Yoichi Takahashi compares his characters: Messi is Tsubasa and Cristiano, Hyuga

I grew up watching Oliver Atom and Mark Lenders go at each other in every match. That's why I find it so striking that Yoichi Takahashi himself spoke so openly about the real-life references for his characters. The author of Captain Tsubasa was at the Málaga Comic Con and didn't hold back: for him, Lionel Messi is the player who most resembles Tsubasa Ozora. And Cristiano Ronaldo is the one who embodies Kojiro Hyuga.

The statement came during a panel on football and manga. Takahashi explained that, among all international footballers, Messi is the one who best represents Tsubasa's spirit. When asked about Spain, he pointed to Pedri as the player who comes closest to that profile in the current national team.

It's not a recent whim. The author said it all began with the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Watching that tournament left a fixed idea in his head: to create a football manga. In Japan, baseball dominated the sports pages. Football was uncharted territory, and he wanted to show a group of boys growing up through sport.

Zico, Maradona and the birth of Tsubasa

The inspiration for Tsubasa didn't come from a single player. Takahashi cited two legends: Zico, the Brazilian who left his mark on Japan, and Diego Maradona. From them he took that mix of talent, leadership and love for the ball that defines the protagonist.

With Hyuga the story was different. At first, the Toho striker didn't have a clear reference. Takahashi admitted it without hesitation: when he started drawing him, he wasn't thinking of anyone specific. Until Cristiano Ronaldo appeared. That's when he saw the real-world Hyuga: power, a fierce shot and an ambition that cannot be negotiated.

I find it curious how time ended up proving the author right. Hyuga was born as a character without a mirror, and decades later he found in CR7 an almost exact copy of his attitude on the pitch.

The impossible techniques also have an origin

Takahashi didn't just talk about characters. He also explained where those absurd plays that made the series famous came from. The Tachibana brothers and their "Sky Hurricane" were born from a Japanese pro wrestling match. The author saw a wrestler throw his opponent through the air and wondered if he could bring that acrobatics to football.

Goalkeeper Ken Wakashimazu follows a similar logic. His movements incorporate martial arts. Takahashi said he used the idea of bouncing off surfaces to gain momentum, something typical of certain fighting styles, and adapted it to the goalposts.

That's one of the things I've always liked about Captain Tsubasa: even the most exaggerated techniques have an explanation behind them. It's not magic, it's sport taken to the extreme.

The author didn't give details about new projects or release dates. He simply reviewed the origin of his work, which remains alive through anime, video games and reprints. What he shared in Málaga helps us understand why Captain Tsubasa connected with so many people: behind the impossible shots there's a very simple idea of conveying the fun of football.

Did you also watch Messi and think of Tsubasa? I'll read you in the comments.