Barcelona and Spain defender Cubarsi wins Golden Boy award

Barcelona and Spain centre-back Pau Cubarsi has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Golden Boy award.

The prize, which is handed to the best performer playing in European football under the age of 21, has now been won by four Barca players in the last six years.

Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal collected the prize in 2021, 2022 and 2024, respectively, and it cannot be awarded twice to the same player.

Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue scooped the award in 2025, while Kylian Mbappe (2017), Erling Haaland (2020) and Jude Bellingham (2023) are among the other recent winners.

Cubarsi is the first defender to land the award since Matthijs de Light in 2018, after he helped Barca defend their LaLiga title and Spain win the World Cup for the second time.

The 19-year-old was also named the Young Player of the Tournament at the World Cup and finished 12th in the Ballon d'Or voting, as one of six Spain players to make the top 20.

Cubarsi led all players in the final for touches (139), successful passes (121), passing accuracy (96%), line-breaking passes (21) and clearances (six) in July's World Cup final, as La Roja beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time, thanks to Ferran Torres' goal. 

There are only three instances on record (since 1966) of a player completing 100+ passes in a World Cup final. Cubarsi and his team-mate Rodri (101) are two of those, with Dunga the other, in Brazil's win over Italy in 1994 (130).

Cubarsi was one of two teenagers to start the showpiece match, alongside Yamal, as Spain became the first team to ever start multiple teenagers in a World Cup final.

Five players have now won the Golden Boy award while representing Barca, moving them further clear of Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United (three each) as the club with the most recipients.

Cubarsi has been named in Luis de la Fuente's latest squad, as Spain look to round off their Group A3 campaign with a perfect record, facing Czechia on Thursday and then England three days later.