Barcelona centre-half Pau Cubarsi has been named the winner of the 2026 Golden Boy award. The 19-year-old secured the prestigious trophy after an exceptional year for both club and country.
Success for Club and Country
Cubarsi helped Barcelona win the La Liga title before playing a vital role for Spain as La Roja triumphed at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The annual award recognizes the finest Under-21 player operating at a European club. Cubarsi becomes the fifth Barcelona player to claim the honor, joining Lionel Messi in 2005, Pedri in 2021, Gavi in 2022 and Lamine Yamal in 2024. Yamal was ineligible for selection this year because previous winners are exempt from winning the prize again.
During the World Cup, the teenager started all eight of Spain’s matches, forming a formidable central defensive partnership with Aymeric Laporte. Luis de la Fuente’s squad conceded only one goal across the entire tournament during their quarter-final victory against Belgium. Cubarsi’s stellar performances earned him the FIFA Young Player Award, making him the first defender in history to receive the accolade. He will officially collect the Golden Boy trophy during a ceremony held in Turin on December 14.
The Selection Process
The Golden Boy winner is chosen by an international panel of 50 journalists representing major sports publications across Europe. The jury selects the champion from a shortlist of 25 finalists. This year’s group of finalists featured standout young talents such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Warren Zaire-Emery, Yan Diomande, and Luka Vuskovic.
The complete list of 2026 finalists included Kerim Alajbegović of Juventus, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart of Barcelona, Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City, Pau Cubarsí of Barcelona, Yan Diomande and Endrick of Real Madrid, Estêvão and Jorrel Hato of Chelsea, Victor Froholdt of Porto, Joane Gadou and Konstantinos Karetsas of Borussia Dortmund, Finn Jeltsch of Stuttgart, Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich, Charalampos Kostoulas of Brighton, Eli Junior Kroupi and Rayan of Bournemouth, Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal, Saïd El Mala of Cologne, Jon Martin of Real Sociedad, Franco Mastantuono of Fiorentina on loan from Real Madrid, Rodrigo Mora of Roma, Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica, and Luka Vuskovic of Brighton.
