Pau Cubarsi said young footballers should be able to seek mental health support without stigma. He called on clubs to offer development plans and allow more time to recover between matches. The 19-year-old Spain defender said a club psychologist helped him after he joined Barcelona's senior team, and he has occasionally sought therapy.
“It's the most important thing, I'd say – looking after it. Working on your mindset, working on your mental health,” Cubarsi told Reuters in an exclusive interview. “I believe that when someone feels the need to speak up because they're having a hard time, they shouldn't be judged. They need to feel comfortable saying, 'I'm going through a tough time, and that's OK'.”
Professional support, he said, can help players examine their thoughts and identify areas to work on before problems emerge. His account connects the demands on young players with the support clubs can provide. Clubs, Cubarsi said, should work with young players, look after them and help them improve.
The work behind the breakthrough
Cubarsi made his Barcelona debut at 16 in January 2024 and earned his first Spain cap two months later. He then played every minute of Spain's World Cup-winning campaign. Spain conceded only once and held Lionel Messi's Argentina to no shots on target in the final.
He has won a World Cup and was named the tournament's best young player. Cubarsi is also the favourite for the Golden Boy award. He described the World Cup recognition as encouragement, not a reason to stop working.
“It's not something to rest on your laurels over, but rather to realise that you can also achieve great things individually and that you have to keep fighting,” he said.
He warned young players not to see an early opportunity as a deadline for success. “The key is that if, at 16, for example, you're not being given opportunities, you shouldn't get angry or get stuck in a rut, but keep fighting, keep believing in yourself,” he said. “At 20 I think you're still considered young, and they have to keep fighting because when the opportunity comes, you have to be ready.”
Match schedules and recovery
Matches often come every three days, Cubarsi said. Rest, diet, gym work and time with physiotherapists all form part of the job. He said a heavy schedule can take its toll while young players are still growing.
“Sometimes, as we're still growing, such a heavy match schedule can take its toll a bit, but you also have to listen to your body and keep working at it,” he said. “Football is our job too, even though we enjoy it to the full, and when you're not training or playing matches, you've still got to be professional.”
Asked about the schedule, Cubarsi called for more recovery time between matches. He said that shouldn't become an excuse; clubs also have a responsibility to plan for young players' development.
“Well, above all, perhaps having a bit more rest between matches, though I don't think that's an excuse; rather, every club should also have a development plan for young players, to work with them, to look after them and, above all, to help them improve.”
Pressure can help players improve each day, Cubarsi said, but he cautioned against becoming fixated on mistakes. “I think the pressure does actually help you improve every day, but you mustn't get obsessed with mistakes or with things that perhaps haven't gone your way,” he said.