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Manaka Matsukubo

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Manaka Matsukubo
松窪 真心
Manaka Matsukubo
Manaka with the North Carolina Courage in 2025
Personal information
Full name Manaka Matsukubo
Date of birth (2004-07-28) 28 July 2004 (age 21)
Place of birth Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan[1]
Height 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Position Forward / attacking midfielder[2]
Team information
Current team
 North Carolina Courage
Number 34
Youth career
2017–2022 JFA Academy Fukushima
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 JFA Academy Fukushima 46 (30)
2023– Mynavi Sendai 12 (4)
2023–2024 → North Carolina Courage (loan) 18 (2)
2024– North Carolina Courage 31 (12)
International career‡
2019 Japan U16
2022–2024 Japan U20 16 (7)
2025– Japan 9 (1)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Japan
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Runner-up Colombia 2024
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 November 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 24 October 2025

Manaka Matsukubo (松窪 真心, Matsukubo Manaka; born 28 July 2004) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Japan national team.

Manaka represented Japan at the 2022 and 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cups, reaching the final at both events and earning the Silver Ball at the latter, before making her senior debut in 2025.

Club career

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Mynavi Sendai

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Manaka made her professional debut for Mynavi Sendai of the WE League on 5 March 2023 and played 1,075 minutes across the season.[3] She helped the team to a fourth-place finish in her first year as a professional, scoring four goals and adding one assist.[4]

North Carolina Courage

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On 27 July 2023, the North Carolina Courage acquired Manaka on loan from Mynavi Sendai through the following June.[3] She made her NWSL debut on 27 August 2023, starting in a draw against the Chicago Red Stars.[5] On 6 September, she started in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup semifinal against the Kansas City Current, becoming the youngest player in the start a game in the tournament.[4] Three days later, she started in the final against Racing Louisville and scored the second goal of the 2–0 victory.[6] She was the youngest player to score in the competition and was named MVP of the title game.[4] Head coach Sean Nahas called her a "star in the making" after the game.[7] The following week, she scored her first regular-season goal against the Orlando Pride.[8] On 15 October, she assisted Tyler Lussi's winner against the Washington Spirit on the final matchday of the season, clinching a playoff berth for the Courage.[9]

On 27 June 2024, Manaka was signed by the Courage permanently through the 2025 season.[10] On 7 July, she scored her first goal of the season when she chipped Racing Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund from distance, earning a nomination for NWSL Goal of the Week.[11][12] On 5 October, after returning from the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she set up a goal for Aline Gomes and scored the game winner against the San Diego Wave, clinching a playoff berth and winning NWSL Goal of the Week for her header on a deflected cross from Ryan Williams.[13][14]

On 10 January 2025, the Courage extended Manaka's contract through the 2026 season.[15] She scored her first NWSL brace on 17 May, bagging both goals in the win over the Chicago Stars, and was named the NWSL Player of the Week.[16] On 21 June, she assisted Hannah Betfort's winner against the Houston Dash, becoming the second-youngest NWSL player (after Trinity Rodman) to record goal contributions in five consecutive regular-season games (four goals and three assists).[17] On 17 October, she scored her first NWSL hat trick in a 4–1 win over Bay FC, becoming the youngest NWSL player to score a hat trick, and was named NWSL Player of the Week for a second time.[18] She finished the 2025 season with 11 goals, third in the NWSL.[19] She was named NWSL Midfielder of the Year and NWSL Best XI First Team at the end of the season.[20]

International career

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Youth

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Manaka played for Japan's under-20 side during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2022,[21] scoring one goal as Japan made it to the final.

She was called up to play at the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup, scoring 3 goals, but she left early to return to her club.[22]

She was selected for her second FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2024.[23] In the semifinals, she scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over the Netherlands.[24] She scored three goals in all at the tournament and received the Silver Ball as its second-best player.

Senior

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Manaka received her first senior call-up to Japan in October 2024.[25] She made her senior international debut on 20 February 2025, coming on as a substitute for Maika Hamano during a 4–0 win against Australia at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.[24]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 5 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
JFA Academy Fukushima 2019 Challenge League 10 3 1 0 0 0 11 3
2020 Challenge League 12 9 1 0 0 0 13 9
2021 Nadeshiko League 2 14 13 2 2 0 0 16 15
2022 Nadeshiko League 2 10 5 1 1 0 0 11 6
Total 46 30 5 3 0 0 51 33
Mynavi Sendai 2022–23 WE League 12 4 0 0 0 0 12 4
North Carolina Courage (loan) 2023 NWSL 7 1 — 2 1 9 2
North Carolina Courage 2024 NWSL 14 2 — — 14 2
Total 21 3 — 2 1 23 4
Career Total 79 37 5 3 2 1 84 41
  1. ^ Includes Empress's Cup
  2. ^ Includes Nadeshiko League Cup, NWSL Challenge Cup

Honours and awards

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JFA Academy Fukushima

  • Nadeshiko Challenge League: 2020
  • Nadeshiko League 2: 2021

North Carolina Courage

Japan

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "松窪 真心 (in Japanese) - MATSUKUBO Manaka". JFA, Japan. 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  2. ^ Kassouf, Jeff (22 May 2024). "NWSL U-19 ranking: Shaw, Moultrie lead best young players". ESPN. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Courage acquire Japanese midfielder Manaka Matsukubo". North Carolina Courage. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Needelman, Josh (9 September 2023). "NWSL Challenge Cup MVP: Manaka Matsukubo makes history". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ^ Cascone, Arianna (10 October 2023). "How 19-year-old Manaka Matsukubo is already lighting up the NWSL – Equalizer Soccer". Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Courage defend NWSL Challenge Cup with win over Racing Louisville". CBC.ca. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  7. ^ Cattry, Pardeep (10 September 2023). "Manaka Matsukubo a 'star in the making' for North Carolina Courage after NWSL Challenge Cup win". CBS Sports. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  8. ^ Rantz, Susie (17 September 2023). "Pride beat Courage 2–1 in NWSL and move one point out of playoff position". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Recap: Courage grind out road win Sunday, earn home playoff bout". North Carolina Courage. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Courage extends Manaka through 2025". North Carolina Courage. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Recap: Courage down Racing Louisville, 3-1, Sunday". North Carolina Courage. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  12. ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (26 August 2024). "We're back with Goal of the Week for Week 16!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Clinched: Courage beat Wave to punch playoff ticket". North Carolina Courage. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  14. ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (8 October 2024). "Manaka makes her mark! 🔥" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "North Carolina Courage extends Matsukubo's contract through 2026". East Wake Times. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Manaka Matsukubo Named AT&T NWSL Player of the Week". North Carolina Courage. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  17. ^ Schnittker, Nicholas (26 June 2025). "Manaka's magic moment: Courage's young superstar shines bright in recent weeks". North Carolina Courage. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  18. ^ Schnittker, Nicholas (21 October 2025). "Manaka Matsukubo Named AT&T NWSL Player of the Week". Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  19. ^ "2025 NWSL Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b c Henderson, Cydney (19 November 2025). "2025 NWSL Awards live updates: Full list of winners, highlights". USA Today. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  21. ^ "U-20 Japan Women's National Team squad – FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ (8/7-28＠Costa Rica)" (in Japanese). Japan Football Association｜公益財団法人日本サッカー協会. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  22. ^ "女子サッカー TOP｜JFA｜公益財団法人日本サッカー協会". www.jfa.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Japan 1-0 Spain Quarter Final FIFA U20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024". FIFA. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  24. ^ a b Manaka Matsukubo at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  25. ^ "Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) squad & schedule - MIZUHO BLUE DREAM MATCH 2024 vs Korea Republic Women's National Team (10/26＠Tokyo)". Japan Football Association. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
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