Barca World Cup Spotlight: Pau Cubarsi and Pedri shine for Spain in slender Uruguay win | OneFootball

Barcelona’s Spain contingent were in action yet again at the 2026 FIFA World Cup last night as they faced Uruguay in a potential group decider.

La Roja would have wanted to win and finish first at all costs to avoid facing Argentina in the round of 32, and they did just that thanks to a solitary goal from Alex Baena.

It was a game in which not much football was generated, with Uruguay looking to make the match more physical than tactical, but it still had its moments.

Before that game, though, France took on Norway in yet another promising clash on paper, and Ousmane Dembele and co. put four past a second-string outfit.

Jules Kounde featured in that match from a Barcelona perspective, and he continued his good form at the World Cup with yet another solid display.

Egypt also played out a tightly contested 1-1 draw against Iran, and Barça Atletic starlet Hamza Abdelkarim got a few minutes off the bench.

Barcelona had one of their busiest World Cup days so far, with seven players involved across Spain, France and Egypt.

Here is how they fared.

Jules Kounde vs Norway

Kounde was decent at best against France. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

Kounde started for France in their 4-1 win over Norway, a match dominated by Ousmane Dembele’s first-half hat-trick.

Les Bleus finished with 57 percent possession, 18 shots, nine on target and 557 passes.

For Kounde, this was not a headline performance, but it was a useful one. France’s attack did the damage early, which changed the nature of his night.

Once they were ahead, his job became about concentration, defensive spacing and avoiding unnecessary risk.

Kounde needs this World Cup to help him rebuild confidence and sharpness. He remains one of Barcelona’s most valuable defenders, and he has started really well.

The Norway goal and penalty chance showed France were not perfect defensively, but none of it can be put on the Barça man.

Pedri vs Uruguay

Pedri was once again the engine. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Spain beat Uruguay 1-0 to top Group H, finishing with 67 percent possession and 553 accurate passes, while limiting Marcelo Bielsa’s side to just one shot on target.

Alex Baena scored the only goal in the 42nd minute after a move that began with Lamine Yamal on the right, while Uruguay finished with 10 men after Agustin Canobbio’s stoppage-time red card.

Pedri started for Spain in a game that demanded patience more than sparkle.

Uruguay made the match physical, narrow and awkward, which meant the Barcelona midfielder had to spend much of his time helping Spain keep their structure.

This was not Pedri at his most magical, but it was still important. Spain’s possession did not always flow through Pedri in the most dangerous zones.

The Canary Island midfielder was tackled repeatedly on the night, and it was very sensible of Luis de la Fuente to take him off at around the hour mark.

Pau Cubarsi vs Uruguay

Pau Cubarsi was one of Spain’s quiet standouts.

Cubarsi put on a strong performance. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Uruguay tried to make the game uncomfortable, but Spain’s centre-backs kept the match from turning chaotic.

Cubarsi’s calmness on the ball again stood out, especially in a match in which one bad pass could have invited pressure.

He also had chances to score, heading wide from a Baena corner in the first half and missing from close range after another cross.

Cubarsi is playing like someone Spain already trust in knockout-level games. For Barcelona, that is hugely encouraging.

He is not just being protected as a young player; he is being used as a serious part of a team trying to win the tournament.

Lamine Yamal vs Uruguay

Lamine Yamal started again, and Uruguay clearly treated him as one of Spain’s main dangers.

Lamine Yamal looked exhausted. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Uruguay began aggressively and worked hard to deny him space on the right, with Guillermo Varela and the rest of the defence staying tight to him.

That is the new reality for Lamine. At 18, he is already being double and sometimes even triple-marked at the World Cup.

He still had an important involvement in the winning goal. The slight disappointment is that he did not explode into the game the way Barça fans know he can.

When he was taken off, he looked completely exhausted, and he still does not seem to have 100 percent match sharpness.

Ferran Torres vs Uruguay

Ferran Torres came into the match with something to prove, and his biggest moment arrived late.

He nearly sealed the win for Spain in the 86th minute, but his right-footed effort from inside the area hit the crossbar.

That moment summed up his tournament so far. He continues to find good positions, and that matters, but the final action still needs to be cleaner.

A goal there would have changed the tone of his night completely.

Dani Olmo vs Uruguay

Dani Olmo was a second-half substitute vs Uruguay. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Dani Olmo started on the bench but came on in the second half as Spain looked to keep control and add more quality between the lines.

His best chance came after a cross from Lamine in the 63rd minute, but he could not convert from the middle of the box.

That was a frustrating moment because it was exactly the kind of action Olmo usually reads well.

He finds pockets, arrives at the right time and gives Spain a different type of final-third presence. This time, the finish was missing.

Still, once he came on, he showed Luis de la Fuente exactly why he made a mistake by not starting him.

Olmo is the glue in La Roja’s midfield and should be a fixture in the starting line-up once the knockouts begin.

Hamza Abdelkarim vs Iran

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 15: Hamza Mohamed Abdelkarim of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and Egypt at Seattle Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Hamza Abdelkarim’s story is very different from the others, but it may be one of the most interesting from a Barcelona development angle.

For an 18-year-old Barcelona Under-19 forward, simply being involved in this kind of match at this stage is a major experience.

There was also a remarkable late moment involving him.

Iran thought they had scored a stoppage-time winner, but the goal was ruled out for offside after VAR, with the offside line judged against Hamza as the second-last opponent because Egypt’s goalkeeper had left his goal.

For a young attacker, being alert in that kind of defensive scramble says something about concentration and match awareness.

Overall, this was a strong Barcelona day without being perfect. The standout was probably Cubarsi, simply because of how natural he looks at this level, but the others had their moments too.