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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.
It is finally time. Real Madrid are back in action in La Liga for the first time in the 2026/27 season later tonight as they take on RCD Espanyol away at the RCDE Stadium in what will be Jose Mourinho’s first official match in charge since returning.
After a three-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese tactician is back at the club after 13 years, hoping to help the team win trophies after two consecutive underwhelming campaigns.
Florentino Perez & co. have spared no effort in strengthening the squad for Mourinho, with as many as six new signings arriving, while Vinicius Jr. has also signed a new contract after months of speculation.
Heading into the trip to Catalonia today, all six signings are available for Real Madrid, although the manager will still be unable to count on some players such as Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Endrick, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Real Madrid go into the game having not lost any of their pre-season fixtures, with their latest friendly ending in a victory over Schalke in Germany.
However, a trip to RCDE Stadium is never easy and Manolo Gonzalez & co. will make life tough for the Spanish capital club tonight.
Ahead of their opening game of the season, here’s how Mourinho could set his Real Madrid team up against the Catalan club.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois is back fit and firing after recovering from the minor injury he sustained with Belgium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, therefore, will start in goal as per usual for Real Madrid.
The defensive line will bear a new look as summer arrival Denzel Dumfries is set to get the nod at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, having made a solid impression during pre-season.
On the opposite side, fellow new signing Marc Cucurella might have to wait for his chance, having not had enough minutes under his belt in pre-season after returning late. Instead, Alvaro Carreras should get the nod in the lineup.
At the heart of the Real Madrid defence, there will be a fresh centre-back pairing as new arrival Ibrahima Konate appears set to start ahead of Antonio Rudiger after impressing in the Schalke encounter. He will pair up with youngster Dean Huijsen.
Midfield
The midfield department is where Mourinho has some major decisions to make as he looks to find the perfect balance between creativity and solidity.
With Aurelien Tchouameni ruled out, the Real Madrid manager will have to choose three players from Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and youngster Jorge Cestero.
And, as things stand, everything indicates that Bernardo will start as one of the pivots, having shown he can make things tick from the deeper midfield position. Partnering him, in all likelihood, should be club captain Valverde.
As for the attacking midfield role, while Bellingham will eventually take over as the regular starter, given that he has not had enough minutes under his belt since returning, it will be Guler who will be starting against Espanyol.
Attack
Moving further up the pitch, Kylian Mbappe will be thrust straight into the starting XI in the centre-forward role after his goalscoring return to action against Schalke.
On the left side will be Vinicius Jr., with Mourinho facing the huge challenge of getting the two Real Madrid superstar forwards to operate on the same wavelength.
Finally, on the right, it is likely that Brahim Diaz gets the nod tonight against Espanyol, ahead of summer signing Yan Diomande, who will have to wait for his opportunity.
Fellow new arrival Carlos Espi, too, will likely come off the bench at some point in the second half.
