FC Barcelona have been fortunate to possess an academy like La Masia, which has produced numerous world-class talents for the first team. At a time when the club’s finances have taken a hit, it is the academy that has helped them pull through.
Among the recent talents to emerge, two of the finest are Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. The latter, in particular, plays as a centre-back—a position where players typically mature with age.
The Spaniard, however, despite being just 18, plays with a level of understanding that belies his tender years. According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20251105/1002563390/cubarsi-tercero-mas-joven-20-partidos-champions.html), if he features against Club Brugge, he will be on the verge of breaking yet another record.
Cubarsi could become only the third player in football, after Warren Zaïre-Emery and Lamine Yamal, to reach 20 appearances in the prestigious Champions League before turning 19. The PSG midfielder has 31 appearances, while Lamine has 25.
The 18-year-old did not start against Elche at the weekend due to some discomfort, but having trained normally in the build-up to the Brugge clash, [it would be a surprise if Flick does not hand him a start](https://semprebarca.com/barcelona-predicted-xi-vs-club-brugge-cubarsi-starts-e10m-forward-to-replace-torres/).
Both Cubarsi and Lamine have made a habit of breaking age-related records. Considering the potential both Barcelona prodigies possess, there is little doubt that by the time they hang up their boots, they could challenge all-time appearance records in the competition.
It remains to be seen whether Cubarsi gets the nod today. Let’s hope he has a strong game and continues to break more records in the years ahead.