Apparently Japanese People Love Ivan Rakitic Because He Looks Like Goku

Barcelona star midfielder Ivan Rakitic was a big hit at the Club World Cup in Japan this month, but not for the reason you might think. Sure, he played well and Barcelona tournament, but the reason fans flocked to Rakitic is because he looks like Goku, the protagonist in the popular anime show "Dragon Ball Z."

Goku is beloved in Japan, and, because of that, now Rakitic is beloved in Japan. 

@ivanrakitic fa feliços als seus fans japonesos més incondicionals! @FCBtv @FCBarcelona_cat #yokohama #rakitic #fcb pic.twitter.com/PKzrEF23wl

— Edgar Fornós (@EdgarFornos) December 18, 2015

You have to admit, there's a bit of a resemblance here, even though the haircut is a bit off. And Goku has way bigger muscles than Ivan Rakitic.

#Barcelona conoce al jugador que se compara con Goku ► https://t.co/xuAMlDfoXQ #fcbarcelona #ivanrakitic pic.twitter.com/J2qOQqbOdf

— Sitiope.com (@sitiope) December 12, 2015

Unfortunately for Rakitic, he can never be like the real Goku. There is only one person in soccer who can actually go Super Saiyan: Miguel Herrera.

#NeverForget: Miguel Herrera "Super Saiyan" pic.twitter.com/R06hD8z85U

— (っ◕‿◕)っ チャド (@ThaChadwick) November 11, 2015

(H/T Deadspin)

Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus