Spanish Defender Marc Cucurella’s Superstitious Ritual

For 16 years, Marc Cucurella, a defender from Spain, maintained a superstition of secretly burying coins near the pitch before crucial matches. His ritual coincided with Spain’s recent World Cup triumph.

In a tightly fought match, Spain triumphed over Argentina, the reigning champions, with a score of 1-0, claiming their second World Cup title. Their first victory had come in 2010 during the tournament held in South Africa, where they bested the Netherlands.

João Capdevila, playing as a left-back in the tournament, shared a video on social media showing Cucurella performing his coin-burying ritual before the match.

Capdevila recounted that he had asked Cucurella to continue this tradition. He shared, “And now I’ll tell you a secret… In 2010, I buried a coin in the grass before the game started… I’ve said it a million times. Yesterday I asked @cucurella3 to do the same… Marc, I love you so much. You are the world champion!”

Cucurella recently transitioned from Chelsea to Real Madrid, and throughout the tournament, he played every game, significantly contributing to Spain’s success.

In an unexpected turn, he promised to get a tattoo of their coach, Luis de la Fuente, if Spain won. “If we win the World Cup, I’m going to get Luis de la Fuente’s face tattooed on my body,” Cucurella declared.

Over the past four years, Cucurella has been with Chelsea, making the move from Brighton to Stamford Bridge in 2022. During his time there, he helped the club secure victories in the Conference League and the Club World Cup, earning recognition as one of the best left-backs globally.

He was also part of the Spanish squad that clinched the Euro 2024 title, marking the country’s third European championship in 16 years.