Pau Cubarsi played every minute of Spain’s 2026 World Cup campaign, won the FIFA Young Player Award, and finished the tournament as part of a defence that conceded one goal in eight matches. He was 19 years and 178 days old in the final, making him the fourth-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final, behind Pele, Giuseppe Bergomi and his own teammate Lamine Yamal.
Key Facts
- Young Player Award winner at the 2026 World Cup.
- Played every minute of Spain’s campaign.
- Completed 668 of 690 passes (97 percent), the second-most of the tournament.
- Made 121 passes in the final, one of only three players to complete more than 100 in a World Cup final.
- Spain set World Cup records for clean sheets (seven) and fewest goals conceded by a champion (one).
Spain’s Route Through the Tournament
| Stage | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group H | Cape Verde | 0-0 |
| Group H | Saudi Arabia | 4-0 |
| Group H | Uruguay | 1-0 |
| Round of 32 | Austria | 3-0 |
| Round of 16 | Portugal | 1-0 |
| Quarter-final | Belgium | 2-1 |
| Semi-final | France | 2-0 |
| Final | Argentina | 1-0 after extra time |
The One Goal Spain Conceded
The only goal Spain conceded came in the quarter-final against Belgium in Inglewood on July 10. Charles De Ketelaere headed in a Timothy Castagne cross in the 41st minute, beating Cubarsi in the air, after Fabian Ruiz had given Spain the lead. It ended a run of 650 minutes without a goal conceded.
Cubarsi also played a part in the winner. His long shot in the 88th minute was spilled by Belgian substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Mikel Merino followed up to score. In stoppage time, Aymeric Laporte volleyed away Belgium’s best chance from outside the box.
The Final
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute from a Nico Williams header. Argentina failed to register a shot on target. Enzo Fernandez received a second yellow card in stoppage time for a tackle on Cubarsi.
His Career So Far
Cubarsi has made 130 first-team appearances for Barcelona. His season was not without setbacks: he was sent off in the 43rd minute of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid on April 8, 2026, after a VAR review overturned a yellow card. Julian Alvarez scored from the resulting free kick and Barcelona lost 2-0.
His Spain debut came in March 2024 against Colombia, when he replaced Laporte in the 83rd minute.
Related Reading
Teammates Unai Simon and Lamine Yamal also won honours or set records at the tournament, and our 2030 outlook looks at who could challenge Spain next.
Sources: Wikipedia: Pau Cubarsi, AP via KUTV, Wikipedia: 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Wikipedia: Spain at the FIFA World Cup.