Mikko Kuningas (born 30 July 1997[1]) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ykkösliiga club KäPa.

Mikko Kuningas
Kuningas with Lahti in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-07-30) 30 July 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Luumäki, Finland
Position(s) Midfielder, forward
Team information
Current team
KäPa
Youth career
PEPO
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Lahti 62 (5)
2015–2016Lahti Akatemia 12 (3)
2018–2019 Inter Turku 52 (2)
2020 Lahti 22 (3)
2021–2022 Orange County SC 49 (5)
2023 Lahti 23 (0)
2024– KäPa 6 (2)
International career
2015 Finland U18 8 (1)
2016 Finland U19 3 (0)
2017 Finland U21 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024

Club career

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Kuningas has played for PEPO Lappeenranta, Lahti, Lahti Akatemia and FC Inter Turku.[2] Kuningas started his football career in Luumäen Pojat where he played his first junior years.[3] Kuningas played same time in PEPO Lappeenranta and he made his debut with the PEPO first team in 2014.

Kuningas made the professional contract with FC Lahti in 2014. He made the debut in Veikkausliiga against FC Ilves on 19 July 2015 and he made the winning goal at the beginning of the second half.[4]

In 2015, Kuningas visited Brazil to get acquainted with the activities of Fluminense FC. He was invited to European high-level tournaments Spax Cup in Germany and Terborg Tournament in Holland according to the Fluminense FC U19-team.[5] The club management of the Fluminense FC wanted to hire him with a loan agreement from summer 2016. The transfer eventually failed with paperwork.[6]

Kuningas signed a contract with FC Inter Turku for the season 2018. FC Inter Turku won the Finnish Cup in May 2018 against HJK Helsinki 0-1 (0-0). Kuningas scored the winning goal in the 82. minute. He had been substituted to the field a moment earlier.[7]

In the season 2019 FC Inter Turku and Kuningas finished second place in Veikkausliiga.[8]

On 18 December 2020, USL Championship club Orange County SC announced the signing of Kuningas.[9]

On 18 January 2023, Kuningas returned to Lahti on a one-year contract.[10]

On 15 August 2024, after being without club since January, Kuningas signed with Ykkösliiga club Käpylän Pallo (KäPa) for the rest of the season.[11]

International career

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He has represented Finland at under-18 and under-19 youth level.[12][2]

Career statistics

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As of 26 October 2024.[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
PEPO 2014 Kolmonen 18 7 18 7
Lahti Akatemia 2015 Kakkonen 11 3 11 3
2016 Kakkonen 1 0 1 0
Total 12 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 3
Lahti 2015 Veikkausliiga 10 1 10 1
2016 Veikkausliiga 25 2 4 1 5 1 0 0 34 4
2017 Veikkausliiga 27 2 4 0 31 2
Total 62 5 8 1 5 1 0 0 75 7
Inter Turku 2018 Veikkausliiga 28 2 6 2 34 4
2019 Veikkausliiga 24 0 7 1 2[c] 0 33 1
Total 52 2 13 3 0 0 2 0 67 5
Lahti 2020 Veikkausliiga 22 3 3 2 25 5
Orange County SC 2021 USL Championship 33 3 0 0 33 3
2022 USL Championship 16 1 2 1 18 2
Total 49 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 51 5
Lahti 2023 Veikkausliiga 23 0 2 0 4 0 29 0
KäPa 2024 Ykkösliiga 6 2 6 2
Career total 242 26 28 7 9 1 2 0 281 34
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup and US Open Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

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Lahti[2]

Inter Turku[2]

Orange County[2]

Individual

References

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  1. ^ U18 (1997) maajoukkue
  2. ^ a b c d e Mikko Kuningas at Soccerway. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Mikko Kuningas nousee jalkapallon liigajoukkue FC Lahteen". LuumaenLehti.fi. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Kuningas FC Lahden sankarina – "Olimme parempia"". Veikkausliiga.com. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Mikko Kuningas Fluminensen mukaan". www.fclahti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Mikko Kuningas – Luumäen kuningas". www.fclahti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  7. ^ "FC Inter voitti miesten Suomen Cupin". www.palloliitto.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Veikkausliigan kausi 2019 - mestari, kauden parhaat, miten pelattiin?". SuomiFutis (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  9. ^ Communications, Orange County SC (18 December 2020). "Orange County SC signs Former Finland U-21 International Mikko Kuningas". Orange County Soccer Club. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Kuningas palaa Lahteen" [Kuningas returns to Lahti] (in Finnish). Lahti. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ Mikko Kuningas vahvistamaan KäPa-keskikenttää loppukaudeksi, kapylanpalloedustus.fi, 15 August 2024
  12. ^ "U18: Suomi avasi Baltic-cupin tasapelillä". Suomen Palloliitto (in Finnish). 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015.
  13. ^ Mikko Kuningas stats, Finnish FA
  14. ^ "FC Lahti palkitsi kauden parhaitaan". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 May 2020.
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