Hungry Heart: Wild Striker tells the story of Kanō Kyōsuke, a teenage high-school student, who, at the beginning of the series, has just transferred into the Jyoyō Orange high school. Kyōsuke's older brother is the illustrious and extremely famous A.C. Milan soccer player, Kanō Seisuke, who had first taught him how to play and love the game of soccer and whom he has greatly admired since childhood. After Seisuke left Japan to sign with Italian powerhouse A.C. Milan, people started comparing Kyōsuke with his brother, and criticizing him due to his different playing style. Living in his brother's shadow, Kyōsuke's love for the game slowly started to evaporate and lessen, and he eventually lost most of his passion for it. After his transfer to Jyoyō and a fated meeting with Tsujiwaki Miki, an enthusiastic girl with a lot of passion for soccer and who soon reinvigorates his love for the game with her determination to excel, Kyōsuke's deep love and passion for soccer returns to its fullest and soon joins the Jyoyō soccer team, making several friends, such as his fellow freshmen, Sakai Jefferson, a talented goalkeeper, and Rodrigo, a passionate Brazilian transfer student. Kyōsuke, along with his friends at Jyoyō, invigorated with Miki's care and help, and by his love and determination to excel in soccer, takes on the best, and discovers an immense and determined passion for the game.