Pau Cubarsi wins the 2026 World Cup Best Young Player Award.

Young Spain national team defender Pau Cubarsi has added another achievement to his 2026 World Cup resume after being named the tournament's Best Young Player. This award caps off his successful campaign that saw La Furia Roja claim the 2026 World Cup title.

A graduate of the La Masia academy, Cubarsi was Spain's undisputed first choice at the back throughout the entire tournament. He started and played the full duration of every match, including Spain's 1-0 final victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States on Monday, 20 July 2026 WIB.

Head coach Luis de la Fuente's full trust in the 19-year-old defender was completely repaid. Cubarsi recorded a total of 750 minutes of playing time across the 2026 World Cup, not counting stoppage time added in each fixture.

This total playing time puts him ahead of teammate Lamine Yamal, who drew the majority of public attention for his individual attacking displays. Yamal himself finished the tournament with one goal and one assist from 615 total minutes on the pitch.

Cubarsi's contribution was not only visible through his consistent full-match availability, but also through Spain's impenetrable defence. La Roja conceded just one goal across eight tournament matches, which came against Belgium in the quarter-final round. Spain kept clean sheets in all seven of their remaining fixtures.

Discipline was one of Cubarsi's greatest strengths. Despite playing the full duration of every match, he only received one single yellow card while marshalling Spain's backline throughout the tournament.

Alongside his proficiency at neutralising opposition attacks, Cubarsi also demonstrated elite quality when building play out from the defensive line.

Across the 2026 World Cup, he completed more line-breaking passes than any other Spain player, finishing with 173 successful progressive passes between lines. This statistic highlights his critical role in controlling the flow of play and initiating attacks for La Roja.

Thanks to this exceptional campaign, Cubarsi now joins an elite list of football legends who have previously won the World Cup Best Young Player award, including Pelé at the 1958 tournament and Franz Beckenbauer at the 1966 World Cup.