According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo has become the first player from the team confirmed to participate in this summer's World Cup. Japan has officially announced its final roster, and he will join the team for the tournament held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The Japan Football Association has released the final squad list for this summer tournament, and Kubo's inclusion in Hajime Moriyasu's lineup is in line with expectations. This will be Kubo's second World Cup appearance; he was Real Sociedad's sole participant in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Japan was defeated in the round of 16 by a Croatian team featuring Caleta-Car and Sučić.
After club competitions conclude, the Japanese team will first assemble in Japan for a warm-up match. Notably, their opponent will be Iceland, which also has Real Sociedad players. As Iceland failed to qualify for the World Cup, they will play Japan in Tokyo on May 31, serving as a "sparring partner" for the Japanese team.
After the warm-up match, Japan will head to their World Cup base camp in Nashville, USA. Japan is placed in a highly competitive Group F. Their first group stage match is on June 15 in Dallas against the Netherlands, followed by a match on June 21 in Monterrey, Mexico, against Tunisia. Finally, on June 26, they will once again face Sweden, led by Isak, in Dallas, which means Kubo will experience many long-haul flights.
The report points out that this season has not been easy or ideal for Kubo, and the World Cup will be an opportunity for him to prove himself and regain form, striving to return to Real Sociedad with renewed energy and feeling. Due to the World Cup and subsequent holiday arrangements, he will return to the Zubieta base later for pre-season preparations.