Lee Kang-jin and Takefusa Kubo, who have developed a cross-border friendship, have been in touch ahead of the Asian Cup.
According to Japanese media outlet Sacred Digest on Wednesday, Kubo revealed that he contacted Lee during a meeting with Japanese reporters.
"There is a story that I will play against Korea in the Asian Cup final and then my team will play against them," Kubo said, adding, "If I win the Asian Cup final, I think I can give them a draw for the first round of 16."
When asked about his conversation with Lee Kang-in, he said, "We talked about meeting each other, but the Japanese national team and the Korean national team don't have a day off." "I hope we can meet in the final," he said.
Lee and Kubo are playing for the South Korean and Japanese national teams, respectively, at the Asian Cup.
South Korea and Japan are two of the strongest favorites to win the tournament. Due to the bracket, the two countries will not meet until the final.
As Kubo said, after the tournament, they will return to their clubs and face each other again in the UEFA Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain, where Lee plays, and Real Sociedad, where Kubo plays, were drawn as opponents in last month's round of 16 draw. Paris Saint-Germain finished second in Group F (Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United), while Real Sociedad topped Group D (Inter Milan, Benfica, RB Salzburg).
Lee and Kubo, both born in 2001, were soccer prodigies in South Korea and Japan as youngsters and studied soccer in Spain together.
Valencia recognized Lee's talent while he was in South Korea in 2011 and offered him a contract. After developing his skills in the Valencia youth team, which is considered one of the best in Spain, Lee was promoted to Valencia B in December 2017 and made his senior debut on December 21 against Deportivo Aragon.
Kubo's path is both similar and different from Lee's. Kubo joined the Tokyo Verdi youth team in Japan as a second-grader, and then stood out at a Barcelona FC training camp in Japan before joining the Barcelona youth team in 2011.
But in 2015, when Barcelona was penalized by FIFA for violating the ban on transferring players under 18 to foreign clubs, Kubo returned to Japan and joined the FC Tokyo youth team.
In November 2017, a month before Lee was promoted to Valencia B, Kubo signed a professional contract with FC Tokyo. He moved to Yokohama F Marinos in 2018 and returned to FC Tokyo on loan in 2019 before returning to Spain in June 2019 when Real Madrid recognized his potential. In 2019, he was loaned by Real Madrid to Mallorca, where he established a relationship with the island.The pair joined Mallorca side by side in August 2021. Lee donned the Mallorca jersey after being released by Valencia on a free transfer, while Kubo was loaned to Mallorca from Real Madrid. In the 2021-22 season, Lee made 34 appearances (1 goal) and Kubo 31 (92). Mallorca was a team of opportunity for both players.
However, 2021-22 was their first and last season together. Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Kubo left Real Madrid to join Real Sociedad outright, while Lee remained at Mallorca. 안전토토사이트
Lee became an integral part of Mallorca's defense in Kubo's absence, scoring six goals in 39 games last season. Kubo's potential was immediately realized upon his move to Real Sociedad, and he emerged as one of the top players in the Primera Liga with nine goals in 44 games. Like Kubo, Lee left Mallorca for a bigger club, this time to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Lee has found consistent playing time in a star-studded squad that includes Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Most recently, he scored the winning goal in the French Super Cup against Toulouse, leading his team to victory and earning man of the match honors.
Speaking after the win over Portugal to advance to the round of 16, Lee said of Kubo: "He's a very close teammate and friend. He has a sensitive side, but he has helped me a lot. I just want to wish him the best. I called him in the morning when I saw the result, and he told me that he hoped Korea would beat Portugal and that he would see me in the quarterfinals." When Lee joined Paris Saint-Germain, Kubo posted a comment on the club's official channel with a clapping emoji and the words, "Congratulations!" They also share birthdays. On February 19, Kubo posted a photo of himself and Lee on social media with a congratulatory message, and on June 4, Lee wrote "Happy birthday, friend" in Spanish on social media.
When asked in September last year who his best friend in soccer was, Kubo said, "Lee Kang-in." "I was in touch with him even 10 minutes before (the interview). He stayed in Mallorca, but in my opinion, he is more suited to Real Sociedad's style of play. We are very similar, but there are also differences. He has a really good kick, he's very competitive, and he's a 10 out of 10 human being. Personality-wise, he's more Spanish than Korean," praised Lee.When the UEFA Champions League round of 16 draws were announced, the duo took to social media to show off their "best friend chemistry" as promised. First, Kubo posted the Paris Saint-Germain-Real Sociedad draw on social media and tagged Lee Kang-in, who responded in kind.
South Korea will be attempting to win the tournament for the first time in 64 years, since the 1960 edition. They are in Group E alongside Jordan, Bahrain, and Malaysia. Japan will compete in Group D with Iraq, Bethnhem and Indonesia.
The Asian Cup kicks off on Dec. 12 in Doha, Qatar, with South Korea opening the tournament against Bahrain on Dec. 15.