Marc Cucurella has kept his word. The Spain international unveiled a new tattoo of national team coach Luis de la Fuente on his arm this week, fulfilling a promise he made before his country lifted the World Cup trophy in the United States.
Cucurella had vowed at the start of the summer that he would ink De la Fuente’s face onto his skin if Spain went all the way at the tournament. La Roja did exactly that, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in New Jersey on July 19 to claim their second world title, following their first triumph back in 2010 in South Africa. True to his word, Cucurella booked an appointment with a tattoo artist soon after the celebrations died down, and on Tuesday he shared the finished piece with the world.
The Real Madrid full-back posted a photo of the artwork on social media, captioning it simply with the words “promise kept.” In the design, De la Fuente is shown in a suit, proudly holding the World Cup trophy, a permanent tribute to the manager who guided Cucurella and his teammates to glory. For Cucurella, the gesture was never just about ink on skin; it was about honouring a coach who transformed the squad’s fortunes over the course of the tournament.
The reaction from within Spanish football was immediate. Teammate Mikel Merino called the moment “historic” in a comment on Cucurella’s post, while tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, a keen football fan, described the tattoo as “awesome.” The image quickly spread across social platforms as fans and fellow athletes praised Cucurella for following through on a bold promise made under considerable pressure.
Cucurella’s journey through the World Cup was not without its early frustrations. The defender joined Real Madrid from Chelsea shortly before the tournament kicked off, and Spain’s opening match, a goalless draw against Cape Verde, was hardly the emphatic start many had expected. De la Fuente later admitted that the stumble against Cape Verde ended up galvanising the squad, giving them the motivation they needed to go on an unbeaten run all the way to the trophy. Cucurella himself became one of the more visible symbols of that turnaround, growing into his role as the tournament progressed and playing a key part in Spain’s run through the knockout stages.
De la Fuente, 65, took charge of the Spanish national team in 2022 as the successor to Luis Enrique, and his reign has been extraordinarily successful. Since then he has delivered Euro 2024, the 2023 Nations League, and now a second World Cup star for Spain’s crest. Few coaches in the modern game have compiled such a trophy haul in such a short span, and Cucurella’s tattoo stands as a personal, permanent nod to that achievement.
Gestures like Cucurella’s are not unheard of in football, where players have long marked historic triumphs with tattoos, but the specificity of this one, a portrait of the manager himself, has struck a chord with supporters. It captures the bond between a coach and his players in a way that few other tributes could, and it will likely remain one of the enduring images associated with Spain’s 2026 World Cup victory.
For now, Cucurella can enjoy the fruits of a promise fulfilled. He entered the tournament facing scrutiny after a mid-season move to a new club, but he leaves it as a World Cup champion with a piece of permanent artwork to prove just how much the achievement, and the man who orchestrated it, means to him. As Spain’s players scatter back to their clubs for pre-season, Cucurella’s tattoo will serve as a lasting reminder of the summer they conquered the world together.
