 applicants.
When choosing a high school, he opted for Aichi Prefectural Toyota High School rather than a club-affiliated school, driven by his desire to learn English in an environment where he wouldn't be treated differently, with an eye towards future opportunities abroad. He captained the team to a runner-up finish in the All Japan Youth Championship, supporting them both offensively and defensively, and was also selected for the U-18 Japan national team. After turning professional in 2007, he enrolled in the Waseda University School of Human Sciences e-School (correspondence course), graduating in 2019.
After leaving Nagoya Grampus, he moved to VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands at the end of 2009. The team recorded four consecutive wins for the first time in 50 years, and Yoshida himself played a key role, scoring five goals, the second highest on the team. In 2012, he moved to Southampton in the English Premier League, and in 2017, he became the first Japanese player to play 100 Premier League matches. He was praised by Jack Stevens, who played alongside him in the defensive line, who said, "Maya was a great presence for me," and he was also highly regarded, being selected as the second-placed Southampton Player of the Year in a poll organized by a local newspaper. He currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS and has been the team captain since 2024.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was appointed captain despite being an overage player, and he has experience leading a young team that was mainly composed of players under 24. He himself reflected, "Just like when I was representing Japan at the Olympics, I'm very happy to have been given that role in a different environment (in America)." Yoshida Maya, who is praised both domestically and internationally as having "the best character," has earned a lot of trust through his interpersonal skills and communication abilities, transcending language and cultural barriers.
Appointed as a brand partner of Parmigiani Fleurier Japan.
On May 29, 2026, Maya Yoshida was appointed as a brand partner of Parmigiani Fleurier Japan. On his Instagram, he wrote about his feelings, saying, "I am honored to be appointed as a brand partner of Parmigiani Fleurier Japan on the occasion of the maison's 30th anniversary. I encountered this watch four years ago and fell in love with the brand's philosophy!" The post was accompanied by a photo of him wearing the new 2026 model, the "Tonda PF Chronograph Mysterieuse."
Yoshida says he "fell in love" with Parmigiani Fleurier's watchmaking philosophy, which lies in the fusion of "less is more" and the "golden ratio of nature." By stripping away excessive ornamentation and incorporating the golden ratio into the design and movement engineering, they pursue the ultimate in luxury.
The philosophy of Parmigiani Fleurier, nurtured by a master watch restorer.
The brand's history began in 1976 when its founder, Michel Parmigiani, a legendary watch restorer, opened a watchmaking workshop in Val-de-Travers, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. At the time, the quartz crisis was in full swing, and he mainly spent his days restoring old watches, working on complex timepieces in his spare time. In 1996, he established "Parmigiani Fleurier" in Fleurier, a town also in Val-de-Travers. The brand has grown into a manufacture that maintains an integrated production system, from movement design and parts manufacturing to assembly, and the creation of cases and dials.
The new Tonda PF model features a newly developed automatic chronograph movement. It boasts a groundbreaking chronograph mechanism. Automatic winding (Cal. PF053). 41 jewels. 28,800 vibrations/hour. Power reserve approximately 60 hours. 6,071,000 yen (including tax).
The watch Yoshida is wearing in the posted photo is the third world premiere in the "Tonda PF" collection, equipped with the newly developed automatic chronograph movement Cal.PF053. Its most distinctive feature is that, despite being a chronograph, it lacks sub-dials, giving it the appearance of a three-hand watch at first glance. Of the five hands mounted coaxially in the center, pressing the push button at the 7:30 position causes three rhodium-plated hands to align in a straight line at the 12 o'clock position, starting the chronograph function. Simultaneously, the rose gold hand, which had been hidden until then, appears to indicate the time. Pressing the push button again stops the chronograph hands, and pressing it one more time resets them. While its appearance is simple, it integrates a complex mechanism that sets it apart from conventional chronographs into the operation of a single push button.
The Cal.PF053 boasts a power reserve of approximately 60 hours while maintaining a thickness of just 6.9mm. The bracelet features the integrated design that is a hallmark of the "Tonda PF" series, and the knurled platinum bezel adds a touch of elegance.
Behind its minimalist appearance lies a complex mechanism that is not immediately apparent. This design philosophy, appreciated by those in the know, resonates with Maya Yoshida's own way of life. We look forward to seeing what Maya Yoshida will accomplish in the future, both as a player and as the team's spiritual pillar.
