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Samuel - December 7, 2024
Pau Cubarsi is the most talked-about recent talent to emerge from the Barcelona’s La Masia academy, and is gaining global prominence.
Cubarsi is a talented defender who has forced his way into Barcelona’s first team and established himself as the team’s defensive anchor.
The Spaniard is not only one of the Barca’s greatest defenders right now, but also one of the best in Europe, as proven by his defensive statistics.
Cubarsi has proving his worth not only at club level, but also with the Spanish National team and the 2024 Olympic winning squad.
He now ranks alongside Lamine Yamal, Thiago Alcantra, Pedro Rodriguez as one of best talents to emerge from the La Masia academy.
Therefore, we will examine the Spaniard’s rise to prominence, his impact on the Barcelona team, and what the future holds for him.
Pau Cubarsi will have an eventful 2024, as it was the year he made his debut and achieved global recognition for his defensive prowess.
He made his first-team debut for Barcelona senior team on January 18 2024, as a substitute against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey.
He got the attention of head coach Xavi Hernandez in that game due to his outstanding performance, which demonstrated his strength and tackle precision for a player his age.
Cubarsi’s rise to the first team was fueled by Barca’s injury crisis during the 2023/24 season, as well as the club’s failure to spend owing to Financial Fair Play rules.
This troubles within the club pushed Xavi to turn to the La Masia academy and choose players who are showcasing their ability and showing signs of potential for the first team, which is gift in disguise for a talent like Pau Cubarsi.
Following Andreas Christensen’s injury, Xavi had the option of replacing him with Pau Cubarsi, who had made an impressive debut as a substitute against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey.
This opportunity ushered Cubarsi’s rise, as he took advantage of it, solidifying his role in the first team and continuing to improve with each game.
The Spaniard made his Barcelona’s senior appearance at the age of sixteen, joining Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati as one of the club’s youngest players, with Yamal holding the record for the youngest player to make a senior debut aged fifteen.
Since his debut in January, Cubarsi’s has played an important role in Barca’s defense under previous manager Xavi Hernandez and current coach Hansi Flick.
His main qualities are his ball control, game reading, accurate ball passes, tackles, effective ball management, calmness on the ball and his unrivaled physical strength for a 17-year-old player.
Going forward, his impact on the club has been significant thus far under Hansi Flick, as his prowess has enhanced the team’s ball progression from the back, employing line breaking passes to disrupt opponent’s press.
His mastery of the game and ball intelligence is unparalleled, and he is the primary reason for Hansi Flick’s high line tactics’ effectiveness.
Furthermore, his tackles and ball recovery abilities are superb and extremely useful against fast-paced wingers, as evidenced by his legendary performance against Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe in the recent El Clasico encounter with Real Madrid.
Cubarsi’s ability to make accurate long passes has been vital in the team’s setup, with his passes between the lines breaking low blocks by finding Lamine Yamal, Raphinha for a counter with a single pass.
Cubarsi is currently the finest among his pairs and one of the best defenders in La Liga so far this season.
He is poised for a bright career after starting at La Masia, one of the world’s best football academies that has produced stars like likes of Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba.
The Spaniard has had an incredible start to his career, as the essentials are already in place, and he continues to improve everyday.
However, if he can avoid injuries, he will have a wonderful career, and with an experienced coach like Hansi Flick at the helm, he is bound for success.
His market value is apparently increasing, and if he maintains his outstanding form, he will become the world’s most sought-after defender.
Cubarsi holds Barcelona in high regard and it would not be surprising if he went on to become a club legend, similar to Carles Puyol, who spent his entire career there.
Pau Cubarsi is a generational talent that Barcelona has been gifted with, His prowess is undeniable with his stats speaking volumes and we believe he has a bright future ahead of him and has the potential to become one of the best in his position.
