Football: Retiring World Cup winner Iwabuchi feels “no regrets”

Former Japan forward Mana Iwabuchi bid a tearful farewell to professional football Friday at her retirement press conference in Tokyo.

A member of three World Cup squads, including the Nadeshiko Japan team crowned champions in 2011, the 30-year-old said “the timing was right” to bring down the curtain on her career.

“I feel sadness but no regrets. I was truly happy being able to play the game I love while receiving support from so many people,” she said.

The former star for Japanese powerhouses Nippon TV Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa played for several European clubs, including Bayern Munich a...