Marc Cucurella is a man of his word. Which, depending on how you feel about getting a 65-year-old man’s face permanently inked on your body, is either admirable or a little alarming.
The new Real Madrid left-back promised he’d get a tattoo of Spain manager Luis de la Fuente if La Roja won the World Cup this summer. They did. And on Tuesday, Cucurella posted the proof on Instagram. The design sits on the underside of his forearm: a portrait of De la Fuente beside the World Cup trophy. The caption read simply, “Promise fulfilled.”
No fine print. No weaseling out. Just a permanent reminder of a wild summer.
This wasn’t some throwaway line in a press conference either. Cucurella made the pledge during the tournament, and it picked up steam as Spain kept winning. By the time they knocked off Argentina 1-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the internet had already started asking about the tattoo parlor.
How Spain Did It
That final was not pretty. Argentina fouled constantly, dragged out stoppages, and generally did everything you’d expect from a defending champion trying to slow down a younger, sharper team. Ferran Torres finally broke through in extra time. Spain held on. That was it. A second World Cup for the Spanish, their first since 2010.
And here’s the thing about this Spanish team. They allowed exactly one goal the entire tournament. One. Charles De Ketelaere scored it for Belgium in the quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, tying the game after Fabian Ruiz had opened the scoring. That was it. Nobody else touched the net against them.
Spain arrived in North America as the reigning European champions and left as world champions. That’s a pretty good summer vacation.
Cucurella’s Busy Summer
While all that was happening, Cucurella also finalized his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid. The deal was worth around £51.8 million. He’d been at Chelsea since 2023 after a stint at Brighton. Before that, Getafe. Now he’s back in Spain after five years abroad, and he’s got a new tattoo to mark the occasion.
Whether De la Fuente appreciates having his face on Cucurella’s arm forever is unclear. The coach hasn’t commented publicly. But then again, he’s got a World Cup trophy now. Hard to complain.
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