Okubo was born in Kanda, Fukuoka on June 9, 1982. After graduating from Kunimi High School, he joined J1 League club Cerezo Osaka in 2001. He played many matches as forward and offensive midfielder from first season. However Cerezo finished at the bottom place in 2001 season and was relegated to J2 League. In 2002 season, he scored 18 goals which was the 2nd top scorer and Cerezo was returned to J1 in a year. From 2003, he scored more than 15 goals in J1. He was also selected "Asian Young Footballer of the Year" award in 2003. In 2005, he moved to Spanish La Liga club Mallorca on loan. Although the club results were bad, Mallorca finished at 17th place and remained La Liga in 2004/05 season. Although he played many matches as substitute forward in 2005/06 season, his opportunity to play decreased from April 2006. In June 2006, he returned to Cerezo Osaka. At then Cerezo won only 1 match in 13 matches and at the bottom place of 18 clubs in 2006 season. Although he played as forward all matches excluding suspension, Cerezo finished at the 17th place and was relegated to J2 again. In 2007, he moved to J1 club Vissel Kobe. He played many matches as left midfielder in 2 seasons under manager Hiroshi Matsuda and scored more than 10 goals both seasons. In January 2009, he moved to Wolfsburg of the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg won the champions 2008/09 season which was first major title in the club history. In June 2009, he returned to Japan and re-joined Vissel Kobe. He played as forward all 19 matches and scored 8 goals in 2009 season. Although his opportunity to play decreased for injuries in 2010, he played as regular player until 2012. However Vissel finished at the 16th place in 2012 season and was relegated to J2 League. In 2013 season, he moved to Kawasaki Frontale. He played more than 30 matches every season and he became a top scorer for 3 years in a row until 2015 season. In 2017, he moved to FC Tokyo. In 2018, he returend to Kawasaki. However he could not as regular player and he mainly played as substitute forward. In June 2018, Okubo moved to Júbilo Iwata. In 2020, he moved to J2 League club Tokyo Verdy. In 2021, he moved to his first club Cerezo Osaka.
On May 31, 2003, Okubo debuted for the Japan national team against South Korea. He played many matches as forward including 2003 Confederations Cup under manager Zico. He was also selected Japan U-23 national team for 2004 Summer Olympics. He played all 3 matches and scored 2 goals. However he could hardly play in the match in senior team from 2004 and he was not selected Japan for 2006 World Cup. From 2008, he played many matches as offensive midfielder under manager Takeshi Okada. In 2010, he was selected Japan for 2010 World Cup. He played as left midfielder in all 4 matches and Japan qualified to the knockout stage. He also played at 2014 World Cup. He played 60 games and scored 6 goals for Japan until 2014.
496||203||35||19||33||12||12||1||576||235
39||5||1||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||40||6
9||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0||13||0
544||208||38||20||33||12||14||1||629||241
!Total||60||6
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone (born 28 April 1970) is a former Argentine football player. He has played for the Argentina national team. He is now the manager of Atlético Madrid.
113||17
202||32
198||35
513||84
!Total||106||11
Tsuyoshi Kitazawa
Kitazawa was born in Machida on August 10, 1968. After graduating from Shutoku High School, he joined Japan Soccer League club Honda in 1987. He was the top scorer of the league in the 1990/91 season. He moved to Yomiuri (later "Verdy Kawasaki", "Tokyo Verdy") in 1991. The club won the league champions in 1991/92 and 1991 JSL Cup. In 1992, Japan Soccer League was folded and the club joined new league, J1 League. Kitazawa, together with his teammates Kazuyoshi Miura, Ruy Ramos, Nobuhiro Takeda, Tetsuji Hashiratani and Bismarck made in the early 1990s the golden era of Verdy who won the J1 League championship (1993 and 1994) and J.League Cup (1992, 1993, and 1994). He finished his playing career as a Verdy player in 2002.
Kitazawa was capped 58 times and scored 3 goals for the Japan national team between 1991 and 1999. He made his international debut on June 2, 1991 in a friendly against Thailand, under national manager Kenzo Yokoyama. He was a member of the Japan team for the 1992 Asian Cup that Japan won. He took part in Japan's unsuccessful campaign to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. He was a member of the Asian final qualification stage that was held centrally in Doha and played two games. He was on the bench when the Iraqi's injury-time equaliser dashed Japan's qualification hope in the last qualifier, in the match that the Japanese fans now remember as the "Agony of Doha" (). Kitazawa was short-listed for the 1998 World Cup, but national manager Takeshi Okada dropped him along with Kazuyoshi Miura and Daisuke Ichikawa at the final training camp in Nyon, Switzerland.
Kitazawa represented Japan national futsal team in the 1989 Futsal World Championship hosted by the Netherlands.
336||57||28||9||41||10||405||76
336||57||28||9||41||10||405||76
!Total||58||3
Takeshi Mizuuchi
93||28||10||11||9||2||112||41
93||28||10||11||9||2||112||41
Masahiro Fukuda
Fukuda was born in Yokohama on December 27, 1966. After graduating from Chuo University, he joined Japan Soccer League Division 2 club Mitsubishi Motors (later "Urawa Reds") in 1989. In 1989/90 season, he scored 36 goals in 26 matches and became a top scorer. The club also won the champions and was promoted to Division 1. In 1992, Japan Soccer League was folded and founded new league J1 League. The club finished at the bottom place in 1993 and 1994 season. n 1995, he scored 32 goals and became a top scorer. In 2002, the club won the 2nd place at J.League Cup. He retired end of 2002 season.
On July 27, 1990, Fukuda debuted for the Japan national team against South Korea. In 1992, he was selected the Japan for Asian Cup which held in Japan. He played 4 games and scored 1 goal in the semifinal against China. Japan won the champions first time. In 1993, he played at 1994 World Cup qualification in Doha. However Japan failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. It was known as the "Agony of Doha" () in Japan. He played 45 games and scored 9 goals for Japan until 1995.
287||143||27||16||41||13||355||172
287||143||27||16||41||13||355||172
!Total||45||9
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano (4 July 1926 – 7 July 2014) was an Argentine-Spanish football player. He played for Argentina national team and Spain national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
90||59
102||89
329||227
521||378
!Total||6||6
!Total||31||23
Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa (Raymond Kopaszewski; 13 October 1931 – 3 March 2017) was a professional French football player. He has played for France national team and for Real Madrid.
In 1970 he became the first football player to receive the Légion d'honneur, and in 2004, Pelé named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony.
Kopa was born to a family of Polish immigrants in Nœux-les-Mines, France.
After finishing second in the French national youth football trials in 1949, Kopa began his professional career at the age of 17 with SCO Angers in Ligue 2 and was transferred two years later to Reims, with whom he won French championships in 1953 and 1955.
He won the 1953 Latin Cup with Stade de Reims, where they defeated AC Milan 3–0 in the final, and helped them reach the 1956 European Cup Final, which the team lost to Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid, 4–3.
Kopa was also the first French player to win the European Cup when Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2–0 in the 1957 final. He would go on to be European champion again in 1958 and 1959, the last against former side Stade de Reims, where Just Fontaine played.