Spain defender Marc Cucurella has honored one of the more unusual promises made during the 2026 FIFA World Cup by unveiling a tattoo of coach Luis de la Fuente after helping La Roja lift the trophy.The former Chelsea defender, who recently completed a move to Real Madrid, had promised during the tournament that he would permanently tattoo an image of De la Fuente if Spain won the World Cup. Nine days after Spain’s 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in New Jersey, Cucurella revealed he had fulfilled that promise.
The promise made during the tournament comes true
Cucurella first made the promise in the early stages of Spain’s World Cup campaign, saying he would get a tattoo of De la Fuente if the team became world champions.Spain finally achieved that ambition on July 19, defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium thanks to Ferran Torres’ decisive goal.On Tuesday, the 27-year-old shared pictures of his new tattoo on Instagram, captioning it simply: “A promise kept.”The artwork, positioned on the underside of his left arm just above the elbow, depicts De la Fuente holding the FIFA World Cup trophy alongside the number ’26’, commemorating the year Spain claimed their second men’s World Cup title.
De la Fuente joked his players ‘made a mistake’
After the Spanish triumph over Argentina, De la Fuente was asked about Cucurella’s promise during his post-match press conference.The Spain manager responded with characteristic humour, suggesting his players might be committing to something they would later regret.“I already said, ‘Did you make a mistake?'” De la Fuente joked.“They did, but they’ll like it.”The 65-year-old also laughed about where the tattoo should be placed.“I’m not so terribly ugly that they need to put it in a place that no one can see. But it makes me laugh and I’m proud to keep their promises.”When asked if he would commemorate Spain’s triumph with a proper tattoo, De la Fuente dismissed the idea.“I’m not old enough to get tattoos,” he said with a smile. “No, not anymore.”
Cucurella wanted the tribute to be visible
Before the final, Cucurella had already explained that if Spain won the tournament, the tattoo would not be hidden.Asked after the victory when and where he planned to get it, the defender admitted that he had not yet decided on the design, but insisted that it needed to be somewhere people could see it.– I don’t know, said Cucurella.“I haven’t decided yet. I need to think, I need to think about where you got it.“People ask me about it too, so it has to be somewhere visible.“But anyway, we have a long journey ahead of us now. I hope people will give me ideas. I will think about it and then it will be time to do it.Just over a week later, it delivered exactly as promised.
Another promise fulfilled
This is not the first time that Cucurella has publicly followed through on a commitment after winning a major international tournament.Following Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 triumph, the defender honored another promise by dyeing his signature long curly hair bright red in celebration.His latest tribute continues the tradition, with the tattoo becoming a permanent reminder of Spain’s World Cup-winning campaign under De la Fuente.
Integral role in Spain’s World Cup success
Cucurella was one of Spain’s top players throughout the tournament.The left-back started all eight of Spain’s games as De la Fuente’s side cruised unbeaten to the title, producing one of the tournament’s strongest defensive records.Spain kept seven clean sheets during the competition, with Cucurella playing in every knockout match, including the extra-time win over Argentina in the final.The World Cup triumph completed another landmark chapter in the defender’s career, coming shortly before his summer move from Chelsea to Real Madrid.Away from the pitch, Cucurella also attracted attention during the tournament for wearing his wife’s pajamas as a personal good luck charm throughout Spain’s successful campaign.His latest tattoo now serves as a lasting tribute to the coach who led Spain to the world championships, fulfilling a promise made during the tournament and providing another memorable story from La Roja’s historic victory in the United States.