7 Takefuso Kubo, winger, 21 (Japan)

Known as the ‘’Japanese Messi’’, Kubo is set to be one of Japan’s most important players and they will need him at his best to survive a group of death featuring heavyweights Spain and Germany.

The pint-sized attacker had a brief stint with Real Madrid in 2019 and now plays for Real Sociedad.

A delight to watch with his tricky dribbling and speed, Kubo has been part of the Japan national teams from Under-15 to senior levels.

He helped the Under-23 team finish fourth in the 2020 Olympics on home turf.