Leo Brian Kokubo

Leo Brian Kokubo started out as a forward on pitches in Chiba, switching to goalkeeper in the fifth grade after a scout from Kashiwa Reysol's academy spotted him. He moved through Kashiwa's youth ranks before leaving Japan at 18, in January 2019, to join Benfica's academy in Portugal. There he progressed through the U-19 and U-23 sides, played in the 2020 UEFA Youth League final against Real Madrid, and eventually broke into Benfica B, making his senior debut in January 2022 and going on to make 25 appearances in Liga Portugal 2. He was an unused substitute when Benfica won the 2023 Portuguese Super Cup.

In July 2024 Kokubo signed for Sint-Truiden on a free transfer, putting pen to a three-year contract, and quickly took over as the club's number one, starting 27 league matches in his first season.

At the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar he was Japan's starting goalkeeper throughout, and in the final against Uzbekistan he saved a penalty deep into stoppage time to protect a 1–0 win, a performance that earned him Man of the Match and sent Japan to the Paris Olympics. He played every one of Japan's four matches at the Games that followed. Kokubo had already featured for Japan at U16 and U18 level before becoming a regular for the U23s between 2022 and 2024, and in November 2025 he received his first senior call-up, for friendlies against Ghana and Bolivia, though he stayed on the bench for both.