Cubarsi Tops List of Barcelona Players with Most World Cup Appearances

Pau Cubarsi established himself as the most participative Barcelona player in the 2026 World Cup, having played all minutes of Spain's group stage matches, confirming his position as one of the key pillars of La Roja's defense thanks to his impressive defensive stats.

The Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' explained that the first participation in the World Cup represents a significant challenge for any player. However, the 19-year-old Cubarsi started his journey in the United States, Mexico, and Canada World Cup in the best possible way.

The Barcelona defender finished the group stage with 270 minutes, having played fully in the three matches against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, becoming the only Barcelona player not to miss a minute in this stage, equaling his Spanish teammates, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, and Unai Simon, in minutes played.

The same source added that the defensive solidity shown by the Spanish national team is due to teamwork, but the role played by the central defenders was crucial. Despite being the youngest defender on the team, Cubarsi's stats in the group stage placed him among the best defenders in the tournament, as the team kept clean sheets in all three matches. His ability to control the ball, a hallmark of his playing style, ensured his continuous presence in coach Luis de la Fuente's starting lineup.

Cubarsi ranks second in the list of players with the most passes in the tournament so far, with 289 passes, only surpassed by his teammate Rodri, who scored 328 passes. He also boasts a passing accuracy of over 98%, the highest among all players in the tournament.

His defensive and offensive stats are also highlighted, with an average of 2.7 long passes per match, reflecting his ability to build play, along with 5.3 ball recoveries per game, three clearances, and 2.3 successful tackles in each match, numbers that confirm his value as one of the most consistent defenders in the tournament.

The list of minutes played by Barcelona players in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup is as follows: Pau Cubarsi '270 minutes', Jules Kounde '260 minutes', Frenkie de Jong '221 minutes', Pedri '220 minutes', Joao Cancelo '180 minutes', Ferran Torres '140 minutes', Lamine Yamal '140 minutes', Dani Olmo '136 minutes', Anthony Gordon '136 minutes', Raphinha '130 minutes', Marcus Rashford '130 minutes', Gavi '71 minutes', Hamza Abdul Karim '42 minutes', while Juan Garcia, Eric Garcia, and Ronald Araujo did not participate at all.

The report confirmed that Cubarsi, despite being away from the spotlight compared to some of his teammates, has become an essential element in Spain's ambitions during the knockout stages, having led the defense of one of the top contenders for the World Cup title, and will be required to maintain the same level in the upcoming matches.