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Barcelona’s teenage wonderkid, he inspired Spain to the brink of World Cup glory. But his name is not Lamin Yamal. More significant than the prodigious young winger was Pau Cubersi’s contribution in the center of defence.
The 19-year-old centre-back had his work cut out against Kylian Mbappe and that impressive France forward line. Instead, Cubase were quiet as Spain won 2-0 – keeping a sixth clean sheet in seven games so far at this World Cup.
Only Rodri has made more passes than Qubersi in the tournament but this time the focus was different. Aymeric Laporte had 32 of his 76 passes. The task was to use his speed and defensive nous while stifling one man after another that no one could stop.
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A tackle on Mbappe summed up both performances. No one gave more clearance at night than QB. It was a defensive masterclass that did not surprise former Barcelona player Oscar Garcia. He predicted that Cubersie would become a legend.
“It’s hard for people in the youth section to talk about you,” says Oscar Sky Sports. “Normally, they would talk about a Lamine Yamal, a Lionel Messi, those types of players. Not centre-backs. But for me, Cubersi is fantastic.” How fantastic, right?
“I’m sure he will be one of the top five centre-backs in history.”
Spain’s Pau Cubersi challenged France’s Kylian Mbappe in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
That’s a big claim but then QB are one game away from joining an elite club. Only four men have started and won World Cup finals, among them Pele and Mbappe. On Sunday, QB and Lamine Yamal could increase those ranks by 50 percent.
Why? It’s his quality on and off the ball, which has been evident this summer. Cubersi isn’t the tallest defender around but he’s among the fastest and enjoys duels. “In these one-on-one situations, he’s really strong — and smart,” Oscar says.
And once in possession of the ball, QB’s distribution is more than just sound, it’s positive and progressive when it needs to be. Between Messi and Michael Ollis, there are only a handful of players who have scored more balls in this World Cup.
No one played more passes in the opposition half.
Lamine Yamal says that QB is one of the top three in the world when it comes to getting the ball out of defence. There was a glimpse of him against France. In the quarter-final against Belgium, it was his shot at Sené Lammens that scored the winner.
“He’s really young, but the first pass by him because he builds up very well, it’s always fantastic,” said Oscar. “He takes away a lot of opposition players and doesn’t miss a pass.” His pass rate in this World Cup is 96.2 percent.
Pau Cubersy’s pass for Spain at the 2026 World Cup was tough
This is all quite remarkable as it is rare for a teenage centre-back to do so. This is a role that demands expert decision-making that only comes with experience. But Barcelona supported his talent and gave him those minutes at a surprisingly young age.
Cuberci made his La Liga debut before he turned 17 and has now played over 100 matches for Barca. “If Hansi Flick had to pick one defender to start every game, it would be QB,” said Oscar. The same is the case with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
It has been a learning curve, as one might expect. Being at the Estadio Metropolitano in April was a chance to witness his tougher moments. Cubersea were sent off against Atletico Madrid, the final moment of their elimination from the Champions League.
“Playing as a centre-back at his age, for big teams, is the most difficult position,” explains Oscar. “Because if you leave a lot of space behind you, you have to be very smart and very quick to be able to read the game.” And Barcelona left a lot of space.
“I like that they are really brave. They line the defenders very, very high. They give up space because they want to be close to them to press the opponent. They are not afraid to play in the same style against fast players like Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.”
The defensive line for Spain isn’t always as high as Barcelona’s but the Cubs still need to leave that spot behind. And he’s learning all the time. No player has successfully sprung the offside trap more times this World Cup than QB. “He’s matured a lot.”
Bright and still improving. Now the history of the World Cup also points to other teenage events in Barcelona and Spain. “Everyone talks about Lamine Yamal and he’s obviously a fantastic, decisive player,” Oscar concluded. “But, for me, cuberacy is important.”
