Who is Takefusa Kubo? - The 'Japanese Messi' tipped for success at Madrid

Martin Macdonald

• 15 Oct 2021 13:37 BST
• 6 min read

Real Madrid might just have the club's first ever Japanese superstar in the near future if young forward Takefusa Kubo continues to impress.

Kubo is already the first Japanese player to sign for Madrid which has already earned him plenty of media attention both at home and in Spain.

His development is regularly scrutinised as critics will be quick to suggest that his acquisition might be partly motivated by marketing reasons rather than footballing ones.

Whether or not he becomes a Galactico, though, Kubo is indeed a very talented young player.

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What position does Kubo play in?

Kubo is usually deployed as an attacking midfielder behind the striker, though he can also feature on the right.

How good is Kubo?

After starring for FC Tokyo in Japan, Kubo earned a well-publicised move to Real Madrid in 2019, with Los Blancos snatching him up from under the noses of Clasico rivals, Barcelona.

Although it was initially believed Kubo would feature for Madrid’s Castilla side or even the u19s, he was handed the opportunity for first-team senior football at Mallorca.

In the 2019/20 La Liga season, he made 23 starts for the islanders, scoring four goals and assisting a further four.

He returned to Madrid with his next move unclear. But, with plenty of suitors circling, Villarreal won the race to take him on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, with Real Madrid trusting that the player would receive significant playing time in order to aid his continued development.

However, this did not happen under head coach Unai Emery and Kubo eventually returned to Madrid again before moving to Getafe for six months.

In 2021/22 he has went back to Mallorca for another full season.

Due to his low centre of gravity and dribbling abilities, Kubo has already earned the, perhaps unfair, nickname of 'The Japanese Lionel Messi'.

He was one of the stars of the Olympics, too, and scored in each of Japans's group matches against South Africa, Mexico and France.

Mallorca executive Maheta Molango heaped praise on Kubo previously, telling Sportsmail:

"I was very, very impressed by Kubo when I met him," he told Sportsmail in a UK exclusive interview. 'He's super humble, super down to earth. It's not easy to keep your feet on the ground when you've been a superstar since you were 10.

"Kubo is very focused, very professional. That's also down to his family, they're very humble and hard-working. His talent is obvious, but the reason why he will one day be a football superstar is his head.

"He sees things that other people don't see, the ability to see a pass and pick a long ball. His intelligence is outstanding. He is very skilled technically but also very brave, he's not scared of the ball and of taking on responsibility.

"He's a natural leader and he's comfortable with the pressure. He has the ingredients to one day be a superstar."

What clubs are interested in Kubo?

It is unlikely Real Madrid will sell Kubo in the near future as they will want to see how he develops from his loan spell in Mallorca.

When does Kubo's contract expire?

Kubo's Real Madrid contract expires in June of 2024.

How old is Kubo?

Kubo was born on 4 June 2001. He is 20.

What is Kubo's height?

Kubo is just over 5ft 6in tall.

What is Kubo's weight?

Kubo weighs around 69 kilograms, or 10 stone and eight pounds.

What football boots does Kubo wear?

Kubo wears Adidas X Speedflow.1 soccer cleats.

What is Kubo's Instagram?

Kubo has 1.2 million Instagram followers as of October 2021.

Who is Kubo's girlfriend?

Kubo is not currently dating anyone publicly.