Barcelona star leading Real Madrid attacker in Golden Boy standings | OneFootball

A member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona currently finds himself sitting pretty atop the standings for the next ‘Golden Boy’ award. This comes amid confirmation on the part of Tuttosport that Pau Cubarsí is leading the pack.

Stopper Cubarsí is for his part of course fresh off a summer to remember on the international stage… After playing a central role in Barcelona retaining their La Liga crown, the 19-year-old emerged as one of Spain’s most vital contributors en route to clinching glory at the World Cup.

Alongside Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte, Cubarsí allowed just a solitary goal to make its way into the Spanish net across eight fixtures.

Shining on both sides of the ball, the stopper continued to build on his reputation as arguably the best young central defender in world football.

And as alluded to above, this status is very much reflected in the latest standings for the 2026 Golden Boy award. The Golden Boy, handed out on an annual basis by Italian outlet Tuttosport, is a prestigious prize handed to ‘the best player under 21 years old that plays in any of the European top tier leagues’.

The current shortlist for the accolade was revealed on Tuesday, and confirmed that Cubarsí sits in first place, ahead of Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal (ineligible owing to his status as a previous winner) and Real Madrid summer signing Yan Diomandé.

Conor Laird – GSFN