Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí are 19 years old and have known each other since childhood. They shared hallways, training sessions and dreams at La Masia, Barcelona’s academy that saw them grow up together, step by step, all the way to the first team.
On Sunday, July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, those two boys who learned to play football side by side ended up lifting the World Cup with Spain. They beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time, with a goal from Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, in a match where Enzo Fernández was sent off after a foul on Cubarsí.
Cubarsí won the tournament’s Best Young Player award. On the other side of the pitch, Lionel Messi was playing in his 34th World Cup, a historic record, and was unable to end his story with the trophy he had pursued so relentlessly. Spain thus adds its second star and a run of 38 matches unbeaten. Football, sometimes, is also about passing the torch.
