Pau Cubarsí opens up on first meeting with Xavi: from nerves to Barcelona fast-track

Pau Cubarsí has revealed how starstruck he felt the first time he spoke to Xavi, calling Barcelona’s former coach an icon and a legend. The teenage centre-back admitted nerves on his first training day before settling in alongside names like Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri and Gavi. It’s a candid snapshot of a La Masia graduate processing the jump from academy to first-team intensity. With his maturity on the ball and calm under pressure, Cubarsí’s account underlines why Barça fans view him as the next defensive pillar, even as the club turns a new page post-Xavi under a demanding, front-foot philosophy.

In recent remarks shared within Barcelona circles, Pau Cubarsí reflected on his debut steps with the first team, describing his awe on meeting Xavi and admitting early nerves in initial training sessions before growing in confidence. The context is a transitional period for Barcelona: Cubarsí debuted under Xavi in 2023/24 and continues his development amid high expectations for La Masia talents. His reflections reference lining up against senior figures such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri and Gavi, illustrating the steep learning curve for a teenage defender earning trust at elite level.

❗️Pau Cubarsí: "When I first spoke to Xavi, I looked at him and thought: I can’t believe I’m seeing you. He’s an icon of Barcelona, one of the greatest legends, and having him as my coach was a huge honor." "On my first day of training I was nervous at the beginning, but little

@BarcaUniversal

Impact Analysis

Cubarsí’s testimony matters on multiple fronts. First, it humanizes the leap from academy promise to first-team delivery: confronting the aura of an all-time club legend in Xavi and then immediately competing against elite attackers is a jolt that either exposes or accelerates talent. For Barcelona’s wider project, it validates the La Masia pipeline at a time when squad building must be both financially responsible and technically ambitious. A composed, press-resistant centre-back who can step in, split lines and defend large spaces is exactly what modern Barça requires, especially with a high defensive line and aggressive counter-press.

Second, his words help bridge eras. Xavi’s tenure, regardless of its turbulent finale, left a cultural footprint: prioritizing positional play, trust in youth, and ball-dominant football. As the team evolves under a new regime, Cubarsí’s development offers continuity—the principles he internalized still translate, and his calm distribution under pressure provides tactical glue between phases. Finally, the commercial and narrative impact is significant: a homegrown defender rising alongside Pedri and Gavi reinforces the club’s identity, energizes supporters, and strengthens the message that the future spine can be sourced from within, reducing transfer dependency while sustaining competitive standards.

Reaction

Fan responses have ranged from pure pride to pragmatic reminders about the next fixtures. Many laud Cubarsí’s maturity—“baptism by fire” is a recurring phrase—highlighting how quickly he adapted when confronted by the quality of Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri and Gavi in training. Some supporters pivoted to the eternal Messi discourse, echoing quotes that elevate his influence across the pitch, using that lens to contextualize the standards Cubarsí is now measured against. Others urged the youngster to “focus on upcoming games,” a typical call to keep heads down amid rising hype.

There’s also a ripple of Clasico talk. A stray comment asking whether Dani Olmo will be fit stirs speculation, though it’s not directly tied to Cubarsí’s story; still, it shows how match-to-match anxieties color every discussion in Barcelona’s ecosystem. Overall, the tone is optimistic with a protective edge: fans celebrate the honesty of a teenager acknowledging nerves while demanding he channels it into consistency. The consensus: Cubarsí’s humility is refreshing, his ceiling is high, and his pathway embodies the club’s best traditions—provided the noise stays outside and the performances keep stacking up.

Social reactions

Rafinha: "Do you know what's the strangest thing about Messi? That during all the years I coincided with him at Barcelona, I never saw him practice a single free kick!" 😂

Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal)

He do u like film abi Sha focus on upcoming games, but big ups to Xavi❤️❤️🫡

Aayor (@Aayor12)

Pau Cubarsí’s debut story is pure gold! From starstruck by Xavi to facing giants like Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, and Gavi talk about a baptism by fire 🔥⚽️ Respect to the kid for keeping cool and learning fast! 👏 #NextGenBarça

Nicole Simeone (@NicoleSimeonex)

Prediction

Expect Cubarsí’s minutes to trend upward in phases. In domestic fixtures against mid-block sides, his line-breaking passes and composure should be prioritized to accelerate ball progression from the back. Against elite, transition-heavy opponents, he may rotate with experienced options, but his ability to defend in space and read cutbacks suggests growing trust in high-stakes moments. A balanced centre-back rotation—alongside leaders like Araújo and Koundé, plus situational support from Christensen or Íñigo Martínez—can shelter him while sharpening his decision-making.

Tactically, look for set patterns: Cubarsí stepping into midfield on possession restarts, inviting pressure to free the 6; diagonals to the far-side winger when the press tilts; and assertive front-foot interceptions that compress the pitch. In the Clasico build-up, his presence becomes a chess piece: if selected, Barça gain ball security and verticality from deep; if managed, he’s a prime second-half stabilizer when game states demand calm distribution. Over the season, a 2,000–2,500 minute range across La Liga, Europe and cups is feasible, with a late-season surge as he converts promising metrics into leadership habits. The medium-term outlook: Cubarsí graduates from prospect to pillar.

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Conclusion

Cubarsí’s recollection of meeting Xavi—equal parts reverence and resolve—captures a timeless Barça theme: young talent must quickly transform awe into authority. He has already crossed key thresholds: composure amid senior stars in training, clarity in build-up, and the temperament to own duels rather than merely survive them. That blend is why supporters see more than a story of nerves; they see the emergence of a centre-back tailored to Barcelona’s DNA.

As the club refines its identity post-Xavi, players like Cubarsí become cultural conduits. They stabilize the project, elevate standards, and prove that La Masia still produces specialists for the game Barça wants to play. The path ahead will carry bumps—form swings, selection battles, tactical recalibrations—but the trajectory is unmistakably upward. If he maintains this poise and keeps learning from the elite around him, Pau Cubarsí won’t just be a prospect who once met an icon; he’ll carve his own chapter among the names that define modern Barcelona.