In Matchday 28, Real Madrid will return to the Visit Mallorca Estadi for the first time since their 1-0 loss there during the 2019/20 season. Takefusa Kubo played in that victory for RCD Mallorca when he was first on loan from Real Madrid, and had a terrific season on the island in 2019/20, scoring four times in 36 top-flight appearances at the age of just 18. Last season, Kubo played for Villarreal CF and Getafe CF on loan, making 37 appearances and scoring twice, including the goal which clinched survival for the Azulones towards the end of the season, before returning to RCD Mallorca for the 2021/22 campaign, again on loan.
Kubo is still only 20 years of age, but he is already a leader for RCD Mallorca and he has been one of their best performers over recent weeks. The Japanese winger forced the late own goal that earned a 3-2 victory over Athletic Club in February, while he has also played excellently in some of the team’s recent defeats.
He will relish the chance to take on his parent club once again this Monday night (9pm CET). Although he’ll hope to show the directors of Los Blancos that he is ready to join Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, Kubo will first and foremost want the three points for his current team.
84 LaLiga Santander matches at 20 years of age
Kubo made his LaLiga Santander debut in early September 2019, with the then-18-year-old showing glimpses of quality right from the start. A technically excellent attacking midfielder with a creative spark and liking for hard work, Kubo is already a senior international with Japan.
Born in Kawasaki on June 4th 2001, Kubo was no stranger to Spanish football when he signed for Real Madrid back in summer 2019, as he’d entered FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy aged just 10. He scored a whopping 74 goals in 30 games during his first season in Barcelona, impressing at each youth team rank until he returned to his home country in March 2015.
Kubo`s rapid development continued at FC Tokyo`s U-23 side, where the following November he became the youngest player to ever debut in the J1 League (15 years, 5 months and 1 day). A goal against Cerezo Osaka the following April made him the youngest ever scorer in the competition (15 years, 10 months and 11 days).
After a spell on loan at hometown club Yokohama F. Marinos, the 2019 J1 League season saw Kubo emerge as a regular goal scorer and creator for FC Tokyo’s senior side. So it came as no surprise that, after turning 18 in June, he returned to Europe and LaLiga Santander, with his signing a big coup for FC Barcelona’s arch rivals Real Madrid.
June of 2019 also saw the skillful left-footer make his senior international debut in a friendly against El Salvador, making him the second youngest player ever to earn a full cap with the Samurai Blue. He then featured in all three of Japan’s games at the 2019 Copa America in Brazil, as the invited Asian guests achieved notable draws against Uruguay and Ecuador.
Kubo was initially expected to spend his first season with Real Madrid’s Castilla youth team in Spain’s third tier, while training with then-coach Zinedine Zidane’s senior side. But his immediate impact during the senior side’s pre-season outings drew interest from several LaLiga Santander clubs and it was decided that a year at RCD Mallorca would best help him develop and settle on and off the pitch. Kubo, then, became the third Japanese player in Los Bermellones’ history, after Yoshito Okubo and Akihiro Ienaga.
After spending 2020/21 at Villarreal CF and Getafe CF, Kubo returned to RCD Mallorca after an amazing performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, carrying Japan to a fourth place finish with three goals and one assist, starting each of their six games.
Kubo has already racked up 84 appearances in LaLiga Santander despite still being just 20 years of age. His 85th will be a special one, when Real Madrid come to the Visit Mallorca Estadi.
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