At 21 years old, Kubo was the youngest player in Japan’s 2022 squad, participating in a historic competition where Japan defeated Germany and Spain before being eliminated by Croatia in a penalty shootout.

Now carrying increased responsibility, Kubo highlighted Japan's progress during the Asian qualifiers, noting that the team was the first nation to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “It was around the fourth or fifth match of the Asian qualifiers. We’d built up a lead of about six points, and it brought home for me how good we’d become. I feel like we’ve become more confident. It’s not just the results, but also how we’ve played and how cohesive we are as a team,” he said, as quoted by the FIFA website.

Kubo identified lessons from the defeat to Croatia in the round of 16 as pivotal to Japan’s growth. Although the match ended in a penalty loss, he believes issues during regular and extra time, such as intensity and attention to detail, were the actual causes of their exit. “That game really showed me how difficult it is to change history… We definitely realised that we were missing something. The record books show that we lost on penalties, but I think there was a lot we could have done better in the 120 minutes that came before that,” Kubo remarked. “At the World Cup, matches are decided by small margins. I think it’s really important to deal with every aspect of the game as thoroughly as possible.”

Kubo explained that while Japan adapts tactically to different opponents, their mental approach remains consistent. “We change our tactical approach based on who we’re playing, but mentally, we approach games the same way. Naturally, we always respect our opponent, but at the same time, we believe that we are fully capable of winning,” he added.

Japan’s fixtures at the 2026 World Cup are scheduled as follows: against the Netherlands on June 14 at Dallas Stadium, Tunisia on June 20 at Monterrey Stadium, and Sweden on June 25 at Dallas Stadium.

The 2026 World Cup squad includes goalkeepers Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, and Zion Suzuki; defenders Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Tsuyoshi Watanabe; midfielders Ritsu Doan, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, and Ao Tanaka; and forwards Keisuke Goto, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Kento Shiogai, Yuito Suzuki, and Ayase Ueda.