WORLD CUP | Cubarsi Defends Pedri and Lamine Yamal Ahead of Spain’s Quarterfinal vs Belgium

Spain defender Pau Cubarsi defended Barcelona teammates Pedri and Lamine Yamal amid criticism as Spain prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against Belgium, saying Yamal’s impact goes beyond goals and assists and calling him “the best” at pushing opponents back, according to Yahoo Sports. Cubarsi said Spain’s aim remains to win the World Cup, praised the team’s collective defending with La Roja yet to concede a goal at the tournament, and also backed Ferran Torres despite his lack of goals, citing Torres’ value in Spain’s match against Portugal.