The manga Olive and Tom plays its last match after 43 years of competition

The author of the football manga Captain Tsubasa, known in France as Olive and Tom, blew the final whistle on Friday after 43 years of acrobatic tackles and spectacular skylights enjoyed around the world.

Yoichi Takahashi's manga was first published in 1981 in the Japanese weekly Shonen Jump, and its hero, young football prodigy Tsubasa Ozora, inspired future sports legends like Zinédine Zidane, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi .

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The franchise, known as Holly e Benji in Italy and Super Campeones in Latin America, has seen numerous adaptations, in cartoons or video games, even inspiring statues in Mr. Takahashi's native neighborhood in Tokyo. But the 63-year-old cartoonist announced, in the latest edition of Captain Tsubasa magazine, that the series would end at the beginning of April, citing the deterioration of his health and the evolution of the manga industry. “This decision was not easy to make and may disappoint and sadden those who enjoy reading Captain Tsubasa, but I hope you understand it,” he wrote in a letter to readers. Takahashi said his characters would continue to exist in a different form.

The cartoon was broadcast in more than 100 countries, and the mangas have sold some 90 million copies worldwide, according to the specialist site Mangazenkan. Yoichi Takahashi, who became addicted to football while watching the 1978 World Cup on television, organized and won by Argentina, declared to AFP in February 2023 that he wanted through his work to popularize this sport in Japan, where the J -League was only established in 1993. He is also the president and owner of a football club, Nankatsu SC, which he hopes to see progress. “In Europe, it's completely natural to support your local club, but we didn't have this culture in Japan,” the mangaka explained to AFP, adding: “I didn't have a local club, so I wanted to create one myself.”