Spain defender Marc Cucurella has fulfilled a promise he made before Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph. He had vowed to get a tattoo of national team coach Luis de la Fuente’s face if Spain won the tournament — and after lifting the trophy, the Spanish star turned that promise into reality.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, on Sunday (July 19), with Ferran Torres scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time. The win made Spain world champions once again, 16 years after their first title.
After Spain’s final victory over Argentina secured their second World Cup title, coach De la Fuente laughed and reminded Cucurella to keep his word. The 28-year-old defender finally honored that promise on Tuesday.
Cucurella got a tattoo on the back of his left arm depicting Luis de la Fuente holding the World Cup trophy in front of the tournament’s logo. He shared videos and photos of the moment on Instagram, captioning the post, “Promise kept.”
Cucurella started in all eight of Spain’s matches at the World Cup, and his outstanding performances throughout the tournament helped Spain keep seven clean sheets.
His form also earned him a spot in the tournament’s Best XI, as selected by football fans around the world, where he was named among the defenders.
Another of Cucurella’s superstitions also came to light during the World Cup — he reportedly wore a top from his wife’s pajamas throughout the tournament as a good-luck charm. Now, to further commemorate that fortunate World Cup run, the Spanish defender has chosen to permanently mark the occasion with a tattoo of his coach’s face.
