Spain defender Pau Cubarsi has opened up on his face-off against his idol Lionel Messi at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The teenage prodigy has admitted that he feels sad to see his hero lose but he is happy to win the biggest trophy in world football.

Spain absolutely outplayed Argentina in the World Cup final and secured a 1-0 win in extra time. Pau Cubarsi had an impressive game at the heart of the defence for La Roja, resisting the Albiceleste to just two shots in 120 minutes.

After the win, Cubarsi admitted that it pains him to see his idol Lionel Messi lose a game. He also admitted that it was his privilege to share the pitch with the Barcelona icon. He said, as quoted by El Partidazo de COPE on X:

Cubarsi was named the FIFA World Cup Young Player for his exploits in the tournament. The Barcelona youngster played every minute for Spain throughout the tournament.

Aged only 19, Cubarsi has already established himself as one of the finest central defenders in the world. He has already made 128 senior appearances for Barcelona while earning 20 caps for Spain.

Barcelona and Spain great Carles Puyol has lavished praise on Lionel Messi after Argentina's 1-0 loss against Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The former World Cup and Euro Cup-winning Spain defender has claimed that the Albiceleste wouldn't have reached the final if not for Lionel Messi.

Puyol went on to claim that football should be eternally grateful to his former teammate, with whom he shared the pitch on 269 occasions for Barcelona. The former Spanish defender said:

Lionel Messi, even at the age of 39, produced moments of magic for Argentina throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored eight goals and provided four assists in eight games for the Albiceleste in the tournament.

However, the Inter Miami superstar could not inspire his team to back-to-back FIFA World Cup triumphs. Spain absolutely dominated them throughout the game and won 1-0 in extra time.

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