Pau Cubarsí

Pau Cubarsí, born on 22 January 2007 in Bescanó, Girona, is a Spanish centre-back. As of October 2026 he plays for Barcelona and the Spain national team. A former Girona youth player, he moved to Barcelona's La Masia academy in 2018.

France Football and L'Équipe name him as one of the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the award for the season's best men's player. The nomination follows a summer in which he was a key member of Spain's World Cup-winning squad.

Cubarsí made his Barcelona first-team debut on 18 January 2024, days before turning 17, and won La Liga with the club in 2025 and 2026. On his Champions League debut against Napoli in March 2024 he was Player of the Match and, at 17 years and 50 days, became the youngest player to appear in the competition's knockout phase, beating David Alaba's record.

He represented Spain at every youth level from under-15 to under-23 and won his first senior cap in March 2024 against Colombia, aged 17. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup he played every minute of Spain's campaign and was named the tournament's Best Young Player.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · France Football / L'Équipe