Real Madrid News
Confirmed: Real Madrid new signing Marc Cucurella starts for Spain vs Saudi Arabia
The Spain national team are back in action today at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they take on Saudi Arabia.
After failing to defeat minnows Cape Verde in their opening fixture, La Roja are under pressure to deliver a positive performance and grab three points.
Given the situation, manager Luis de la Fuente has made multiple changes to the starting lineup for the game.
Cucurella features again
However, one of the few players who has been retained in the starting XI by the Spain manager happens to be Real Madrid new signing Marc Cucurella.
The left-back was one of the players who left a positive impression from the goalless draw against Cape Verde, showing good attacking instincts while also being reliable defensively.
As such, he holds on to his spot in the La Roja starting lineup against Saudi Arabia, ahead of Alejandro Grimaldo, who is close to signing for Real Madrid’s local rivals Atletico Madrid.
Cucurella happens to be the only Real Madrid player in the Spain squad and the Merengues will be watching closely to see how their new signing, who cost €55 million plus €5 million in add-ons, fares at the grandest stage of them all.
🚨 OFICIAL | Ya tenemos nuestro 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 ante Arabia Saudí.#VamosEspaña | #CopaMundialFIFA pic.twitter.com/pBcW94GLzX
— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) June 21, 2026
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
