Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have written their names into FIFA World Cup history after helping La Roja defeat Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final.
The teenage duo started Sunday’s final in New Jersey, where Spain claimed a 1-0 victory after extra time to secure the country’s second World Cup title.
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time, finishing off a move after reacting quickest to a knockdown from Nico Williams to hand Spain the trophy.
The victory also earned Yamal and Cubarsi a place in an exclusive list of teenage players to start a FIFA World Cup final and finish the tournament as champions.
According to football statistics platform OptaJoe, the pair are only the fourth and fifth teenagers to achieve the feat.
The exclusive list includes Brazilian legend Pele, who won the 1958 World Cup at 17 years and 249 days, Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi, who lifted the trophy in 1982 at 18 years and 201 days, and France captain Kylian Mbappe, who achieved the milestone during the 2018 World Cup at 19 years and 207 days.
Spain’s latest triumph capped an impressive tournament for the European side, with several of their young players playing key roles throughout the competition.
Yamal and Cubarsi’s achievement further highlights the growing influence of young talents in international football as they continue to establish themselves among the sport’s biggest stars.