Pau Cubarsi Shines as FIFA Young Player Award Winner at World Cup 2026

Pau Cubarsi has been awarded the FIFA Young Player Award for his exceptional contributions to Spain's victory in the World Cup 2026. The 19-year-old defender played a pivotal role in securing seven clean sheets, helping Spain clinch their second title. Alongside him, Unai Simon received the Golden Glove Award for his remarkable goalkeeping, achieving a record number of clean sheets in a single World Cup. This article delves into their achievements and the significance of their performances.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 20, 2026, 13:17 IST

Pau Cubarsi's Remarkable Achievement

File image of Rodri, Unai Simon and Pau Cubarsi(photo: @ThatAmateurguy/X)

New York, July 20: Pau Cubarsi, the talented centre-back from Spain, has been honored with the FIFA Young Player Award due to his exceptional performances throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026.

He played a crucial role in all eight matches for La Roja, leading them to their second world title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final held at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Cubarsi's defensive prowess was evident as he contributed to Spain achieving seven clean sheets during the tournament, forming a solid partnership with Aymeric Laporte. The duo allowed only one goal, which occurred during their quarter-final match against Belgium, ending in a 2-1 win.

At just 19 years old, Cubarsi has made history as one of only five teenagers to win the World Cup and is the first defender to receive this prestigious award. He joins the ranks of football legends like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Michael Owen, Thomas Muller, Paul Pogba, and Kylian Mbappe, who have also been recognized as Young Players in previous tournaments.

Additionally, Cubarsi is now among the elite group of defenders, including Franz Beckenbauer, Władysław Żmuda, Antonio Cabrini, and Manuel Amoros, who have won the Young Player award.

In another highlight, Unai Simon's outstanding goalkeeping earned him the Golden Glove Award for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Simon played a vital role in Spain's journey to their second global title, achieving seven clean sheets and conceding only one goal, which was during their quarter-final match against Belgium.

His seven clean sheets set a new record for a single World Cup, surpassing the previous record held by seven goalkeepers who managed five clean sheets, including notable names like Jan Jongbloed, Walter Zenga, Claudio Taffarel, Fabien Barthez, Oliver Kahn, Gianluigi Buffon, and Iker Casillas.

Simon had an impressive streak of 649 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup matches, a record that was broken during the Belgium game.

He is now the second Spanish goalkeeper to win this award, following the legendary Iker Casillas, who won it in South Africa 2010.