Barcelona youngsters Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí have written their names into football history after becoming two of the 10 youngest players ever to win the FIFA World Cup, following Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final.
The Spanish duo joined an elite list of teenage World Cup winners after Spain ended a 16-year wait for football’s biggest prize. Following the triumph, Lamine Yamal became the sixth-youngest World Cup winner, while his Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí also secured his place among the youngest champions in the competition’s history.
Cubarsí, who was named the Young Player of the Tournament, delivered a remarkable campaign. The teenage defender played every single minute of Spain’s eight matches, including the full 120 minutes in the final against Argentina, without being substituted once.
He also produced another commanding display in the final, finishing with the third-highest player rating (8.5) behind Rodri and Emiliano Martínez.
Cubarsí’s defensive stats in the final:
Duels won: 7/10 (70%)
Aerial duels won: 2/4 (50%)
Ground duels won: 5/6 (83%)
Tackles won: 2/2 (100%)
Dribbled past: 1
Fouls committed: 0
Interceptions: 0
Clearances: 6
Recoveries: 5
Yamal also enjoyed another outstanding tournament at just 19 years old. The Barcelona winger scored once against Saudi Arabia after coming off the bench, a performance that earned him increased playing time for the remainder of the tournament.
Already one of football’s brightest stars, Yamal has now won three La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, one Copa del Rey, the UEFA European Championship, and the FIFA World Cup before turning 20, an achievement neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo matched at the same age.
He was also part of the Spain side that finished runners-up in the 2025 UEFA Nations League and was the Ballon d’Or runner-up that same year.
Yamal’s attacking stats in the final:
Total shots: 4
Expected goals (xG): 0.23
Expected goals on target (xGOT): 0.79
Shots on target: 2
Shots off target: 1
Blocked shots: 1
Shots inside the box: 1
Shots outside the box: 3
Touches in the opposition box: 6
Top 10 Youngest Players to Win the FIFA World Cup:
Pelé (Brazil, 1958) – 17 years, 249 days
Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil, 1994) – 17 years, 298 days
Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy, 1982) – 18 years, 174 days
Coutinho (Brazil, 1962) – 19 years, 6 days
Marco Antonio (Brazil, 1970) – 19 years, 135 days
Lamine Yamal (Spain, 2026) – 19 years
Pau Cubarsí (Spain, 2026) – 19 years
Kylian Mbappé (France, 2018) – 19 years, 207 days
José Altafini (Brazil, 1958) – 19 years, 309 days
Rubén Morán (Uruguay, 1950) – 19 years, 344 days
