Barcelona World Cup Spotlight: Cubarsi & co. progress to the finals, heartbreak for Kounde

Barcelona World Cup Spotlight: Cubarsi & co. progress to the finals, heartbreak for Kounde The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the stage where every detail matters, and Spain delivered one of their most complete performances of the tournament when it mattered most. La Roja beat France 2-0 in the semi-finals at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, booking their place in the final with a performance built on control, patience and ruthless timing. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, before Pedro Porro added the second after a clever Dani Olmo assist in the 58th minute. From a Barcelona perspective, this was a huge night. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsi all started for Spain, while Ferran Torres and Pedri came on in the second half. On the other side, Jules Kounde started at right-back for France, meaning Barça had influence on both sides of a World Cup semi-final. The game itself was not chaos. It was control. Spain finished with 1.63 xG to France’s 0.30, created three big chances while allowing none, and won the physical battle despite France pushing late. Spain are in the final, and Barcelona players are not passengers in that run. They are helping define it. Here is how the Barça boys fared against France. Lamine Yamal vs France Coming into his own. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) Lamine Yamal did not score, but he helped change the game. The penalty that gave Spain the lead came after the 19-year-old attacked Lucas Digne’s loose defensive action and forced the mistake. It was exactly the kind of sharp, fearless action that makes him so dangerous, even when he is not dominating every minute. Lamine had already created one big chance, recorded 0.301 expected assists and won the spot-kick by the break. He also had a goal ruled out for offside late on, which would have made the night even more memorable. Just like Spain, this was also Lamine’s best performance at the tournament, and he continues to influence games even when the goals and assists do not come. Pau Cubarsi vs France Pau Cubarsi continues to look far older than he is. The Barcelona centre-back started again and produced another composed display in a game where one mistake against Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele or Michael Olise could have changed everything. What stood out most is his calmness. France had the names, the pace and the late territorial push, but Cubarsi rarely looked dragged out of position. He defended with maturity and used the ball cleanly when Spain needed to settle. This is perhaps the most exciting storyline from a Barça perspective. It does feel like he has the Young Player of the Tournament award wrapped up. The Catalans’ 19-year-old prodigy is set to start for Spain in the World Cup final, and it remains to be seen how he fares on that night. Dani Olmo vs France Delivering consistently. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) Dani Olmo gave Spain the final-third connection they needed. His biggest moment came in the 58th minute, when he combined smartly before slipping the ball into Pedro Porro’s path for Spain’s second goal. That assist effectively killed the contest. France were still alive at 1-0, but once Spain scored the second, the match moved almost completely into their control. He was not always spectacular, but he gave Spain clarity in the spaces where France struggled to track runners. Olmo has been brilliant for La Roja throughout the tournament, appearing everywhere on the pitch and creating havoc, and last night was no different. Pedri vs France Pedri’s role was short, but important. The Barcelona midfielder came on in the 78th minute for Fabian Ruiz, with Spain already 2-0 up and needing calm more than creativity. This was not a match where Pedri had time to build rhythm, dictate tempo for an hour or produce the kind of passing display Barça fans usually associate with him. Instead, he was asked to help Spain close the game. Keep the ball, slow the tempo, avoid panic and make sure France did not turn late pressure into real danger. When Spain needed a cool head to manage the final stretch of a World Cup semi-final, he was one of the players called upon. Ferran Torres vs France Ferran Torres came on in the 74th minute for Oyarzabal, giving Spain fresh legs as France tried to chase the game. His night was not filled with touches, but he still had one late chance, heading wide as Spain looked for a third. For Ferran, this was more of a functional cameo than a defining performance. He gave Spain movement, energy and depth at a point when everyone was getting tired. He will want a bigger moment in the final, but even if he does not get one, winning the trophy would more than make up for it. Jules Kounde vs Spain Kounde tried hard but it was not to be. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Jules Kounde’s World Cup run ended painfully, but not because he collapsed individually. The Barcelona defender started at right-back for France, but Didier Deschamps’ side never found the rhythm needed to hurt Spain consistently. France’s biggest problem was connection. Their attackers were isolated, their midfield struggled to supply them cleanly, and Spain’s control forced their full-backs into uncomfortable positions. Kounde tried to offer an outlet, but the service into him was not sharp enough. He can leave this tournament with his head held high, though. There were a lot of question marks about Kounde’s form coming into the tournament, but he has looked every bit the player that he can be, and Barcelona will take massive confidence from that. Overall, it was a good night for Barça as their Spanish contingent now reach the final, where they will face either Argentina or England.