Pau Cubarsí

Pau Cubarsí
Cubarsí with Spain in 2026
Personal information
Full name Pau Cubarsí Paredes
Date of birth (2007-01-22) 22 January 2007
Place of birth Bescanó, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Barcelona
Number 5
Youth career
2014–2018 Girona
2018–2024 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 Barcelona B 9 (0)
2023– Barcelona 86 (1)
International career‡
2021–2022 Spain U15 6 (1)
2022 Spain U16 4 (1)
2022–2023 Spain U17 18 (0)
2024 Spain U21 2 (0)
2024 Spain U23 5 (0)
2024– Spain 20 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA World Cup
Winner2026 Canada–Mexico–US
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up2025 Germany
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2024 ParisTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:07, 27 August 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:05, 19 July 2026 (UTC)

Pau Cubarsí Paredes (born 22 January 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is considered one of the best young defenders in the world.

Formerly a Girona youth player, Cubarsí transitioned into being a La Masia talent, and he later made his senior debut for Barcelona on 18 January 2024, just days before his 17th birthday. He later won La Liga in 2025 and 2026 with the club.

A former Spain youth international, Cubarsí represented his country at every youth level from under-15 to under-23 level. In March 2024, he made his senior debut for Spain in a friendly against Colombia at the age of 17. Cubarsí went on to become a key member of the squad that won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, playing every minute of Spain's campaign and being named the tournament's Best Young Player.

Early life and education

Pau Cubarsí Paredes[2] was born on 22 January 2007 in Bescanó, Girona, Catalonia,[3][2] to Robert Cubarsí Vilaró and Gloria Paredes Parra. He has an older sister, Irene, who is a physiotherapist.[4] He grew up in the small village of Estanyol in Bescanó,[5] where four generations of his father's family had operated the family carpentry business, Fusteria Cubarsí, since 1905.[6] Cubarsí is a great-great-grand-nephew of the painter Ginés Parra.[7]

Cubarsí's first language is Catalan. While playing for Spain at the Olympic Games in 2024, he said that he rarely gave interviews because he was not fluent in Spanish, having only ever lived in Catalonia and used his native language.[8]

When attending high school, he trained in the morning and attended classes from 3 p.m. Teachers from Lleó XIII school[a] would go to La Masia (football academy in Barcelona) and give classes until eight in the evening. If he missed the class owing to games, he would ask for notes, or just pay extra attention the following day.[10] After graduation from high school, he sat university entrance exams and was due to begin a university degree in business administration and management in September 2025. He planned to leave his residence at La Masia, where he had lived through his teenage years, and share an apartment with his sister in Barcelona.[11][12]

Club career

Early career

Cubarsí began his career with Girona, before moving to Barcelona in 2018.[13] Having progressed through the academy, he became the third-youngest Barcelona player to debut in the UEFA Youth League, behind Lamine Yamal and Ilaix Moriba, when he started in an eventual 1–1 draw with Czech side Viktoria Plzeň.[13]

Barcelona

In April 2023, Cubarsí trained with the first team for the first time, having been called up by manager Xavi.[14] He signed his first professional contract with the club three months later, on 8 July.[15] He was included in Barcelona's pre-season squad ahead of the 2023–24 season.[16]

On 18 January 2024, Cubarsí made his first-team debut against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey, being subbed on in the 46th minute.[17] His first start came in the next match against Real Betis in La Liga, a day before his 17th birthday.[18] Two months later, on 12 March, he was named Player of the Match on his UEFA Champions League debut in a 3–1 victory over Napoli in the round of 16 second leg, in which he became the youngest player to debut at 17 years and 50 days in the competition's knockout phase, breaking former Bayern Munich defender David Alaba's previous record of 17 years and 258 days.[19][20] On 10 April, Cubarsí has become the youngest defender to start in the quarter-finals of the Champions League aged only 17 years and 79 days breaking the previous record held by CSKA Moscow's Georgi Shchennikov.[21] On 9 May, Barcelona announced that they had reached an agreement with Cubarsí for an extension until 30 June 2029, which has a 500 million euro buyout clause.[22][23]

On 25 February 2025, Cubarsí headed in his first goal for Barcelona, in a Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético Madrid which ended in a 4–4 draw.[24] In July, Sports Illustrated and ESPN ranked Cubarsí as the ninth and sixth-best centre-back in world football respectively.[25][26]

On 7 January 2026, Cubarsí started in Barcelona's 5–0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the 2026 Supercopa de España semi‑final, earning praise for a composed display in defense on a big stage.[27] In the first leg of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Atlético Madrid on 8 April, Cubarsí was sent off after a VAR review overturned his initial yellow card in the 43rd minute, with Julián Alvarez converting the resulting free kick as Barcelona lost 2–0.[28] At the end of the season, ESPN ranked Cubarsi fourth-best centre-back, in their annual list of Best Male Footballers in the World.[29]

International career

Cubarsí playing for Spain against France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals

Cubarsí has represented Spain from under-15 to senior level.[30] In March 2024, he was called up to the senior Spain team for the first time by coach Luis de la Fuente, debuting in a 1–0 friendly loss to Colombia.[31] He came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute replacing Aymeric Laporte, he became the youngest defender to ever play for Spain at the age of 17 years one month and 28 days, breaking the record previously held by Sergio Ramos in 2005.[32]

On 27 May 2024, Cubarsí was named in the 29-man preliminary squad for the UEFA Euro 2024.[33] However, on 7 June, he was excluded from the final squad prior to the tournament.[34] In July 2024, Cubarsí was selected in the Spain under-23 squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[35] He and Spain would go on to win the Olympic gold medal at the men's football event in the Olympics.[36]

Cubarsí with Spain against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup final

On 25 May 2026, he was included in Spain's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[37] Following Spain's 1–0 extra-time victory over defending champions Argentina in the final, Cubarsí won the Young Player of the Tournament Award.[38][39][40] He is best remembered for a providential 120th-minute clearance denying Argentina's Marcos Senesi, which secured Spain's victory in the final.[41]

At 19 years and 178 days old, he became the fourth-youngest player to feature in a World Cup final, behind only Pelé, Giuseppe Bergomi and his teammate Lamine Yamal.[42][43] He completed the second-most passes throughout the tournament, after compatriot Rodri – 668 out of 690 attempted – with a 97% passing accuracy. Moreover, with 121 passes in the final, he became one of only three players, aside from compatriot Rodri (101) in the same match, and Brazil's Dunga in 1994 (130), to complete over 100 passes in a World Cup final.[44][45] During the 2026 World Cup, Cubarsí and Spain also set new defensive records for the most clean sheets (seven) and fewest goals conceded (one) in a single edition of the tournament by a World Cup champion.[46]

Player profile

Syle of play

Cubarsí is regarded as one of the most promising centre-backs of his generation, noted for his composure, anticipation, and ability in possession. A ball-playing defender, he has been praised for reading the game "like a veteran" despite his young age, while his progressive passing and positional awareness make him well suited to teams that play a high defensive line.[47][48]

Reception

In July 2025, Sports Illustrated and ESPN ranked Cubarsí as the ninth-best and sixth-best centre-back in world football, respectively.[49][50] Former Barcelona midfielder and coach Óscar García said in July 2026 that he expects Cubarsí to become "one of the top five centre-backs in history", praising Cubarsí's one-on-one defending and ability to eliminate opponents with his passing.[51]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 27 August 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Barcelona Atlètic 2023–24 Primera Federación 90———90
Barcelona 2023–24 La Liga 190203[i]000240
2024–25 La Liga 3506113[i]02[ii]0561
2025–26 La Liga 3115010[i]02[ii]0481
2026–27 La Liga 1000000010
Total 861131260401292
Career total 951131260401382
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. 1 2 Appearances in Supercopa de España

International

As of match played 19 July 2026[52]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 202450
202550
2026100
Total200

Honours

Cubarsí holding the 2026 FIFA World Cup Young Player Award

Barcelona

Spain U23

Spain

Individual

Notes

  1. ↑ Escuela or Escola Lleó XIII in Barcelona[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 "European Under-17 Championship 2023 Booking List before Semi-finals" (PDF). UEFA. 28 May 2023. p. 2.
  3. ↑ Herrero, Laia Cervelló (9 May 2024). "Pau Cubarsi's Barcelona story and the tiny Catalan village that shaped him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Chauhan, Saransh (26 October 2024). "Introducing Pau Cubarsi's Family- All About Barcelona Star's Parents, Girlfriend, Sister & More". EssentiallySports. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "The rise of Cubarsi: From the village to the World Cup". fifa.com. 24 June 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Tomy, Meenu (19 July 2026). "Who Are Pau Cubarsi's Parents? Meet Robert Cubarsí and Gloria Paredes". Essentially Sports.
  7. ↑ "El futbolista del Barcelona Pau Cubarsí Paredes y su vínculo con Zurgena". Diario de Almería. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí reconoce tener problemas para hablar en castellano: "He hablado toda la vida en catalán"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Plan individualizado". LLeò XIII (in Spanish). 31 January 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Garratt-Stanley, Fred (1 November 2024). "Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi reveals brutal high school schedule with teenage starlet eyeing 'degree in marketing or business administration'". Goal.com Australia. Archived from the original on 23 July 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Football Espana (5 August 2025). "Barcelona star to begin university degree this September". Retrieved 23 July 2026 – via Yahoo Sports.
  12. ↑ Chadha, Aryan Suraj (4 August 2025). "Pau Cubarsi moves out! Barcelona defender reveals what he will study at university as he looks to gain independence by leaving La Masia". Goal.com Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 Gascón, Javier (1 November 2022). "Pau Cubarsí, 15 años, tercer debutante más joven del Barça en la UEFA Youth League" [Pau Cubarsí, 15 years old, Barça's third youngest debutant in the UEFA Youth League]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "¿Quién es Pau Cubarsí?" [Who is Pau Cubarsí?]. sport.es (in Spanish). 20 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí firma su continuidad en el Juvenil del FC Barcelona" [Pau Cubarsí signs his continuity in the Juvenil of FC Barcelona]. sport.es (in Spanish). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Martí, Anaïs (10 July 2023). "Así transcurrió el primer entrenamiento del Barça de Xavi 23-24" [This is how Xavi's first Barça training session went 23-24]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "Unionistas de Salamanca 1–3 FC Barcelona: One step closer". FC Barcelona. 18 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Record breaking XI against Betis". FC Barcelona. 21 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "Barcelona teenage sensation Pau Cubarsi breaks club Champions League record in place for 20 years with man-of-the-match display in European debut against Napoli". Goal. 13 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "FC Barcelona made a New Monster out of Pau Cubarsi". Soccersat. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  21. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí, a record breaking centre half". FC Barcelona. 10 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Agreement to extend Pau Cubarsí contract to 2027". FC Barcelona. 9 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Millar, Colin; Ballús, Pol. "Barcelona's Cubarsi signs contract extension through to 2027". The Athletic. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  24. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí scores first blaugrana goal". FC Barcelona. 25 February 2025.
  25. ↑ "The 25 Best Centre Backs in World Soccer—Ranked". Sports Illustrated. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  26. ↑ "2025 FC 100: Van Dijk among best center backs in men's soccer". ESPN. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  27. ↑ Clark, Gill (8 January 2026). "'Everyone wants a Clasico' – Pau Cubarsi hoping to face Real Madrid in Spanish Super Cup final". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  28. ↑ Mahmoud, Khaled (8 April 2026). "A brutal two minutes for Barcelona! Pau Cubarsi sent off as VAR intervenes to overturn yellow card before Julian Alvarez strikes for Atletico Madrid". Goal.com.
  29. ↑ "2026 FC 100: Where does Cubarsí rank among best center backs in men's soccer?". www.espn.ph. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Pau Cubarsí at WorldFootball.net
  31. ↑ "Pau Cubarsí vive en una nube: 17 años, puede hacer historia en la selección, titular con el Barça, MVP en Champions..." Marca (in Spanish). 15 March 2024.
  32. ↑ "Barcelona starlet Pau Cubarsi reacts to becoming Spain's youngest-ever defender in defeat to Colombia". Goal. 23 March 2024.
  33. ↑ "Euro 2024 provisional squad". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official | Final Spain squad for the Euro 2024 finals". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  35. ↑ "Spain name men's football squad for Paris Olympics: Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez included". The Athletic. The New York Times. 26 June 2024.
  36. ↑ "Fermín, Eric and Cubarsí win gold". FC Barcelona. 9 August 2024.
  37. ↑ "Los 26 que buscarán volver a reinar en el Mundial" [The 26 who will seek to reign again in the World Cup] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 25 May 2026. Archived from the original on 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Cubarsi wins Young Player". BBC Sport. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "Spain's Pau Cubarsí takes home FIFA Young Player Award after World Cup win". Yahoo Sports. 19 July 2026. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026.
  40. ↑ Imber, Leon (19 July 2026). "Spain's Rodri wins World Cup Golden Ball as Pau Cubarsi, Unai Simon also collect awards". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026.
  41. ↑ Riquelme, Gerardo (22 July 2026). "El milagro de Cubarsí del que nunca fuimos conscientes". MARCA (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  42. ↑ Carr, Harry (19 July 2026). "Spain 1-0 Argentina Stats (aet): Torres Decides World Cup Final as Fernández Sees Red and Messi Falls Short". Opta Analyst.
  43. ↑ Sagar, Sunaadh (19 July 2026). "FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Yamal first-ever teenager; Messi sets new World Cup records; Mbappe makes history". ESPN.
  44. ↑ "2026 FIFA World Cup: Player Statistics". FIFA.com. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  45. ↑ "World Cup 2026: Rodri's stock at all-time high as Spain midfielder adds to trophy collection". BBC Sport. 20 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "Torres puts Spain on top of the world". www.fifa.com. 19 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  47. ↑ Cervelló Herrero, Laia (20 July 2026). "Pau Cubarsi, the World Cup's best youngster who plays like a veteran but looks like an angel". The Athletic.
  48. ↑ Martínez Calvo, Silvia (11 February 2026). "Pau Cubarsí Scout Report At Barcelona 2025/2026: A Pillar Of Hansi Flick's High Line – Player Analysis". Total Football Analysis.
  49. ↑ "The 25 Best Centre Backs in World Soccer—Ranked". Sports Illustrated. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  50. ↑ "2025 FC 100: Van Dijk among best center backs in men's soccer". ESPN. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  51. ↑ Bate, Adam (15 July 2026). "Pau Cubarsi is Spain's other teenage star at this World Cup and 'will be one of the top five centre-backs in history'". Sky Sports.
  52. ↑ Pau Cubarsí at National-Football-Teams.com
  53. ↑ "Hansi Flick's Barça: League champions". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  54. ↑ "Barcelona Clinch 29th La Liga Title in Dominant El Clasico". SI. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  55. ↑ "FC Barcelona crowned Cup Kings in classic encounter". Real Federación Española de Fútbol. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  56. ↑ "FC Barcelona win the Super Cup in a final for the history books (2-5)". Real Federación Española de Fútbol. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  57. ↑ "Barcelona vs Real Madrid Highlights, El Clasico Supercopa Final: Barcelona Beat Real Madrid 3-2 In Thriller, Clinch 1st Trophy Of Season". NDTV. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  58. ↑ Ronay, Barney (9 August 2024). "Camello's extra-time double clinches football gold for Spain against France". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  59. ↑ Smyth, Rob (19 July 2026). "Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 World Cup – live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  60. ↑ "Portugal vs Spain - UEFA Nations League Final 2025". UEFA. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  61. ↑ "FIFA World Cup awards: Rodri, Cubarsi, Simon and Mbappe honoured". FIFA. 19 July 2026.
  62. ↑ "EA Sports FC 25 La Liga Team of the season 2024-25". LaLiga. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  63. ↑ "La Liga Team of the Season". EA Sports. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  64. ↑ "Pau Cubarsi named LALIGA EA SPORTS Under-23 Player of the Month for March". La Liga. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  65. ↑ "Rashford and Cubarsí win La Liga awards for April". FC Barcelona. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  66. ↑ "IFFHS MEN'S YOUTH (U20) WORLD TEAM 2024". 28 December 2024.
  67. ↑ "IFFHS MEN'S YOUTH (U20) CONTINENTAL TEAMS 2024 - UEFA". IFFHS. 1 February 2025.
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