Barcelona surprised teenage rising star had to wait until the World Cup for long-deserved recognition | OneFootball

As FC Barcelona continue their pre-season preparations, Hansi Flick & co. are still without a number of first-team players, including the eight Spain players who won the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While the likes of Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres all made key contributions, Pau Cubarsi was easily the best Barcelona player at the tournament and was recognised with the Best Young Player of the Tournament prize.

Surprise inside the Barcelona dressing room

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, within Barcelona’s dressing room, there is growing frustration over the perception of Cubarsí’s rise.

Many teammates believe the defender has been performing at this elite level throughout the past season and cannot understand why broader recognition only arrived after he excelled with the Spanish national team.

The Best Young Player at the World Cup. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The World Cup undoubtedly elevated his international profile, culminating in him being named the tournament’s Best Young Player, but those inside the club feel his quality has been evident for much longer.

A huge physical workload

With the pre-season underway, few require more careful management than Cubarsi, who arrives after an extraordinary season in which he established himself as one of both Barcelona’s and Spain’s most important players.

The 19-year-old wonderkid played every possible minute for Spain during the World Cup. Including added time, his total reached 857 minutes, the highest of any player at the tournament.

His overall workload has been remarkable.

Since the start of the 2025-26 season, the 19-year-old has played close to 5,200 minutes across 62 matches for club and country, making him one of the busiest players in European football.

World champion at 19. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

According to FIFA data, Cubarsi also finished as the fourth-highest distance runner at the World Cup, covering approximately 86 kilometres during the tournament.

Spain’s possession-based style helped manage part of that workload, with an average of 3.9 kilometres walked and 3.7 kilometres jogged per match, but the overall physical demands remain significant.

Remarkably, since making his first-team debut for Barcelona, Cubarsí has not missed a single match through injury. The only Spain fixture he failed to play came because of minor ankle discomfort.

After one of the busiest and most successful seasons of his young career, Barcelona’s immediate priority is ensuring that one of their brightest talents gets the rest and recovery needed before another demanding campaign begins.