We expected Real Madrid to be busy during this summer transfer window, and their recruitment has now begun. On Monday morning, the club confirmed the arrival of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for a reported fee of €60 million. With David Alaba departing, and none of Fran García, Ferland Mendy nor Álvaro Carreras up to the required level, the 27 year old will arrive at the Bernabéu as los Blancos' undisputed first-choice left-back.
Born in Catalonia, he came through la Masia, making one appearance for Barcelona's first team, coming on for a seven minute cameo against Real Murcia at Estadio Nueva Condomina in the Copa del Rey in 2017. Nevertheless, he will become a rare player to represent both of Spain's big two.
Right now, Cucurella is in Atlanta ahead of Spain's World Cup opener against tournament debutants Cape Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So, will watching Madridistas see their new recruit in action?
Is Marc Cucurella expected to play for Spain tonight?
To date, Cucurella has 24 international caps to his name, scoring one goal, a stunning volley against Bulgaria at Vasil Levski National Stadium during qualifying last September. He started la Roja's final warm-up friendly last Monday night as Luis de la Fuente's team beat Peru 3-1 at Estadio Cuauhtémoc.
Cucurella has also started nine of Spain's last ten competitive fixtures, including both legs of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands, as well as last June's semi-final and final in Germany. Against Peru, he was replaced in the 69th minute by Álex Grimaldo, and it is this duo who are vying for the starting left-back spot, after Alejandro Balde was omitted from the squad.
Spain's World Cup 2026 left-back depth chart
Players | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|
Marc Cucurella | Real Madrid | 24 |
Álex Grimaldo | Bayer Leverkusen | 14 |
Thus, it is pretty clear that de la Fuenta views Cucurella as his first choice, even if Grimaldo is a more than decent alternative, so don't be surprised if one replacing another is a substitution we see throughout this tournament.
What to watch for if Marc Cucurella plays tonight
So, what should Real Madrid supporters expect from Cucurella? Well, at Chelsea, he proved himself to be very solid defensively, relishing 1vs1 duels against a top class winger, notably those against Bukayo Saka. However, in this particular match, with Spain forecast to dominate possession against Cape Verde, he will be asked to show the other side of his game.
Luckily, Cucurella is also excellent going forward, assisting Dani Olmo's goal against Turkiye in November, accumulating four Premier League assists last season too, creating six big chances and averaging 1.1 key passes per 90. Thus, expect him to be very high and wide, providing valuable width as Spain seek to break the Blue Sharks down.
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