Manaka Matsukubo
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North Carolina Courage
JapanManaka Matsukubo was born on 28 July 2004 in Kagoshima, Japan. A Japanese national, she plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea, after three years with North Carolina Courage. At club level, she won the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2023 with North Carolina Courage. Her individual honors include NWSL Midfielder of the Year (2025), NWSL Best XI First Team (2025), NWSL Challenge Cup Final MVP (2023), WE League Outstanding Player Award (2022–23), and FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Ball (2024). Internationally, she has 14 caps and 1 goal for Japan's senior team, as well as two FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup tournament appearances in 2022 and 2024. With Japan, she won the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2026 and the SheBelieves Cup in 2025.
Her 2025-2026 season:
Versatile Attacking Profile: Operates effectively across both forward and attacking midfield roles, recognized for creativity and game-changing technical ability in the final third.
Clutch Tournament Performer: Demonstrates high-level impact during pressure knockout matches, having scored both goals in a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup semifinal victory.
League Goal Creation: Led all NWSL midfielders in total goal contributions with 15 (11 goals, 4 assists) during the 2025 regular season.
Historic Scoring Milestone: Became the youngest player in NWSL history to score a hat trick at 21 years and 81 days old against Bay FC.
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