World Cup Highlights: Pau Cubarsi and Pedri shine for Spain in narrow win over Uruguay
June 28, 2026 · Global
The Spanish national team, which includes several Barcelona players, managed to achieve a narrow 1-0 victory over Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup, with brilliant performances from Pau Cubarsi and Pedri.
The Spanish national team, filled with players from Barcelona, returned to action at the 2026 World Cup last night, facing Uruguay in a match that could potentially determine group position. La Roja wanted to win and finish well in their group to avoid meeting Argentina in the round of 32, and they managed to do it thanks to a single goal from Alex Baena.
The match played out with a lot of tension, with Uruguay trying to make the match more physical than tactical, but there were still interesting moments. Before this match, France also faced Norway in a promising match, where Ousmane Dembele and his friends managed to score four goals against their opponents. Jules Kounde appeared in the match and showed good performance in the World Cup.
Spain beat Uruguay with a score of 1-0, controlling 67 percent of ball possession and registering 553 accurate passes, while Uruguay was only able to register one shot on goal. The only goal came in the 42nd minute after action from Lamine Yamal on the right, while Uruguay had to play with ten men after Agustin Canobbio received a red card in stoppage time.
Pedri started for Spain in this match, which required more patience than spectacular play. Uruguay made the game physical and narrow, so Pedri had to play more of a role in maintaining the team structure. Even though he didn't appear at his best, his contribution was still important. Spain did not always pass the ball through to Pedri in dangerous zones, and he often received tackles from opponents. Luis de la Fuente wisely took him off in the 60th minute.
Pau Cubarsi emerged as one of the standout players in this match. Even though Uruguay tried to make the game uncomfortable, the Spanish centre-backs managed to keep their composure and the game organized. Cubarsi showed composure on the ball, especially in a match where one mistake could be fatal. He also had several opportunities to score goals, but unfortunately did not succeed in taking advantage of these opportunities.
Lamine Yamal is back in the spotlight, with Uruguay treating him as one of the main threats. Uruguay started aggressively and tried hard to limit his space on the right side. Even though he did not perform optimally as expected, Yamal still contributed to the winning goal with his important actions.
Ferran Torres went into the match motivated to prove himself, and his best moment came in the 86th minute when he almost sealed victory for Spain, but his shot hit the post. Although he continues to find good positions, his finishing still needs improvement.
Dani Olmo, who started on the bench, came on in the second half to add control and quality to the midfield. His best chance came after a cross from Lamine in the 63rd minute, but he failed to score from the center of the box, a disappointing moment.
Hamza Abdelkarim, Barcelona's 18-year-old youngster, was also involved in this match, although he has different experience to the others. He was involved in an interesting moment when Iran thought they had scored in stoppage time, but it was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Overall, it was a strong day for Barcelona even if it wasn't perfect. Cubarsi stood out in a natural way at this level, while the others also had key moments.