Takefusa Kubo left Japan at age 10 to join Barcelona’s La Masia before returning home when the club was sanctioned over international transfers. He later joined Real Madrid at 18 but departed without playing an official match for Los Blancos and has since established himself at Real Sociedad. He is 24 and has won the 2021 Europa League with Villarreal and a Copa del Rey with Sociedad.
Kubo is set to feature at his second consecutive FIFA World Cup and, the source notes, could play a pivotal role for an ambitious Japan side. His first World Cup in Qatar in 2022 included a difficult debut: he started the group opener against Germany but was replaced at halftime, with Japan scoring both goals after his substitution in a 2-1 win.
He did not appear in Japan’s shock loss to Costa Rica and was again replaced at the break in the final group match against Spain after suffering an injury. His substitute, Ritsu Dōan, equalized within three minutes and Japan went on to beat Spain. The injury ruled Kubo out of the round of 16 defeat to Croatia, which Japan lost on penalties.
Three and a half years on, Kubo is the sixth most-capped member of the squad with 48 appearances. Coach Hajime Moriyasu has adopted an adventurous 3-4-2-1 formation that typically deploys attack-minded wingbacks such as Dōan and Kaoru Mitoma, while Kubo — when fit — has frequently been one of the two No. 10s alongside Takumi Minamino.
Japan dominated the Asian qualifiers, scoring 54 goals and conceding three in 16 matches and becoming the first team to qualify for the World Cup apart from the co-hosts, according to the source. At one stage they won nine straight matches, scoring 38 goals while conceding none. Kubo finished the qualifiers with four goals and eight assists for a team-high 12 goal involvements.
Injuries have since altered Japan’s attacking options: Minamino effectively missed the upcoming tournament after tearing an ACL in December, and Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury playing for Brighton in their third-last match of the season. “His injury is so disappointing,” Kubo said when Mitoma’s absence was confirmed. “I got in touch with him directly but, naturally, it’s a tough time for him.”
