How Takefusa Kubo Can Rewire Japan’s Attack for the 2026 World Cup

2026年5月19日

How Takefusa Kubo Can Rewire Japan’s Attack for the 2026 World Cup

Takefusa Kubo’s job for Japan is no longer just to beat a full-back on the right. He now looks like the player who connects Japan’s buildup to its final action: receiving under pressure, moving defenders, and then deciding whether the next touch should be a through ball, a cutback, or his own shot.

That matters because Japan already has pace and width on the left. What changes the ceiling of Hajime Moriyasu’s side is whether Kubo can turn the right side into a control point instead of a waiting room.

Kubo was included in Japan’s 26-man squad announced by the JFA on May 15, 2026.
He scored against Bahrain on March 20, 2025, as Japan sealed qualification for an eighth straight World Cup.
Japan have also used him in more than one role: right-sided attacker, inside creator, and a more central link player behind the striker.
At club level, LALIGA’s January 2025 analysis highlighted not only his dribbling, but also his final-third passing and high-impact runs.

Key point: Kubo’s value is not only in goals or dribbles. It is in how he shifts defenders and gives Japan cleaner chances through the middle and at the far post.

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Why his role is bigger now

Kubo went to the 2022 World Cup as a talented young attacker. He heads toward 2026 as a player Japan expect to shape matches from the opening whistle.

The difference is visible in both club and national-team usage.

For Real Sociedad, he has not just stayed wide and waited for isolations.
For Japan, he has already produced in different match types: open games, tighter qualifiers, and moments when one action changed the result.
At 24, he is at the age where Japan should treat him as a central piece, not a future project.

That is why the most useful way to view him is not as a right winger in the old sense. He is becoming Japan’s attacking organizer.

What Kubo already proved in qualifying

Before talking tactics, the basic point is simple: this is not a speculative promotion.

Kubo already affected key World Cup qualifying matches.

Against China in September 2024, he contributed to a 7-0 win with a goal and a set-piece that helped open the scoring.
In the away match against China in November 2024, he again helped move Japan forward from the right and from dead-ball situations.
Against Bahrain in March 2025, he scored late as Japan confirmed qualification.
Against Indonesia in June 2025, he finished with one goal and two assists, showing he could be both the creator and the finisher.

Those games matter because they show range. Kubo did not only shine in one script. He produced in comfortable wins, but he also had useful actions when Japan needed precision rather than chaos.

What Real Sociedad added to his game

His club development explains why this version of Kubo is more important to Japan.

LALIGA’s January 2025 feature on him made three points that fit the national team almost perfectly.

He advances the ball, not just the play on his flank

According to LALIGA’s data-based analysis, Kubo was Real Sociedad’s player with the most passes into the final third at that stage of the season.

That is a serious indicator of role, not decoration. It means he was not simply receiving wide and trying tricks. He was helping carry the team into dangerous zones.

For Japan, that changes the geometry of the attack. If Kaoru Mitoma stretches the left side, Kubo can receive on the right, step inside, and decide where the next advantage appears.

His dribbling has a purpose

Kubo’s dribbling is still one of his clearest weapons, but the important detail is what happens after the beat.

LALIGA also placed him among the league’s top 10 in completed dribbles and in high-impact runs, defined as runs that lead to a shot within the next two actions. That is exactly the kind of profile Japan need against compact defenses.

A defender gets pulled out. A passing lane opens. The striker stops being isolated. The far-side winger arrives at the back post. Kubo’s carry can trigger all of that.

He can still finish the move himself

Japan do not need him to become a pure playmaker.

They need him to remain a threat in the box and around it. His goal against Bahrain and his output against Indonesia matter for that reason. In tournament football, some matches do not allow for long, clean combinations. A loose ball, a sharp first touch, or a quick left-footed release can decide the night.

The three roles that could define his World Cup

Kubo’s influence is easiest to understand in three specific jobs.

1. The right-sided controller

Japan often build around strong left-sided thrust. That makes the right side’s job different.

Kubo can hold the ball on the right, draw pressure, and then switch play or combine inside. If he gives Japan time on that side, the whole front line becomes less predictable.

2. The connector behind the striker

This may be the most important part.

Whether Japan use Ayase Ueda or Koki Ogawa up front, the striker works better if someone nearby can read both feet-to-feet combinations and runs in behind. Kubo can do that from a half-space position. He does not have to dominate touches to improve the structure.

When he receives half a step inside, Japan’s No. 9 is less likely to get stranded.

3. The problem-solver when the game stalls

World Cup matches always have frozen spells. The team needs someone who can restart them.

Kubo offers several ways out:

a set-piece delivery
a foul won in a tight area
a dribble that bends the back line
a shot when the move looks stuck
a short passing exchange that finally gets Japan facing goal

That combination is rare. It is also why his role feels larger than a traditional winger’s role.

What this means for Japan’s attack

Japan’s attack becomes harder to read if Kubo is more than a touchline outlet.

If he stays wide all game, opponents can separate him from the striker and crowd the center. If he moves between the right wing and the inside channel, defenders have to make worse choices. Step out, and he slips a pass behind. Stay compact, and he can turn into space or combine with the overlapping runner.

This is where the article’s main answer sits: Kubo can move Japan’s attack by turning possession on the right into chances anywhere across the front line. That is a bigger function than beating one defender and sending in a cross.

What to watch before and during the tournament

The next questions are practical ones.

How often does Japan keep Kubo wide, and how often do they bring him inside early?
Which striker pairing gives him the best passing options?
Can Japan punish opponents who overload Mitoma’s side by using Kubo as the weak-side creator?
Against deeper blocks, can Kubo create enough without needing transition space?

Japan do not need Kubo to do everything. They do need him to make the attack more connected, less one-paced, and more dangerous in the final decision.

If Japan want to push beyond their old ceiling at the 2026 World Cup, that is the version of Kubo they need: not only the right-sided dribbler, but the player who designs the decisive chance.

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