Real Madrid youngster Takefusa Kubo has warned his opponents that he is heading to the Olympic Games with the intention of winning gold with Japan, who take on South Africa in their opening game.
Kubo, who has been dubbed "the Japanese Messi", racked up 37 appearances across two loan spells at Villarreal and Real Mallorca last season, but it remains to be seen if he will be utilised by returning Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti in the 2021/22 campaign.
The tricky 20-year-old and Japan will be hoping to better their showing in 2016 when they failed to make it out of the group stage phase, with Nigeria and Colombia advancing.
"I'm going to the Olympics with the intention of winning," Kubo said earlier in July.
"I don't think that winning will close the gap between Japan and the world. However, I think that winning will be an appeal to the world, both for me and as a team.
"I want us to have a tournament that will surprise the world."
Kubo will come up against some familiar faces in their opening game of the tournament against South Africa, having faced the likes of Luther Singh and Thendo Mukumela at the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
