FC Barcelona has always been blessed with several different legends of the game. The Catalan club, across their existence as a team, have almost always had the privilege of seeing various icons of the sport represent the club. In this new generation, however, Barcelona has many young players looking to make their own legacy.
Lamine Yamal has already grabbed the opportunities that have come his way and has established himself as the player to watch at Barcelona in the years to come. Already a Kopa Trophy winner and a player who many think can win the Ballon d’Or, his future already looks bright.
However, there is another 17-year-old player in this Barcelona team whose rise has been overshadowed by Yamal’s ascendancy. Pau Cubarsi, a young defender from La Masia, is another one of Barça’s prodigies who seems to have no defined ceiling just yet.
Still, he has managed to catch the eyes of viewers and coaches everywhere with the performances he has been delivering for the Catalan club. Despite his young age, Cubarsi has become a regular starter for Barcelona and has already earned comparisons with greats of the past.
According to former Barcelona defender Tente Sanchez, in fact, he shares similarities with former club legend and captain Carles Puyol as well. As highlighted by MARCA, Sanchez believes it to be his grit and commitment towards the badge:
“They have that grit, daring, decision-making, and commitment that makes them stand out and so highly valued.”
However, he made sure to acknowledge that neither of the two or even former club defender Migueli, who played alongside Puyol back in his day, were not completely the same. Instead, after commenting that Cubarsi’s ability to break lines with his passes was something that not even the former defenders had, he made sure to state that they had unique strengths of their own:
“They stood out in other aspects.”
Yet, with Cubarsi still being just 17, Sanchez could not help but commend the young Barcelona gem and state that he has a huge future ahead of him as well:
“It’s amazing how he plays, the technical and tactical qualities he has. He has a great present, and I think his future will be even better because he still has a lot of room to grow, and he’s only 17.”
For now, Cubarsi remains with the senior men’s Spanish National team. However, due to the fact that he is still wearing a protective mask and playing him could prove to be a risk, Luis de la Fuente has decided to keep him benched for now and Barcelona seem to be happy with that decision.