About Manaka Matsukubo

Manaka Matsukubo (born 28 July 2004) is a Japanese professional football player who plays as a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played for Japan women's national under-20 football team and was an integral part of the team that made the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final. She made history in the NWSL when she became the youngest player to start in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup and also became the youngest player to score in the Challenge Cup.