Cucurella tattooed his World Cup-winning manager's face — and De la Fuente loved it
Spain's left-back kept his promise and had a portrait of title-winning coach Luis de la Fuente — complete with the World Cup trophy — permanently inked on his skin.
Some promises are made in the heat of the moment and forgotten by the next morning. Marc Cucurella is not that kind of person.
Spain's left-back took to social media to unveil the tattoo he had pledged to get: a portrait of manager Luis de la Fuente holding the World Cup trophy, with the number 26 in the background. "Promise kept," Cucurella wrote in the caption, alongside photos and a video of the process.
The story has an extra layer of charm because De la Fuente had seen it coming. Right after the final — in which Spain beat Argentina 1–0 to lift the trophy — the coach joked at the press conference: "I already told them: 'Did you make a mistake?'" De la Fuente said. "But I'm not so ugly that they'd need to hide it somewhere nobody would ever see. It makes me laugh, and I'm proud of them keeping their word."
Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid from Chelsea for £52 million in June, became one of the most endearing characters of this World Cup. The 28-year-old defender carried his wife's pyjamas as a lucky charm throughout the tournament and, according to the BBC, recently revealed he keeps his curly hair long so his son can spot him easily during matches.
Spain arrive at the 2026 World Cup as reigning champions and overwhelming favourites. Golmetria's model projects a 75% chance of the title for the Spanish side — a number that explains why De la Fuente could end up tattooed on a few more arms around the world.
The question now is simple: how many other squad members will show up with their manager's face on their skin before the next tournament?