Pau Cubarsí is 19 years old, plays for Barcelona, and until recently had not even seen Lionel Messi face to face.
On Sunday, July 19, he faced him in the 2026 World Cup final and helped Spain claim the title 1-0, thanks to Ferran Torres’s goal in extra time.
He won, was named the tournament’s best young player, and still could not hide how he felt. “It pains me because he is my idol and I do not like seeing him lose”, he confessed.
They came through the same academy, La Masía, with years and dreams between them. That night, one of the two had to lose. And the one who won was the one who could not stop thinking about the other.