At the age of just 21, Takefusa Kubo has already compiled quite the footballing journey - despite not being a household name among football fans.
Not many professionals can say they have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Kubo can. The Japan international was tipped to become one of the best footballers in the world when he was at the famous La Masia academy, with Kubo scoring 74 goals in 30 games for Barca's Under 12s in the 2012/13 season.
That impeccable goal record drew comparisons to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, with many comparing Kubo's high-octane dribbling skills, inch-perfect shooting ability and his wicked left foot to the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. However, the Spanish giants were later found to have violated FIFA's international transfer policy for Under 18 youths, making Kubo ineligible to play for the club.
