Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Summer signing Cucurella arrives as a World Champion

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. The new World Champions. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) 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. 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.