'Japanese Lionel Messi' Talks Real Madrid, Dribbling And 'Room For Improvement'

Takefusa Kubo, whom some have dubbed the "Japanese Lionel Messi," recently got candid about his love for Real Madrid, dribbling skills and his plans for the future.

Despite starting his career at FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Kubo developed a love for the club's Spanish rival, Real Madrid. The once phenomenal Barca academy star insisted that he envisions himself representing Madrid until he reaches the pinnacle of his young career.

In a recent interview with France Football, Kubo said that he has been working hard to become one of the best players in the world. The Japanese youngster also emphasized that Los Blancos is the club he has always wanted to play for.

"My dream has always been to become one of the best players and I'll not stop working to achieve that," Kubo said. "I've always said that my aim was to play for Real Madrid. That is what I'm working towards and I'm doing the best I can. I like being able to play football in one of the best leagues in the world."

Kubo has already earned comparisons to Messi. Aside from fairly resembling the physique of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, fans and pundits likened Kubo’s dribbling skills to those of a young Messi. In fact, in the recent 2019/20 La Liga season, Kubo statistically dribbled like Messi, a feat no other player had accomplished during the season.

But for Kubo, dribbling is only one part of his game. The 19-year-old pointed out that he still has a lot of things to improve on in the coming years.

"I like receiving the ball in between the lines or in the middle, where there are more people, then try and be decisive. My dribbling technique is everything I've learned playing football up to now and, as I've got a lot of years ahead of me, I've got a lot of room for improvement," he told the outlet.

But putting in years into improving his game is not a problem for Kubo, who said he has never gotten tired of playing the sport.

"When I was small, I used to play football a lot, from eight in the morning until sunset. I never got tired of it," he shared. "It's my passion and football has been a large part of my life since I was a kid. I play football with the only intention of improving."

Kubo also admitted that during his notable loan seasons with Real Mallorca, he had developed a good relationship with his teammates. He acknowledged the affection he received, but ultimately, Kubo is grateful to Mallorca as the club that made him "grow as a player and also as a person."