Yōichi Takahashi discusses Captain Tsubasa inspirations at Comic-Con Málaga

During a talk at Comic-Con Málaga, Japanese manga artist Yōichi Takahashi, creator of the iconic series ‘Captain Tsubasa’ (known in some regions as ‘Oliver and Benji’), shared insights into his work and football inspirations.

Takahashi identified Lionel Messi as the professional footballer most similar to his protagonist, Oliver Atom, and named Spanish player Pedri as the closest contemporary Spanish equivalent. He noted that the character of Oliver Atom was inspired by players such as Zico and Diego Maradona.

Regarding the character Mark Lenders, Takahashi stated that while he initially lacked a clear real-world reference, Cristiano Ronaldo became the closest match once the player emerged. The creator also explained that the series was born from an idea conceived during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, aiming to explore the theme of football in a manga market that was then dominated by baseball. He emphasized that the series is built on two pillars: showing children pursuing their dreams and conveying the joy of football.