According to Sport, Spain's defense faced uncertainties heading into the FIFA World Cup in the US and Canada. Cucurella was set to start at left-back, and Laporte was Luis de la Fuente's primary center-back choice. Laporte's defensive partner had been unclear, but Cubarsi's flawless group stage performance has now firmly established him as a key player for the tournament.
The Barcelona rising star played every minute of the group stage alongside Laporte, who also did not spend a second on the bench. Their seamless partnership helped goalkeeper Unai Simón maintain a historic clean sheet streak. Spain has not conceded a goal, a testament to the team's overall defensive performance and the central defensive duo's excellence.
Cubarsi's statistics in his FIFA World Cup debut are remarkable. In the group stage, he averaged 104.7 touches, 93.6 passes with a 98% completion rate, 2.7 long passes, 5.3 tackles, 3 clearances, and 2.3 duels won per match. He was the second-highest passer in the tournament with 289 total passes, only behind teammate Rodri. Even more impressively, he maintained a 98.3% pass accuracy at such a high volume.
It is well established that Barcelona's youth academy produces excellent ball-playing defenders. Cubarsi's adaptability across different match scenarios is equally impressive—from Spain's attacking dominance against a compact Cape Verde defense, to the intense battle against Uruguay, to the comfortable victory over Saudi Arabia. At only 19 years old and far less renowned than teammate Yamal, this Catalan defender consistently performs with the maturity of a seasoned professional, always understanding what De la Fuente demands to maximize Spain's effectiveness.
His heatmaps from the three group stage matches are also telling. The defender covered substantial ground and frequently appeared in the opponent's half, with Spain's possession-based system constantly pushing him forward. His positioning reflects significant involvement throughout all 270 minutes played.
"Little Cuba" endured a rough challenge from Canobbio late in the Uruguay match but will continue contributing crucially in Spain's knockout campaign. With the tournament's real test now beginning, Cubarsi remains understated and unassuming, yet he continues to impress with each performance. One step at a time.
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