Ballon d'Or official statement: Coussi has established himself as one of the world's best center-backs.

Barcelona center-back Cubas continues to gain recognition after Spain won the World Cup, with media evaluations improving significantly.

The latest affirmation comes from one of the most influential voices in international football. The official Ballon d'Or website, affiliated with L'Équipe and France Football, published a dedicated article analyzing the Barcelona center-back and listing him among the best players of the tournament and internationally. The website stated, "Coubasi delivered a performance worthy of world-class standards and solidified his status as one of the world's best center-backs."

The article not only emphasizes the Barcelona player's excellent defensive consistency, but also specifically mentions an ability that is already recognized at Barcelona but often underestimated outside of the club: organizing the team's attack from the back.

The data best illustrates Cubas' importance in Luis de la Fuente's system; he was a key part of Spain's championship victory. Cubas, from Estaingolde, finished the World Cup with the second-most passes in the entire tournament, only fewer than his teammate, the tournament's Golden Ball winner, Rodri.

This center-back completed 671 passes, surpassing even Americh Laporte (616), Leandro Paredes (531), and Marc Gui (513). Analysts believe this demonstrates Spain's consistent philosophy of controlling the game through possession, with the center-back's passing being crucial to their title victory.

The Ballon d'Or website also compiled the 19-year-old defender's individual statistics. Kubasi completed 776 touches, with a passing accuracy of 96%, along with 38 defensive actions, 31 clearances, 14 successful aerial duels, 8 successful tackles, 8 chances created, and 13 accurate long passes. These statistics make him one of the most well-rounded center-backs in this tournament.

The article specifically mentioned his performance in the final against Argentina, where Cubas was one of the most outstanding players. Analysis indicated that he had the most touches of the ball (139 touches, 121 successful passes with a 96% accuracy rate) and made a crucial clearance in extra time, denying Argentina their only truly threatening chance.

The article concludes by summarizing the remarkable achievements of this Barcelona center-back at just 19 years old: a World Cup, an Olympic gold medal, two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups. The Ballon d'Or website believes that, considering his maturity on the field, it's natural to wonder how high this Barcelona youth academy product can reach in the future.

This recognition has once again boosted Kubasi's international standing. He was recently named the World Cup's Best Young Player and will continue to lead the defense under Flick. Now, the question is whether his outstanding performance for the Spanish national team can secure him a place among the world's best in the 70th Ballon d'Or voting in London on October 26th. As the award's official media stated, he is certainly not lacking in competitiveness.