Ko da yake Lamine Yamal ya zama jarumin jarida a FIFA World Cup 2026, wani saurayi na Barcelona ya kasance mai mahimmanci — ko fiye — ga Spain. Pau Cubarsi, mai kare tsakiya mai shekaru 19, ya nuna gwaninta a kare a wasan semi-final yayin da Spain ta kayar da France da ci 2-0, tare da kara adadin wasannin da ba a zura kwallo ba zuwa shida daga wasanni bakwai a gasar.

An yi tsammanin cewa fuskantar Kylian Mbappe da layin gaba mai hadari na France zai gwada Cubarsi sosai. A maimako, ya kasance mai nutsuwa kuma mai iko a cikin wasan, yana cin duelolin sa, yana yin karin gyare-gyare fiye da kowane dan wasa a filin, yana kuma toshe wanda ake ganin shi ne dan wasa mai hatsari a duniya.

Jarumin tarihi a cewar Oscar Garcia

Dan wasan Barcelona na tsohon lokaci, Oscar Garcia, ya kasance yana kallo ci gaban Cubarsi da hankali — kuma yanke shawararsa tana da nauyi. "Yana da wuya a cikin sashin 'yan kasa don mutane su yi magana a kanka," Garcia ya gaya wa Sky Sports. "Yawanci, za su yi magana game da Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, irin wadannan 'yan wasan. Ba mai kare tsakiya ba. Amma a gare ni, Cubarsi yana da ban mamaki."

Garcia ya ci gaba: "Ina tabbata zai zama daya daga cikin manyan masu tsaro tsakiya biyar a tarihi," ya ce — maganar da ta kasance kamar cika-cika kafin gasar, amma tana zama mafi karbuwa da kowane wasa da ya wuce.

Fiye da tsaro kawai

Abin da ya bambanta Cubarsi shi ne cikakken wasanshi. Rodri ne kawai ya fi shi a jimillar wucewa a Kofin Duniya zuwa semi-final, kuma kason gama-gari na wucewarsa a gasar ya kai kashi 96.2 cikin dari. Babu wani dan wasa da ya yi wucewa fiye a cikin rabin filin abokin hamayya, kuma dan kadan ne kawai — Lionel Messi da Michael Olise a cikinsu — da suka yi karin wucewa mai zurfi.

Lamine Yamal ya ambaci Cubarsi a bainar jama'a a matsayin daya daga cikin mafi kyawun masu fitar da kwallo daga tsaro uku a duniya. An ga wannan ingancin a wasan da France, kuma bugun sa a wasan kwata-fainali da Belgium wanda ya fitar da Senne Lammens daga hannunsa shi ne ya kawo kwallo ta cin nasara.

"Yana da karami sosai, amma yana da kyau sosai a gina wasa domin kiran farko daga gare shi, koyaushe yana da kyau," Garcia ya bayyana. "Yana kawar da yawancin 'yan wasan abokin hamayya kuma baya rasa wucewa."

Sauri, matsayi, da balaga fiye da shekarunsa

Cubarsi ba shi ne mafi tsayi a cikin gasar ba, amma guduwarsa da karatun wasansa sun fi biyan wannan rashi. Babu wani dan wasa a wannan Kofin Duniya da ya yi nasara a tarkon offside fiye da Cubarsi — wannan bayanin yana nuna hazakantarsa ta dabara. "A cikin yanayin duel ɗaya a ɗaya, yana da karfi sosai — kuma mai hankali," Garcia ya lura.

Wasa a bayan layin kare mai tsayin daka na Barcelona ya hanzarta bunkasar sa amma ya kuma fallasa shi ga haɗari. Katin ja da ya samu a kan Atletico Madrid a watan Afrilu, wanda ya taimaka wajen fitar da Barcelona daga UEFA Champions League, ya zama tunatarwa cewa hanya ta koyo har yanzu tana da tsauri ko da ga mafi arziki. "Wasa a matsayin mai kare tsakiya a shekarunsà, ga manyan tawagar, shi ne mafi wuya," Garcia ya yarda.

Duk da haka, amsar Cubarsi ta kasance girma. Ya fara a LaLiga kafin ya cika shekara 17 kuma yanzu ya yi karin bayyana dari tare da Barcelona. Kocin Hansi Flick ya sanya shi a cikin tawagar a kowace wasa, haka kuma kocin Spain Luis de la Fuente.

Mataki guda daga tarihi

Dan wasan huɗu ne kawai a tarihi da suka fara kuma suka lashe fainali na Kofin Duniya. Idan Spain za ta karbi kofin a ran Lahadi, Cubarsi da Lamine Yamal za su kara wannan lambar da kashi 50 cikin dari — tunani mai ban mamaki ga matasa biyu da suke kan farkon aikinsu.

"Kowa yana magana game da Lamine Yamal kuma babu shakka shi dan wasa ne mai ban sha'awa da yanke shawara," Garcia ya kammala. "Amma a gare ni, Cubarsi shi ne makullin."