Barcelona sporting director Deco has showered Pau Cubarsi with praise and says the young star is the “Lamine Yamal of center-backs.”
Cubarsi is still only 19 but is already key for club and country and has won La Liga and Copa del Rey titles as well as the World Cup.
While Yamal attracts most of the headlines, Deco says that Cubarsi is every bit as impressive as his team-mate.
“Cubarsí is the Lamine of the centre-backs, the most impressive talent there is at the moment,” he told RAC1.
“He has had a tremendous
evolution. He has grown, he is a leader, he has corrected the small details. A centre-back can’t afford to make a mistake.”
Both Cubarsi and Lamine have been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award and are also up for the Kopa Trophy.
Yamal has already backed his team-mate to claim the prize, posting on Instagram after the nominations were announced, posting: “The only winner should be Pau Cubarsí.”
