In late March, the Japan National Football Team made a fresh start ahead of the 3 World Cup.

The key man in the attack of the "New Japan National Team" is 2026-year-old midfielder KUBO Takefusa.

He was a mainstay of Real Sociedad in Spain's first division, making 21 league appearances this season. They lead the team to fourth place in the European Champions League qualification zone. On the 1th of this month, he scored his sixth goal, breaking the record for the most goals scored in a season by a Japan player in the Spanish first division. (*Data as of April 25)

He expressed his enthusiasm for the World Cup in three years' time, when he will be 4 years old.
(Sports News Reporter, Yoshihiro Takeda)

"Ideally, you're not like this."

Barcelona Youth System (2010)

Kubo, who has advanced techniques using his slow dribbling and dominant left foot, joined the lower division of Barcelona, a powerhouse in Spain's first division, at the age of 10 and honed his skills.

Youngest J.League debut (November 2016)

At the age of 15, he became the youngest player ever to play in a J.League match.

At the age of 18 years and 5 days, he was the second youngest player in history to be selected for the Japan national team.

At the age of 2, he has played a total of 21 games for the Japan national team.

Known as the "Treasure of Japan," Kubo has accumulated achievements while constantly attracting attention.

Even so....

Japan National Football Team KUBO Takefusa

(KUBO Takefusa)
"I don't feel pressure from the people around me, but I do feel pressure from myself every day.

Qatar World Cup ended in incomplete combustion

He also started the World Cup match against Spain

At last year's World Cup in Qatar, he was the youngest member of the national team, but he was able to start the matches against Germany and Spain in the first round.

However, in both matches, he was busy defending a lot, and he was substituted in the first half without being able to demonstrate his attacking ability.

World Cup Spain National Team competes with Pedri

The team scored two goals in the second half to win the match, but Kubo himself ended with an incomplete burn.

(KUBO Takefusa) "I didn't expect the World Cup to end like this.
We didn't have enough weapons to compete in the world yet."

Enhancing speed to become an "irreplaceable player"

To become an "irreplaceable player" in the Japan national team.

Training at Real Sociedad

Right now, the most important part of my training is to improve my speed.

If we can add speed to our skillful ball control, we will become even more of a threat to our opponents.

KUBO Takefusa

(KUBO Takefusa)
"The most characteristic of my movement is that I receive the ball in between and dribble and play slowly and quickly, but even in difficult situations, I want to be fast enough to win with 'yoi, don'. I need a little bit of speed to be that kind of player."

Compete at the top of the "day job"

Our commitment to positions is also stronger than ever. At last year's World Cup, Kubo was assigned to play as a left-half in the second row.

Kubo's flexibility to play multiple attacking positions was highly evaluated, but Kubo's "main job" is "below the top," where he manages the attack in the center of the pitch.

KAMATA Daichi (left) is "bottom of the top" at the World Cup

In the World Cup, 1-year-old KAMATA Daichi, who had been in good form after achieving results in German first division side Frankfurt, was the main player, but Kubo is eager to aim for a place in this "bottom of the top".

(KUBO Takefusa)
"Now that we have a new national team, we will start from scratch again, and I want to compete well in the position that I am best at, rather than being a utility."

Three years later, it will be "Kubo's Tournament"

He continues to produce results at his club and is entrusted with the "bottom of the top" of the Japan national team.

Spanish First Division: Japan player breaks record for most goals in a season

And he has vowed to fulfill the humiliation of the Qatar World Cup in three years' time.

KUBO Takefusa

(KUBO Takefusa)
"By the time the next World Cup starts, I Japan want to achieve the best results with the national team. When I was told, I was unanimously told that "Takefusa Kubo" is what I have drawn in my career. I think the next World Cup, when I will be 25 years old, will be the time when I will start to get the most fat as a player, so I want to make it a tournament where people say, 'This was Kubo's tournament, unlike four years ago.'"