Kubo Takefusa’s “Boo the Opponent Too” Comment Sparks Debate After Uruguay Match That Drew 40,000 Fans

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The story

On September 24, Japan’s national team beat Uruguay 3-1 at Q&A Stadium Miyagi. After the match, reports emerged that Takefusa Kubo had said something to the effect of “I’d honestly rather you boo when the other team gets a chance.” The comment split opinion on a thread in 5ch’s Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ (“Geisoku”) board. Some praised the “good manners” of applauding the opponent’s fine plays, while others fired back harshly, pointing to Kubo’s own form and his limited playing time at Real Sociedad, telling him to “let your own results speak first.”

“I think the atmosphere was good, but…”

On September 24, Japan’s national team faced Uruguay at Q&A Stadium Miyagi and won a close contest 3-1.

[Photos] Ratings for all 19 Japan players who played against Uruguay, plus the manager! Top marks went to the 23-year-old midfielder who made a stunning debut, while Ueda (1 goal, 1 assist) and match-winner Shiogai also earned high praise

Source: soccerdigestweb.com / Read the original article here

What people said

2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:51
Think he can catch up to Lee Kang-in? (the South Korean winger, a common comparison point for Kubo)
6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:58
Re: #2
Whoa, that was fast
Are you just refreshing the thread list nonstop?
36AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:41
Re: #2
Dude already lost out to Minamino, Ito, and Nakamura, lol
77AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:15
Re: #2
Probably a lost cause at this point
3AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:56
Re: #1
He doesn't need to show up for the national team for a while
though he might already be done for good
4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:57
Holding back on booing the opponent is actually something to be proud of, if you ask me
5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 09:58
Winning or losing a friendly doesn't matter at all — honestly getting thrashed would help the team more
Someone tell the JFA to book tougher opponents
7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:01
Maybe focus on doing well for your club first
8AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:03
This made it crystal clear Kubo's useless out on the right
He was only ever a functional player centrally, fed passes by Ito
16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:06
Re: #8
Anyone who actually watches Sociedad already knows that
27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:20
Re: #8
He's useless in the middle,
that's exactly why they stick him out on the right
9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:04
How could you possibly boo a team that flew in from literally the other side of the world in Europe to give a friendly their full effort
10AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:04
Don't ask the impossible from a fair-weather national-team crowd
It's not like they're Urawa Reds ultras
14AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:06
They just keep chanting "Oh, Nippon!" nonstop regardless of what's happening
15AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:06
What is this guy even talking about
Reminds me of Honda
17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:07
In Japan, if you boo at a soccer match, you're the one who ends up getting criticized for it
18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:09
Japan still isn't a truly hardcore soccer nation

It's often said the fans, refs, and coaches haven't caught up with how much the players themselves have grown
19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:09
A Sociedad bench-warmer sure has a way with words
25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:19
No one better than Kubo has come along
and even if someone does, they'll top out at Kubo's level anyway
28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:22
Typical Spain, where slurs fly around freely
29AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:22
A bench player from a club that's nothing special is the face of the national team
and yet that national team is actually pretty strong
Guess that really is down to manager Moriyasu
30AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:35
I get wanting to play comfortably at home, but
I don't think it's good to turn into one of those foreign crowds that boo whenever the other team attacks
And this was just a friendly, remember
We might come off as pushovers for it, but I think good plays deserve applause even when they're from the away side
If that's not acceptable, then soccer just isn't suited to Japanese fans
32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:36
> He doesn't want the crowd getting hyped up when the opponent gets a chance

What a gentle world
Nothing wrong with just enjoying the soccer for what it is
Drawing 40,000 people to Miyagi on a Thursday night right after a long holiday weekend is impressive though
33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:37
A foul is one thing, but booing the opponent just for getting a scoring chance seems like bad manners to me.
35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:39
Have people already forgotten how pathetic the World Cup showing was?
Given his own situation at his club, he's in no position to be telling fans something like that
Way too embarrassing
38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 10:45
Not booing Japan's own pathetic play, you mean? (lol)
54AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:29
Where exactly is Kubo supposed to play to actually be effective?
57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:33
Re: #54
Next to the commentator in the broadcast booth
65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 11:57
Re: #54
Sitting quietly on the bench
82AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:26
When did it get like this?
Back in the day people booed normally, and Jo (Shoji Joe, the former Japan striker) even had raw eggs thrown at him
Somehow it turned into players going home happy, praised for picking up litter in the stands instead
88AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:33
Re: #82
I'd guess the top supporter groups have just been tamed by the federation
91AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:41
Is "as long as it's entertaining, it doesn't matter who wins, even in an international match" a uniquely Japanese attitude?
96AnonymousSep 25, 2026 12:47
Re: #91
Number magazine reported that at this World Cup, Mexican fans were the most easygoing of all — even after a loss, neither the fans nor the media went hunting for a scapegoat

Background and Points of Debate

Even though it was only a friendly, the match drew over 40,000 spectators to Miyagi, and Takefusa Kubo’s comment drew attention against the backdrop of Japan’s soccer-watching culture. In some European leagues it isn’t unusual for fans to boo the opposing team’s good plays, whereas in Japan applause for the opponent and “omotenashi”-style (hospitality-minded) support have become the norm — Kubo’s request can be read as acknowledging that cultural gap. Opinions on the thread split over one specific point: whether to praise the suggestion as a matter of courtesy and fair-play spirit, or, given Kubo’s limited playing time and position at his club, to see it as a case where “results should come before words.” Kubo has been the subject of ongoing reports about his lack of playing time at Sociedad, and that context appears to be fueling much of the critical reaction.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Soccer] “I want you backing us up” — Takefusa Kubo makes an “unusual” request of a crowd of over 40,000: “I’d honestly rather you boo…”“.

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