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Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Summer signing Cucurella arrives as a World Champion
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium, with Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute to win their second FIFA World Cup.
It was a final built on Spanish control, Argentine resistance and one decisive moment after more than 100 minutes of pressure.
Emiliano Martinez made a World Cup final-record 11 saves, which says everything about how hard Spain had to work for the breakthrough.
Argentina defended deep for long spells and tried to drag the game into the kind of tense, emotional battle they usually enjoy.
However, Spain kept pushing, kept circulating the ball and eventually found the goal that crowned them world champions for the second time.
From a Real Madrid perspective, Marc Cucurella was the player to watch. The left-back started the final and played the full match, becoming a world champion after Spain’s narrow win over Argentina.
Marc Cucurella vs Argentina
Marc Cucurella’s World Cup final was not spectacular, but it was full of the qualities that have made him valuable throughout Spain’s run.
This was a game that demanded concentration above everything else. Argentina did not create much, but that did not make the defensive job easy.
When Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez are on the other side, one loose moment can change the whole night.
Cucurella handled that responsibility well. He gave La Roja energy on the left, stayed aggressive in duels and helped maintain the balance that allowed his team to keep Argentina pinned back for long stretches.
One of his biggest attacking moments came when he arrived unmarked around the penalty spot in the second half but saw his effort blocked by Gonzalo Montiel.
That chance summed up the good and the slightly frustrating side of his performance.
Cucurella kept finding ways to support Spain’s attacks, but like most of his teammates, he was denied by either Martinez, an Argentine block or the final decision.
From a Madrid lens, though, the most important part was his reliability. Cucurella did not lose his head in a final that became increasingly tense.
⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ARx0tl01H0
— Marc Cucurella (@cucurella3) July 20, 2026
He kept running, kept competing and kept giving Spain a left-sided outlet even as fatigue started to matter in extra time.
Cucurella had already contributed two assists in the competition and also had the most sprints of any finalist. It shows the kind of tournament he had for Spain.
He is not the smoothest full-back in world football, but he is exactly the kind of player coaches trust in knockout games.
In other words, he would be a dream player for Jose Mourinho to have, just for his mentality, and Real Madrid have done very well to snap him up.
Florentino Perez pulled off a strategic masterstroke by announcing his signing before the World Cup, ensuring Los Blancos had a world champion in their ranks.
When Cucurella turns up for the Merengues training for the first time, he will have achieved the pinnacle of international football, with both the Euros and the World Cup added to his CV.
It is often easy to diminish Cucurella’s value because he is not the most glamorous player around, but Real Madrid have their hands on a gem, and it remains to be seen how he gets on in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid will lock horns with Elche CF away at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight in Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 La Liga season.
The Merengues are currently second in the league standings with four wins and one defeat from five games, three points behind Barcelona, who are yet to drop a single point this term, and have looked unstoppable.
Given the situation, Real Madrid know there is no room for slip-up, even though it is still very early in the season.
Jose Mourinho’s men have not been particularly convincing away from home this term, having just about managed to beat RCD Espanyol in their opening match before falling to their only defeat of the campaign against Real Betis.
The hope will be to address that issue and put in a strong performance while collecting all three points heading into the derby against Atletico Madrid later in the week.
Going into the match, Los Blancos have not received any new fitness boosts, with Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, and Ferland Mendy still unavailable.
However, there will likely be some rotations with an eye on the derby, and here’s how Mourinho could set his team up against Elche tonight.
Defence
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to share minutes with summer signing Denzel Dumfries so far this season, but will be hoping to make the right-back spot his own with a convincing performance tonight against Elche.
Meanwhile, on the left, Alvaro Carreras is expected to retain his place after a brilliant display at the weekend against Rayo Vallecano, which would also allow Marc Cucurella to be protected before the derby.
At centre-back, Dean Huijsen is expected to return to the starting lineup, at the expense of Antonio Rudiger, and partner with Ibrahima Konate.
Thibaut Courtois is the undisputed starter in goal for Real Madrid and will continue his search for a second clean sheet this season.
Midfield
While Aurelien Tchouameni has returned from his injury layoff, he is unlikely to be rushed back by Mourinho. As such, the Frenchman is likely to feature off the bench once again tonight at Elche.
Instead, the double pivot pairing of Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva is expected to take the field once again, with Eduardo Camavinga also having to settle for a spot among the substitutes.
Jude Bellingham has started all of Real Madrid’s matches so far this season and given his form and importance to the team, Mourinho will not rotate him tonight against Elche.
Attack
Yan Diomande made his first start at Real Madrid last weekend against Rayo Vallecano but failed to make the best impression.
Meanwhile, Arda Guler was once again brilliant for Los Blancos after coming on as a substitute, making a strong case for him to be reinstated to the starting XI on the right wing.
As for the left side of the attack, Vinicius Jr. will retain his place, hoping to find his best form after a rather slow start to the campaign.
Kylian Mbappe, who has now scored six goals in La Liga this season, will spearhead the attack, hoping to end his run of seven months without scoring away from home in the league.
