Joakim Latonen

Joakim Latonen

Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-02-24) 24 February 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Kaarina, Finland[1]
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	IF Gnistan
Number	10
Youth career
0000–2014	KaaPo
2015–2017	TPS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2021	TPS	81	(15)
2018	→ SalPa (loan)	8	(6)
2022	IFK Mariehamn	20	(2)
2023–	Gnistan	58	(30)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024

Joakim Latonen (born 24 February 1998) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club Gnistan, as an attacking midfielder.[3]

Club career

Early career

Latonen started to play football in a youth team of Kaarinan Pojat (KaaPo) in Kaarina.[4][5][6]

Turun Palloseura

Latonen joined the youth sector of Turun Palloseura (TPS) in the neighbouring town of Turku in 2015. He made his senior debut with TPS first team in Veikkausliiga in 2018. During the season, he occasionally represented the associate farm club Salon Palloilijat (SalPa), playing in third-tier Kakkonen.[7]

He spent four seasons with TPS, alternately in Veikkausliiga and second-tier Ykkönen, before his departure was announced in December 2021.[8][9]

IFK Mariehamn

For the 2022 season, he signed a one-year contract with IFK Mariehamn in Veikkausliiga.[10]

IF Gnistan

On 31 January 2023, Latonen signed with IF Gnistan in the second-tier Ykkönen.[11] He was named the Ykkönen Player of the Month in September and October 2023.[12] At the end of the season, Latonen won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in Ykkönen, and Gnistan were promoted to Veikkausliiga via supplemental process.[13] Latonen was also named the Best Player and the Best Forward in Ykkönen.[14]

On 2 January 2024, he renewed his contract with Gnistan, signing a one-year deal for the 2024 season.[15] On 24 February 2024, Latonen scored a hat-trick in a 5–2 Finnish League Cup win against EIF.[16] On 6 April 2024, Latonen scored the first-ever goal for Gnistan in Veikkausliiga, in the opening match of the 2024 season, an equalizer from penalty spot against Inter Turku. Gnistan eventually won the game 2–1.[17] On 13 April 2024, Latonen scored his first hat-trick in Veikkausliiga, in a 6–4 away win against Ilves.[18][19] During the 2024 Veikkausliiga season, Latonen made 29 appearances and scored 11 goals, making it his highest-scoring campaign in Finnish top-tier.[20] On 4 January 2025, Latonen signed a two-year contract extension with Gnistan.[21]

Career statistics

As of 19 January 2025[2]

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
TPS	2018	Veikkausliiga	11	0	3	0	—		—		14	0
	2019	Ykkönen	25	3	4	1	—		—		29	4
	2020	Veikkausliiga	20	1	7	2	—		—		27	3
	2021	Ykkönen	25	11	3	1	—		—		28	12
	Total		81	15	17	4	0	0	0	0	98	19
TPS II	2020	Kolmonen	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
SalPa (loan)	2018	Kakkonen	8	6	—		—		—		8	6
IFK Mariehamn	2022	Veikkausliiga	20	2	4	0	3	1	—		27	3
Gnistan	2023	Ykkönen	29	19	1	0	4	1	—		34	20
2024	Veikkausliiga	29	11	2	0	3	3	—		34	14
2025	Veikkausliiga	0	0	0	0	1	0	–		1	0
Total		58	30	3	0	8	4	0	0	69	34
Career total			169	53	24	4	11	5	0	0	204	61

1. Includes Suomen Cup
2. Includes Finnish League Cup and Ykkönen Cup

Honours

Turun Palloseura

• Ykkönen runner-up: 2019[2]

IF Gnistan

• Ykkönen runner-up: 2023[2]

Individual

• Ykkönen: Player of the Year 2023[14]
• Ykkönen: Forward of the Year 2023[14]
• Ykkönen Player of the Month: September 2023, October 2023[12]

References

1. JOAKIM LATOSEN URA JATKUU IFK MARIEHAMNISSA, fctps.fi, 15 December 2021
2. Joakim Latonen at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
3. Joakim Latonen, worldfootball
4. Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, J.Latonen, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto
5. Joakim Latonen teki jatkosopimuksen TPS:n kanssa, aamuset.fi, 22 January 2020
6. Tuskallisen hidas kasvutarina, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 5 April 2024
7. Aurinko, samettinen nurmi ja Joakim Latonen – SalPa murskasi BK-46:n, Salon Seudun Sanomat, Juha Tuuna, 10 May 2018
8. TPS:n viime kauden paras maalintekijä siirtyy liigaseuraan, Turun Sanomat, 15 December 2021
9. TPS:n kausi päättyi pahaan pettymykseen – lue arviot joukkueen jokaisesta pelaajasta, Turun Sanomat, 23 October 2021
10. "Offensiv kraft från TPS till IFK Mariehamn" (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
11. "JOAKIM LATONEN VAHVISTAA GNISTANIN KESKIKENTTÄÄ" [JOAKIM LATONEN STRENGTHENS GNISTAN'S MIDFIELD] (in Finnish). IF Gnistan. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
12. Joakim Latonen valittiin jälleen Ykkösen kuukauden pelaajaksi, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 28 October 2023
13. Helsinkiläinen lähiöseura hakee paikkaa Veikkausliigasta: ”Täyttää kriteerit”, Helsingin Sanomat, Jaakko Tiira, 11 November 2023
14. Captain's Ball 2023 Kaj Natrille – Katso kaikki palkitut, Veikkausliiga, 1 December 2023
15. JOAKIM LATONEN JATKOSOPIMUKSEEN GNISTANIN KANSSA, gnistan.fi, 2 January 2024
16. "Pelasimme hyvän ottelun" - Gnistan karkasi EIF:lta jo avausjaksolla, veikkausliiga.com, 24 February 2024
17. Gnistan ryminällä Veikkausliigaan! 100-vuotias seura kaatoi heti yhden ennakkosuosikeista, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 6 April 2024
18. Ilves – Gnistan, veikkausliiga.com
19. Joakim Latonen sai kuulla, että floppaa liigassa aina – kuinka kaikki kääntyi Gnistanissa? ”En ole mikään buddha”, Yle, 28 April 2024
20. Joakim Latonen stats, veikkausliiga.com
21. JOAKIM LATOSELLE KAHDEN VUODEN JATKOSOPIMUS, gnistan.fi, 4 January 2025