Barcelona wonderkid will earn first-ever national team call-up this week

Barcelona teenage wonderkid Pau Cubarsi will be the big surprise in the squad list to be announced by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente this Friday, reports AS.

Furthermore, the Barcelona leadership is aware that the 17-year-old centre-back will receive his first call-up to the national team in two days’ time.

Tremendous rise in stature

It was just around two months that Cubarsi made his first-team debut for Barcelona, as a 16-year-old rising talent with immense potential.

Fast forward to March, the defender, now 17, has become a regular in Xavi Hernandez’s side, made his UEFA Champions League debut this week against Napoli and even put in a Man of the Match display on the night.

Cubarsi’s rapid rise at club level is now set to be mirrored at the international level as well. Reports of De la Fuente considering calling him up to the squad for the international break this month have been doing the rounds for a while.

Now, it appears that the decision has already been made and Cubarsi will be fast-tracked into the Spain senior setup despite his age.

Cubarsi was originally going to be called up to the U-21 national team, but his performance against Napoli has changed things.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) are keeping a tight lid on the matter and are not making any statements on the matter.

But the Barça leaders are already taking Cubarsi’s call-up for granted and are internally saying that it is more than well-deserved. “He will be Spain’s centre-back for many years to come,” they say within the club.

Spain will face Colombia (22 March) and Brazil (26 March) during this break, and Cubarsi could very well make his debut as a senior international.