Pau Cubarsi exploded onto the scene at just 17, leaving the footballing world in awe. While he has spent the last two seasons navigating a turbulent transition to elite football amidst Barcelona’s tactical evolution, this World Cup has seen him recapture the masterful form of a midfielder operating in a centre-back’s role. His statistics place him firmly in the spotlight.

Few could dispute his status as a leading candidate for the Best Young Player award at the World Cup, nor his inevitable inclusion in the tournament’s ideal XI. Alongside Laporte and the rest of a backline that has been breached just once in 540 minutes, he has been exceptional. Beyond that defensive solidity, he provides a significant creative spark to the midfield and build-up play for Spain.

Cubarsí currently sets the pace for progressive passes across the tournament (82), ahead of Laporte (72). His precision is equally remarkable, with 73 of those passes successfully finding a teammate.

Pau Cubarsi, muy destacado en apartados de pase en el Mundial

While Spain's possession-based philosophy provides the platform, his distribution remains peerless. He leads the competition for passes into the final third—the game's most dangerous territory—completing 78 of 85 attempts. This puts him ahead of established playmakers and metronomes such as Xhaka (71), Leandro Paredes, Van Hecke (66), and even Rodri (66).

Having posted a 94.67% pass completion rate in La Liga last term, the Catalan defender has refined his game even further on the world stage. He has misplaced only 23 of his 523 attempted passes, achieving a 95.6% success rate—the highest of any player at De la Fuente's disposal.

Cubarsí also ranks third in the competition for vertical passes with 265, trailing only Rodri (279) and Marquinhos (267). Furthermore, he is averaging over 10 recoveries per match, cementing his place among the tournament's top eight performers.

Pau Cubarsí

Achievements