Barcelona prospect takes a leap into the elite

Football always needs a little help from fate. Pau Cubarsí got his at the very last moment at MetLife Stadium in New York. With Argentina desperately pushing forward in the only spell of the match when they truly committed numbers in attack, Cubarsí produced a goal-saving clearance from a dangerous Giuliano Simeone header. Somehow, he managed to hook the ball away with his left foot after it had squeezed between the post and Unai Simón. It seemed impossible that it would not end up in the net. But to become world champion, that little nudge from the football gods is often just as essential as being the best team.

Cubarsí deserved that stroke of fortune. The wind that kept the ball out of Unai Simón’s goal crowned an extraordinary final: 96% passing accuracy from 121 passes, 21 of them line-breaking, along with six clearances. More importantly, it capped an outstanding World Cup built on a remarkable body of work. Where it mattered most, across Spain’s five knockout matches, Cubarsí ranked second among all centre-backs for quick recoveries with 21, surpassed only by his defensive mentor Aymeric Laporte with 27.

He also led all centre-backs in carries (60, ahead of Lisandro Martínez’s 51) and attempted and completed more passes than any defender in the knockout rounds, completing 362 of 387. In a World Cup where almost nobody dared to shoot from distance, Cubarsí even tried his luck twice. Another statistic underlines his composure: he was fouled four times while committing only three fouls himself throughout the knockout stage. Against both France and Argentina, he did not concede a single foul. The numbers tell one story, but the eye test said just as much. His partnership with the experienced Laporte became one of Spain’s greatest strengths and the foundation of the team’s balance.

This World Cup was Cubarsí’s coming-of-age, but the signs had already been there at Barcelona, where he steadily developed into one of Europe’s most complete young defenders. Hansi Flick, the coach who helped complete that transformation, famously described him as “the Lamine Yamal of the defence.” At just 19, Cubarsí has already made 128 appearances for Barcelona. At the same age, only Lamine has played more. For Spain, he already has 20 senior caps, with only Gavi (26) and Lamine (33) having earned more international appearances before turning 20.

Now Cubarsí can finally enjoy a well-earned break. He needs it. Since last August, he has logged nearly 5,200 minutes. Among the 83 players aged 21 or younger who featured at the World Cup, he ends the season with more minutes than anyone else and the third-most appearances overall (62), behind Arda Güler (63) and Nico O’Reilly (65).

Life is about to change for Cubarsí. “I may not be very media-friendly, but I’m starting to break through,” he told AS while sitting in the Cotton Bowl on the eve of the semi-final. The remarkable thing is that the best football of his tournament was still ahead of him. Coming from a grounded, working-class family, whose Fusteria Cubarsí carpentry business has been a fixture in Espanyol since 1905, he seems unlikely to let fame change him.

He is a remarkably level-headed young man. During their years in Barcelona’s academy, he was one of Lamine Yamal’s closest supports as the winger navigated his rapid rise. This summer will bring praise, sponsorship deals and almost certainly an improved contract at Barcelona. It will also bring new temptations and, perhaps, inevitable setbacks. Yet Cubarsí has all the qualities to establish himself among the world’s elite centre-backs for many years. If he follows the example of his idol, Carles Puyol, the future belongs to him.

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