Pau Cubarsi’s rapid progress with Spain has already surpassed Sergio Ramos’ early international record, with the Barcelona defender now regarded as the leading contender for the 2026 Golden Boy award.
Cubarsi, who is 19, is already a world champion – an exceptional achievement for a defender of his age. His involvement, however, is particularly notable because he played the full 750 minutes available to him at the most recent World Cup.
Giuseppe Bergomi was also a world champion with Italy at the age of 19, in 1982. But his role was very different from Cubarsi’s. Bergomi became Enzo Bearzot’s final option after Claudio Gentile missed the final, and played 236 of Italy’s 630 minutes at the tournament. Those minutes came across three appearances, while he remained an unused substitute for four matches.
Cubarsi has now returned to his established role in the Spain team after being rested for the meeting with Czech Republic in Oviedo, where he watched from the stands. He is back as the first-choice right-sided central defender, alongside Aymeric Laporte.
With his 20th birthday approaching in January 2007, Cubarsi has already won 22 caps for Spain. He began to be introduced gradually to the senior squad in March 2024, was left out of the European Championship squad, and then won an Olympic gold medal in the summer of that year.
Since October last year, he has become a key part of Luis de la Fuente’s plans. His latest strong performance has prompted comparisons with what Sergio Ramos had achieved at the same stage of his career.
In January 2006, Ramos was 19 years and nine months old and had made seven appearances for Spain. He was preparing to play at his first World Cup, held in Germany.
That tournament marked the beginning of a distinguished international career. Ramos went on to win two European Championships and one World Cup, while setting Spain’s appearance record at 180 caps – a total that no player had reached before or since.
Cubarsi’s 22nd appearance, against Croatia, further underlined his status among the world’s leading defenders and, in particular, as the outstanding player in his age group.
His development over the past year has been striking. Once viewed as an exceptionally promising defender, Cubarsi has now established himself at the highest level.
Much of that progress has been attributed to his intellectual maturity, which has helped him move beyond the mindset of a young player and develop the approach of a seasoned international.
