Updated July 24, 2026
World Cup 2026 Best Young Player: Pau Cubarsi wins award
Pau Cubarsi won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award after Spain's title run. Lamine Yamal remained the louder young-star storyline, but Cubarsi's defensive maturity and final contribution gave the official award a different answer.
Photo: Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized for display.
Fast answer
Who won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award?
Winner
Pau Cubarsi won the award
Spain's young centre-back finished the tournament as the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player winner.
Common mix-up
It was not Lamine Yamal
Yamal stayed one of Spain's biggest stories, but the official young-player prize went to Cubarsi.
Why it fits
The final gave Cubarsi a clean argument
His pass before Ferran Torres' extra-time winner made his final contribution easy to remember.
Spain angle
The award belongs inside Spain's title story
Rodri, Unai Simon and Cubarsi turned Spain's trophy run into a wider awards sweep.
Young-player context
Cubarsi, Yamal and the young stars around the award
| Player | Team | Role | Result | Tournament context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pau Cubarsi | Spain | Centre-back | Best Young Player winner | Spain champion, final-winning pass sequence, defensive maturity |
| Lamine Yamal | Spain | Winger | Major young-star storyline | Chance creation, width and Spain's new-generation spotlight |
| Jude Bellingham | England | Midfielder | Bronze Boot winner | Seven goals, third-place finish and senior-level impact |
| Endrick | Brazil | Forward | Young attacker storyline | Pre-tournament interest, but Brazil did not shape the final awards |
Award meaning
Why the award went to Cubarsi, not Yamal
Best Young Player
Start with the final, not the hype
Yamal was the louder global storyline, but Cubarsi had the cleaner award finish: Spain won the final, and his long pass helped create the decisive goal.
Best Young Player
Centre-backs can win young-player awards
The award is not only for wingers and scorers. Cubarsi's case was built on composure, defensive reading and his role in a champion team.
Best Young Player
Do not confuse this with the Golden Ball
Rodri won the best-player award. Cubarsi won the young-player award. They reward different parts of Spain's tournament.
Best Young Player
The award also explains Spain's depth
Spain did not only win through one star. The awards list spreads across midfield control, goalkeeping, youth development and the final result.
World Cup 2026 Best Young Player FAQ
Who won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award?
Pau Cubarsi won the World Cup 2026 Best Young Player award after Spain won the tournament.
Why did Pau Cubarsi win Best Young Player?
Cubarsi's case combined Spain's title, defensive maturity and his final contribution before Ferran Torres' extra-time winner.
Did Lamine Yamal win the Best Young Player award?
No. Yamal was one of Spain's biggest young-player stories, but the official Best Young Player award went to Pau Cubarsi.
Is Best Young Player the same as the Golden Ball?
No. Best Young Player is an age-based award. The Golden Ball is the tournament best-player award, which Rodri won in 2026.
Which team did Pau Cubarsi play for at World Cup 2026?
Pau Cubarsi played for Spain, the World Cup 2026 champion.
Read next
Follow Cubarsi from the final to the full awards list
Awards
World Cup 2026 awards
Complete winners list with Rodri, Mbappe, Unai Simon, Pau Cubarsi and the Fair Play Trophy.
Champion
World Cup 2026 winner
Spain champion, Argentina runner-up, final score and the title context behind the awards.
Final moment
Spain vs Argentina highlights
Ferran Torres' winner, Cubarsi's pass and the decisive extra-time sequence.
Player story
Messi vs Yamal
Why Yamal stayed central to the final story even without winning the young-player award.
Golden Ball
Rodri Golden Ball result
How the best-player award differs from the Best Young Player prize.
Team
Spain's tournament record
Spain's path, squad context and final record after winning the title.
Coverage trust
World Cup 2026 Best Young Player sources
Sources below compare the official award result with Spain's final, Cubarsi's young-player profile and the wider awards list.
Official sources
Official FIFA references
FOX Sports: 2026 FIFA World Cup individual award winners
foxsports.com/stories/soccer/2026-fifa-world-cup-every-individual-award-winner
Economic Times: FIFA World Cup 2026 award winners list
m.economictimes.com/news/new-updates/fifa-world-cup-2026-award-winners-complete-list-check-who-won-golden-ball-golden-boot-silver-boot-and-more/articleshow/132504961.cms
FIFA: World Cup wonderkids - Pau Cubarsi
fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/wonderkids-pau-cubarsi
AP: Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup 2026 final
apnews.com/article/4a3a8c93c0b21c1db866f7bd857f1c32
Wikimedia Commons: Pau Cubarsi image source
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pau_Cubarsi_France_v_Spain_7.24.26-042.jpg