Spain defender Marc Cucurella upheld a 16-year superstition by burying a coin at the side of the pitch prior to his country's World Cup final victory against Argentina. Spain secured their second World Cup title with a 1-0 win.
Joan Capdevila, a left-back from Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning team, revealed on social media that he had asked Cucurella to perform the ritual. Capdevila explained that he himself had buried a coin before Spain's 2010 final match and had shared this practice with Cucurella.
"In 2010 I buried a coin in the grass before starting the match… I’ve told it millions of times," Capdevila stated. "I asked @cucurella3 to do the same yesterday… Marc, I love you so much. YOU ARE A WORLD CHAMPION!"
Cucurella, who recently transferred to Real Madrid from Chelsea, played every minute of the tournament and was instrumental in Spain's World Cup success. He also made a promise to tattoo the face of manager Luis de la Fuente if the team won the World Cup.
Cucurella spent four seasons with Chelsea after joining from Brighton in 2022. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup, establishing himself as one of the world's top left-backs. He was also part of the Spanish squad that won Euro 2024, marking Spain's third European title in 16 years.