Pau Cubarsi beats eight Premier League stars to follow in Bellingham and Haaland’s footsteps as Golden Boy

Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi has won the 2026 Golden Boy award, which honors the world's best player under the age of 21. The 19-year-old received the honor at a ceremony held at Sassuolo's Mapei Football Center, having starred in Barcelona's La Liga title-winning campaign and playing every minute of Spain's World Cup triumph.

Cubarsi becomes only the second defender in history to claim the award, following Matthijs de Ligt in 2018. To secure the trophy, he topped a 25-man shortlist that featured eight Premier League players, including Luka Vuskovic, Junior Kroupi, and Ayyoub Bouaddi.