 Takahashi conceptualized Tsubasa as a strong player who would appear in multiple mangas as he grew up.To make the character's career stand out, Takahashi decided Tsubasa would never lose a match (though has lost once), stating that readers like strong characters.While there were no major influences in the making of the character, Takahashi linked Tsubasa with other real-life players including Kazuyoshi Miura and Lionel Messi.