The case for Pau Cubarsi to win the Ballon d’Or – explained in statistics

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Barca Universal

20 July 2026

Spain added a second star to its badge after a nail-biting 1-0 win over Argentina in the final of the 2026

FIFA

World Cup

It was a well-deserved accolade for

La Roja

, who had by far been the best team in the tournament. And a key reason behind that success was the defence, with the team conceding a total of just one goal in the entire campaign.

Although

Rodri

eventually won the Golden Ball for his efforts in midfield and as a leader, Pau Cubarsi was a strong contender, having

shone in a central defensive role

all throughout.

Cubarsi was imperious in defence. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Cubarsi was acknowledged for his efforts as he won the Best Young Player of the Tournament award.

But there is no reason why the youngster could not eye something more substantial, such as the Ballon d’Or.

Spanish outlet

Mundo Deportivo

has laid out a comprehensive set of statistics that genuinely strengthens Cubarsi’s case.

At just 19, the

Barcelona

centre-back was the leader of a Spain defence that made history, conceding only one goal across the entire tournament, a solitary De Ketelaere strike in the quarter-final against Belgium.

Throughout the

, Cubarsi registered 24 recoveries, a 96% pass accuracy, six clean sheets and 12 aerial duels won, forming a formidable partnership with Aymeric Laporte.

In fact, Cubarsi’s output was on a par with Fabio Cannavaro at the 2006

, which the Italian won before claiming the Ballon d’Or.

The last defender to win the award before Cannavaro was Matthias Sammer, and even Sammer’s numbers offer Cubarsi encouragement.

The German made four more recoveries and won one more aerial duel, but posted a lower passing accuracy of 84 percent and kept fewer clean sheets.

On that basis, it is far from unreasonable to think Cubarsi could match, or even surpass, those defensive greats. Add in his LaLiga triumph with

, and the foundations of a genuine Ballon d’Or case are firmly in place.

Perhaps the strongest argument in Cubarsi’s favour is the absence of a clear, dominant alternative this year.

Could Cubarsi make a case for the Ballon d’Or? (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Harry Kane enjoyed another prolific season in front of goal, but failed to win either the

or the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe, so often a frontrunner, endured a trophyless campaign both domestically and on the international stage.

Ousmane Dembele did lift the Champions League, but fell short at the

and was some way below the sensational form he showed the previous year.

Rodri, the eventual Golden Ball winner, spent a significant chunk of the season sidelined through injury, which could count against him over the course of a full campaign.

Erling Haaland, meanwhile, once again failed to add any truly substantial silverware to his collection.

The one player who could realistically edge Cubarsi is his

teammate Lamine Yamal, who remains the bookmakers’ favourite.

Yet even the young winger, for all his brilliance, was not quite as imperious this season as many had expected, and his

was solid rather than spectacular.

Taken together, the picture is a compelling one. In a year without a runaway favourite, a teenager who anchored the meanest defence in

history while also winning LaLiga has a stronger case than most.

Cubarsi may still be an outsider, and defenders have always faced an uphill battle for individual recognition in an award that tends to favour attackers.

But if voters are willing to reward substance, consistency and historic defensive excellence, the young Catalan has done more than enough to at least enter the conversation.

Spain sweep World Cup 2026 awards with Rodri, Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi

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