Kubo, Kagawa, Honda, Uchida, Okazaki and Nakamura: comparison of Japanese players’ first Champions League seasons

Four years after moving from FC Tokyo to Real Madrid in June 2019, Takefusa Kubo finally experienced the Champions League this season, which he had been craving for.

Although Real Sociedad, his club in the Basque country, won Group D ahead of Inter, Benfica, and Salzburg, they succumbed to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, losing 2-0 in Paris and surrendering 2-1 at home. Only registering one shot per match and seeing Kylian Mbappé’s sublime performance, Kubo must have been reminded of the level of this competition.

“I think they are the best team in the tournament in terms of individuality,” Kubo said after the match on WOWOW. “Losing to them is frustrating for us as a team aiming to play good football, but I think it was a proper opportunity for me to look at myself as an individual.”

It sounded as if he was inspired by Mbappé, who scored a magnificent goal to clinch the encounter despite being always marked closely by his opponents.

However, looking back at the group stage, the 22-year-old from Japan made some impressive performances. In the fourth round in the group against Benfica, Kubo led the attack to help his team win 3-1 and advance to the knockout round, being selected Man of the Match as well.

Kubo has played 563 minutes and eight games in total in his first season at the top competition but recorded no goals and no assists. How is it compared with his predecessors’ maiden voyages in the tournament such as Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Okazaki, Atsuto Uchida, and Shunsuke Nakamura?

Uchida reached last four while Nakamura scored two brilliant free kicks

Kagawa, currently playing for Cerezo Osaka in the J.League, debuted in the 2011-12 season under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.

His first Champions League appearance came in the 2011-12 season with Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund. Coincidentally, Kagawa was 22 years old at the time, same as Kubo nowadays, and played six group matches, 355 minutes, scoring one goal against Arsenal. However, Dortmund failed to advance to the knockout stages, finishing bottom of the table with one win, one draw and four defeats.

Keisuke Honda also recorded one goal but it was more shockingly executed. In the 2009-10 season, the then 23-year-old lefty attacker joined CSKA Moscow in winter and debuted in the tournament at the round of 16 against Sevilla.

In the second leg away from home, he assisted Tomáš Necid’s opener and went on to score from direct free kick, a superb knuckle shot. In the quarter-final, CSKA lost to José Mourinho’s Inter, eventual winners of the tournament in the season, but it is their highest achievement. That means the impressive goal by Honda created history.

Honda’s friend, Shinji Okazaki made his first appearance in the top tournament, aged 30 in the 2016-17 season, after miraculously winning the Premier League with Leicester City. He scored the opener against Club Brugge in the group stage and helped Leicester proceed to the quarter-final.

Currently one of the most popular football pundits in Japan, Uchida accomplished the remarkable feat, reaching the semi-final on his first attempt. In the 2010-11 season, though the then 23-year-old right back for Schalke was in his first year in Europe, he secured his place in September and became a key player, playing a full part in 11 matches from the second group stage onwards.

He assisted Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s goal with an accurate cross in the fifth game of the group stage against Lyon. The German side topped Group B and went on to beat Valencia in the round of 16 and Inter in the quarter-finals, where Yuto Nagatomo played for, to reach the semi-final.

That was an incredible achievement but in terms of impressions, Nakamura might be the best. After three seasons in Serie A, he moved to Celtic and immediately won the league, qualifying for the Champions League.

The following season, at the age of 28, he made his Champions League debut and scored two goals and assisted three in the group stage, leading his team to the round of 16. His goals from two direct free kicks against Manchester United’s Edwin van der Sar are pure legends.

Now, Real Sociedad are sixth in La Liga, 12 points off fourth place (at the end of matchweek 28) and far from qualifying for the Champions League. Kubo and his teammates will be desperate to have another chance at the highest stage next season.

Notable Japanese players in their first Champions League seasons

Shunsuke Nakamura

• 2006-2007 Celtic: last 16
• played 8 matches (661’), 2 goals, 3 assists

Keisuke Honda

• 2009-2010 CSKA Moscow: last 8
• played 4 matches (311’), 1 goal, 1 assist

Atsuto Uchida

• 2010-2011 Schalke: last 4
• played 11 matches (990’), 1 assist

Shinji Kagawa

• 2011-2012 Borussia Dortmund: group stage
• played 6 matches (355’), 1 goal

Shinji Okazaki

• 2016-2017 Leicester City: last 8
• played 7 matches (336’), 1 goal

Takefusa Kubo

• 2023-2024 Real Sociedad: last 16
• played 8 matches (563’), 1 assist