Pau Cubarsi: Becoming the Next Superstar From La Masia

Pau Cubarsi has quickly become a crowd favourite with the Blaugrana faithful. His impressive performances have endeared players and coaches alike to him. Cubarsi’s playing style has seen him draw comparisons with some of the greatest to ever play the game.

He is the youngest defender to represent the Spanish national team and the youngest defender to play in the Champions League knockout phase. Join Footballers’ Biographies as we explore the rise of this La Masia wonderkid from his record-breaking exploits to his future adventures.

Player Profile – Pau Cubarsi

Pau Cubarsí Paredes is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. He is a modern-day ball-playing defender with an impressive range of passing. 

He stands at 6 feet, a good height for a central defender, however, the most impressive aspect is his playing style and composure. Pau is primarily right-footed and has been known to put up a good fight against the best strikers in the world.

Player Profile Overview

Early Life

Pau Cubarsi was born on 22 January 2007 in Estanyol, Girona, Catalonia to Gloria and Robert Cubarsi. Pau’s parents played a pivotal role in his childhood and were significant in determining his path to success.

Throughout his childhood, he has always stated that his parents provided him with a loving and secure atmosphere and unfailing support for all of his endeavours. He still credits them with the successes he has achieved thus far.

Pau Cubarsi‘s Playing Style

Pau Cubarsi’s playing style revolves around his ability to bring the ball out and his decisiveness in defence. He likes to drive the ball up and thread passes to midfielders in the inside pockets.

Cubarsi also likes to send long balls to the winger on the flank to provide width and move opponents around. Pau likes to look for the forward pass, playing either short or long. However, Cubarsi can still be a bit erratic in his tackling.

He likes to fly into tackles when perhaps the best option would be to stay on his feet. However, it won’t be too long before his playing style justifies the comparison with former Barcelona legends Carles Puyol, Ronald Koeman and Gerard Pique.

Youth Career

Pau Cubarsí started his youth career with his hometown club Girona. He played for the club from 2014 – 2018 before leaving to join the famous La Masia on 1 July 2018 as a U12 player.

 Cubarsi became the third-youngest Barcelona player to debut in the UEFA Youth League, behind Lamine Yamal and Ilaix Moriba. He played and started in a 1–1 draw with Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Youth League.

Although He is still a U18 player, Curbasi has been promoted to the Barcelona B team and also receives frequent call-ups to the Barcelona senior side. Furthermore, He also played in the U17 World Cup in the 2023/24 season as a starter for the Spanish u17.

Senior Career

The 2023/24 season marked the turning point in Cubarsi’s young career. Barcelona’s manager Xavi called Cubarsi to train with the first team and Pau signed his first professional contract with Barcelona three months later. Xavi included the defender in the preseason squad for the 2023-2024.

Although Cubarsi had featured for the first team in a friendly in Dallas against Club America. He made his competitive debut for the club as a 16-year-old centre-back against Unionistas in the Copa del Rey. However, his first start came in the next league match against Real Betis in La Liga.

On his UEFA Champions League debut, he starred and won the Player of the Match in a 3–1 victory over Napoli in the round of 16 second leg match. He put in an impressive performance against Victor Osimhen in the match. At the age of 17 years and 50 days, He became the youngest player to feature in a Champions League knockout round.

He eclipsed Real Madrid’s defender David Alaba’s record of 17 years and 258 days. Cubarsi is the youngest defender to start in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. At the age of only 17 years and 79 days, he surpassed the previous record held by Georgi Shchennikov of CSKA Moscow.

International Career

Cubarsi has represented Spain from U15 to U17 youth levels before transitioning to the senior squad. Pau Cubarsi received his first senior national team call-up from national team manager Luis de la Fuente in March 2024.

He made his debut in the 1-0 friendly loss to Colombia. Pau Cubarsi came on in the 83rd minute to replace Al Nassr’s Aymeric Laporte. His debut appearance for Spain saw him become the youngest defender to ever play for Spain. At the age of 17 years and 68 days, he broke the record set by Sergio Ramos in 2005.

Pau Cubarsi: The Next Puyol?

Cubarsi has on several occasions named Carles Puyol as his idol, a player he has often been compared to amongst a host of other Barca legends. He has the leadership qualities to become a future captain as Puyol, having captained most of the youth sides he has played for.

However, Cubarsi appears to be more like Pique, if only because of his skill with the ball. Both centre-backs are adept at passing the ball and can do it all day. They also have comparable conceptions of space and they have similar body build.

Personal life Of Pau Cubarsi

Pau Cubarsi is a lifelong Barcelona fan and has achieved his dream of lining up for the club he supported as a child. He shares a special bond with fellow La Masia graduate Lamine Yamal. 

The pair have been inseparable since their formative years at La Masia. Furthermore, their promotion to the Barcelona main team means their relationship will continue to wax strong. 

Pau Cubarsí enjoys an enduring link of sibling love and companionship with his elder sister, Irene Cubarsí. She has always supported her brother through difficult life decisions by being a rock-solid tower of strength. 

Conclusion

The ascent and rise of Pau Cubarsi are nothing short of meteoric. His record-breaking exploits underline his immense talents that have seen him make his debut for the Spanish national teams and the first team of Barcelona.

With Cubarsi having yet to hit the peak of his career, there is no telling what his career holds for him. If his impressive rise is anything to go by, he may well end up as one of the greatest to ever play the game.