Barcelona dressing room surprised teenager needed World Cup to receive wider recognition – Report | OneFootball

Pau Cubarsi’s outstanding World Cup has finally pushed him into the global spotlight, but inside FC Barcelona there is some frustration that it took a tournament with Spain for many people to fully appreciate his level.

The 19-year-old played every possible minute of the competition and finished as the World Cup’s Best Young Player, further strengthening his reputation as one of the most complete young centre-backs in the game.

According to Mundo Deportivo, however, the feeling inside the Barca dressing room is that Cubarsi has been producing this level for the club throughout the season and should not have needed an international tournament to validate his talent.

The physical numbers make his season even more impressive.

Cubarsi played around 5,200 minutes across 62 matches for Barcelona and Spain, while no player spent more time on the pitch at the World Cup. His official total was 750 minutes, rising to 857 when added time is included.

He also covered 86 kilometres during the tournament, the fourth-highest total among all players.

That workload naturally means Barcelona will have to be careful when he returns from his holiday. New fitness coach Benjamin Kugel and the club’s physical staff are expected to manage the World Cup players individually, and Cubarsi should be one of the biggest priorities.

Barca already knew how good he was

From a Barcelona perspective, the World Cup did not reveal a new player. It simply gave the rest of the football world a bigger stage on which to notice him.

Cubarsi has been remarkably reliable since breaking into the first team. He has not missed a Barcelona match through injury and has only sat out one Spain game because of an ankle problem.

More importantly, the calm passing, anticipation and courage seen with the national team were already regular features of his club performances.

That is why the frustration inside the dressing room is understandable.

The World Cup has given Cubarsi the recognition he deserves, but Barca supporters have been watching this player for much longer.

Now the priority is making sure success does not come at a physical cost. Cubarsi has already proved he belongs among the elite. Barcelona’s job is to protect him well enough to keep him there for years.