Takefusa Kubo: Current Teams, Villarreal, Transfer & Net Worth
By John Peck
Takefusa Kubo: Current Teams, Villarreal, Transfer & Net Worth
September 1, 2026
This article was last updated by Sujan on June 16, 2026
It is already hard for Asians to create a space for themselves in the international market. So, when one does make it successfully, you bet people are going to hear about it. Such is the case with Takefusa Kubo, also known as the Japanese Messi.
Just 19 years old, Takefusa has achieved many things that some people can only dream of. From playing for to his national football team, Kubo has almost achieved it all.
Takefusa Kubo now serves as a winger for Villarreal.Currently, the professional footballer serves as a winger for the Spanish club, , following his transfer in August 2026. Today, we will take a closer look at his career from his childhood to professional La Liga plays. Let’s get started then.
Takefusa Kubo: Quick Facts
Who is Takefusa Kubo?- Nationality and Family
Takefusa Kubo (久保 建英), who is famous as the Japanese Messi, is a professional footballer from the land of the rising sun. To be specific, Kubo was born in the small town of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. And he is the son of Takefumi Kubo, while the identity of his mother is unknown.
Apart from Kubo’s father, other information like their current whereabouts and status are not found in the media. Added to that, he has not mentioned much regarding his siblings as well.
Likewise, the same is the case of his education too. As for her nationality, Kubo is Japanese by birth and Asian by ethnicity.
How old is Takefusa Kubo?
Popularly known as the Japanese Messi, Takefusa Kubo was born in the year 2001. Hence he is 19 years old as of now. Aside from that, Kubo celebrates his birthday every year on the fourth of June, which makes his zodiac sign a Gemini.
And from what we know, people of this sign are some of the smartest yet centric people.
Likewise, Kubo being an athlete, is physically fit and mentally prepared. We can clearly see his agility and athleticism when we watch him play. The Japanese star stands at 5 feet 8 inches(173 cm) and weighs around 69 kgs.
From the looks, it is inevitable that Kubo trains himself regularly and maintains his diet to be ready for the field.
Aside from that, Takefusa is still a young and growing man in his late teen. We are sure, with time, Kubo will grow both in experience and as a player.
As for his demeanor, Kubo has short dark hair and the same pair of dark eyes.
The Japanese Messi- Takefusa Kubo’s Soccer Career
As we know by now, Kubo is popularly known as the Messi of Japan. But the journey alone to earn that title has been long and tedious for him.
Looking back at his career, Kubo started playing football ever since he could stand and run. He was just seven years old when Kubo began to as a player for FC Persimmon, a local club based in his home-city, Kawasaki.
Likewise, eight years old Takefusa got the MVP award at FC Barcelona Soccer Camp. In the following year, the FC Barcelona School team selected him to participate in the Sodexo European Rusas Cup, which was held in Belgium.
Takefusa Kubo in his younger daysHe returned home with another MVP award and started playing for the Kawasaki Frontale junior youth team.
Born to be a star, in August of 2011, this young Japanese boy passed the trial for FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, and eventually got an invitation to join them.
Upon his arrival, Kubo did not waste time and played for Barca Alevi. In the first full season and after playing 30 games, Kubo topped the goalscorer chart with 74 goals. Looking at his progress, he was then promoted to Barca Infantil A (U14) in his third full season, i.e., 2014-15.
However, it was later revealed the Spanish club violated FIFA’s transfer policy for under-18 youths, making Kubo ineligible to play. After all this, Kubo finally returned to Japan and immediately signed with FC Tokyo’s junior youth team.
From FC Tokyo to Real Madrid
Even though Kubo joined the team in 2016, he was promoted to the senior side by September when he was just fifteen.
Similarly, on November 5, he made his official debut for the reserve team in the J3 League as a halftime substitute for a match against AC Nagano Parceiro.
But his professional debut was at the J.League when he was 15 years, five months, and a day old. Following his debut, on April 15, 2017, Takefusa became the youngest player to score in the J.League. His goal got the team victory over Cerezo Osaka U-23.
With that being said, it took a short time for Kubo to make his debut for the first-team in J.League YBC Levain Cup. There he played for 25 minutes, where their team grabbed the win against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
Then by November 2017, FC Tokyo updated about Kubo’s contract improving and paying as a first-team member.
On August 16, 2018, Takefusa joined Yokohama F. Marinos on a half-year loan. Upon his debut with the Marinos, he scored in an away game against Vissel Kobe. From the start of the 2019 season, Takefusa became a regular for FC Tokyo in both J.League YBC Levain Cup and J.League.
Things really took a turn for the good in 2019 when the international club, Real Madrid, signed Kubo on a five-year deal. On June 14, he was registered with their U-19 team but was expected to play for Real Madrid B during the 2019-20 season.
Despite that, the young player was still featured alongside the first team during the Real Madrid pre-season tour of the United States and Germany.
Mallorca and Villarreal on loan- Where is Takefusa Kubo now?
On August 22, 2019, Kubo became the third Japanese player in Mallorca’s history to join after Yoshita Okubo and Akihiro Ienaga. He joined RCD Mallorca on a season-long loan and made his La Liga debut on September 1.
Even though their team lost to Valencia in a 2-0 loss, it was a memorable experience for him. With that being said, Kubo also became the youngest Japanese player to play in the Top 4 European league at 18 years, two months, and 28 days.
Along with that, Takefusa scored his first goal against Villareal on November 10, 2019, followed by his second goal on February 21, 2026. Two weeks later, Kubo scored his third goal against SD Eibar.
Further, on August 10, 2026, Kubo was loaned to Villareal CF until the end of the 2026-21 season. Apparently, the 19 years old was pursued by many clubs after establishing himself as a rising star during his last season.
Kubo spoke about his transfer to Villarreal at his introductory news conference. He said,
“I hope to polish my attacking game and make a contribution to the team. It’s important I show my own strengths and abilities to make my case for selection, and get involved in the game.”
Moreover, the move to Villarreal, who finished fifth last season, will give Kubo a chance to compete against some of the strongest clubs from across Europe in the UEFA Europa League. His transfer was even welcomed by Hajime Moriyasu, National and Olympic team head coach for Japan.
When asked about his return to Real Madrid, Kubo replied that moving to Villarreal was the best choice for the time being. Expected to play to his fullest, Takefusa indicated how he was ready to play any position required by the Villarreal manager, Unai Emery.
Takefusa Kubo | Stats
You can check the footballer’s PES 2026 Stats at
Net Worth and Salary- How much did Real Madrid pay for Kubo?
Japan’s pride and literally the Messi of Japan, Takefusa has established himself in the international football world with his dedication and impressive records. Along with that, Kubo, who is 19 at the moment, has played for many national and international teams.
Hence, looking at his achievements in the past few years, fame is not the only thing Kubo has under his name. As of
2026, this young man has earned a net worth of $5 million. Not to mention, his yearly salary on average comes to 2 million euros.
Likewise, it is an astounding amount for someone young like him, but we must know, all these earnings do not include endorsements and advertisements. We are sure he earns some more from other individual projects.
Takefusa Kubo is part of the National Football Team.
There is no denying that Kubo is brilliant in the field and has impressive stats to vouch for his skills. Thanks to that, Kubo became involved with Japan’s national team from U-15 to the senior level.
Moreover, at the age of fifteen, Kubo made it to the Japan U-20 national team for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. As soon as he turned 18, Takefusa was named to the squad for the 2019 Copa America, also marking his first call up to the senior team.
Likewise, Kubo made his debut on June 9, 2019, in a friendly match against El Salvador, a 67th-minute substitute for another prominent player,.
Takefusa Kubo | Social Media Presence
– 1 million Followers
Takefusa Kubo | FAQs
Why did Kubo leave Barcelona?
Kubo was forced to leave Barcelona when the club was under investigation that it was signing young players who were not of age. Moreover, they were accused of breaking FIFA regulations so Takefusa had to return to Japan.
Although Barca hoped to acquire the talented Japanese player back, it was announced that Real Madrid had signed Kubo for a six-year contract.
How old is Takefusa? Since the player was born on 4 June 2001, he is 19 years old as of now. Is Kubo a Real Madrid player? Yes, Kubo is a Real Madrid player.
What league is Kubo in?
The footballer is in the La Liga league.
Did Takefusa sustain an injury during the 2019 season?
Yes, the Real Madrid player sustained an injury to the face in 2019. As a result, he had five days off and missed a game.
Kriti is a senior content writer and editor for biography, news, and gossips. She has previously worked for TVShowStars under the alias "Kira." Besides being an avid reader and anime fan, she loves perusing through YouTube/Spotify and discovering Indie bands.
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