Spaanse star Cucurella immortalises coach with daring World Cup tattoo

On 19 July, in a bright Barcelona studio, 28‑year‑old Spanish left‑back Marc Cucurella watched as the head of Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was permanently inked onto his left arm, fulfilling the Spanish star’s pre‑World Cup promise after Spain lifted the WK‑trofee despite a 1‑0 loss to Argentina.

Before the tournament, Cucurella vowed to immortalise the national coach on his body if Spanje emerged victorious, and he kept that promise when the team raised the trophy. The tattoo shows De la Fuente’s face in a suit holding the WK‑trofee, and it was applied on 19 July, the day after the 1‑0 defeat by Argentinië.

Cucurella posted photos and a video of the fresh ink on Instagram on Tuesday, captioning the upload “Belofte nagekomen”. The images captured the detailed portrait and the World Cup trophy, confirming the promise was honoured.

Team‑mate Mikel Merino replied to the post with a single word, “Historisch”, while Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz called the idea “briljant”. Their reactions highlighted the stunt’s impact across Spanish sport.

Earlier, Cucurella had also pledged before EK 2024 to dye his hair red if Spain became European champions; after that triumph he shared pictures of fiery red hair within a week, adding another visual tribute to national success.

Fans responded by naming him a Google favourite, celebrating his loyalty to the national team with the viral tattoo. The gesture has become a symbol of devotion among supporters.

The left‑back will play the coming season for Real Madrid, following a summer transfer from Chelsea. His career began in FC Barcelona’s youth academy, then continued at Eibar, Getafe and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining Chelsea in 2022.