From McDonald's waiter jokes to sheep farming: The meteoric rise of Barça's Pau Cubarsí
Barcelona's teenage defender Pau Cubarsí reveals how Lewandowski couldn't believe his age and how teammates mocked his protective headgear.
Barcelona’s 17-year-old defensive gem Pau Cubarsí has opened up about his rapid rise to the first team and the amusing reactions from his star teammates.
”Are you really 17?”
The young centre-back, who made his official Barcelona debut in January 2024 against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey, has reflected on his whirlwind introduction to elite football in an interview with L’Equipe.
Cubarsí revealed that after his first LaLiga start against Real Betis, Xavi congratulated him and wished him happy birthday in front of the squad. This prompted a priceless reaction from star striker Robert Lewandowski, who approached the youngster in disbelief:
“Maybe I still had a baby face…”, Cubarsí joked when recalling the Polish striker’s astonishment at his tender age.
Farm boy at heart
Despite his rapid ascent to football stardom, Cubarsí remains grounded and connected to his rural roots. The defender spoke fondly about returning to his family home whenever possible to disconnect from the pressures of elite football.
His family farm features:
- Sheep grazing on the lawn
- Two dogs
- Chickens producing fresh eggs
- Ducks
This countryside retreat provides the perfect escape for the teenager between matches at the Camp Nou.
The Lamine Yamal connection
Cubarsí’s journey has been closely linked with fellow La Masia graduate Lamine Yamal. The defender acknowledged that while they’ve followed similar paths through Barcelona’s youth ranks, Yamal progressed even more rapidly.
“It’s very easy to play with him. You give him the ball and he decides the match,” Cubarsí explained, before sharing an amusing training ground story where Yamal nutmegged him and teased him about it for a week.
The McDonald’s waiter
In perhaps the most comical revelation, Cubarsí disclosed that after suffering a facial cut against Red Star Belgrade in 2024, he had to wear a protective headgear for the subsequent match against Real Sociedad.
The protective gear apparently made him look like a fast-food employee, prompting his Barcelona teammates to nickname him “the McDonald’s waiter” – showing that even at football’s highest level, dressing room banter remains absolutely pukka.