Pau Cubarsí has entered the spotlight as one of the leading candidates for the Ballon d'Or after delivering impressive performances with the Spanish national team at the 2026 World Cup, where he was awarded the Best Young Player award. Many believe he also deserved the Best Player award for the tournament.
According to "Mundo Deportivo," the Barcelona defender was one of the main reasons behind Spain's historic defensive achievement, as the national team finished the tournament having conceded only one goal throughout their campaign.
Koulibaly formed an impressive defensive partnership alongside Aymeric Laporte, contributing to Spain achieving the best defensive record for a World Cup champion in history.
On an individual level, the Spanish defender recorded 24 ball recoveries, achieved a passing accuracy of 96%, and kept a clean sheet in six matches, alongside winning 12 aerial duels.
The Spanish newspaper compared these figures to what Italian Fabio Cannavaro achieved in the 2006 World Cup, where the latter excelled with four more ball recoveries and one additional aerial duel won, while Koubarci outperformed in passing accuracy and the number of matches he finished with a clean sheet.
The newspaper believes that this comparison strengthens Kobarsi's chances in the race for the Ballon d'Or, as he has excelled in the World Cup and also won the La Liga title with Barcelona.
