Marc Cucurella fulfills his World Cup promise by tattooing Spain coach Luis de la Fuente

More than a week after Spain were crowned FIFA World Cup champions with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina, Marc Cucurella fulfilled one of the most memorable promises of the tournament. The Spain defender has a tattoo of head coach Luis de la Fuente inked on his left arm and the finished design has now been revealed on social media.

Created by renowned Spanish artist Joaquin Ganga, the tattoo features De la Fuente holding the FIFA World Cup trophy. Ganga has previously collaborated with several global stars, including LeBron James, Drake and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Cucurella vowed before the World Cup final to get a tattoo of De la Fuente’s face if Spain lifted the trophy. La Roja played on the biggest stage when Ferran Torres scored in extra time after Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offense in stoppage time at the end of normal time.

After the finale, Cucurella reiterated that he would keep his word, although he admitted that he had not decided where the tattoo would go.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t decided yet. I have to think about it, I have to think about where to get it.

“People will ask me about it too, so it has to be seen somewhere. But anyway, we’ve got a long way to go now. I’m hoping people will give me some ideas. I’ll think about it and then it’ll be time to finish it.”

Spain coach De la Fuente also took the pledge in good spirits when asked about it after the World Cup triumph.

“I’m not old enough to get a tattoo,” he said. “But they made a mistake, they’re serious people, so they’ll keep their word. I’ve said to them, ‘Did you make a mistake?'” They had, but they’ll enjoy it.

“I’m not so terribly ugly that they need to put it somewhere where no one can see it. But it makes me smile and I’m proud that they keep their promises. Above all, if you say something, you have to keep it, so I’m happy about that too.”

One of Spain’s standout players at the tournament, Cucurella played a key role in La Roja’s second FIFA World Cup triumph. By getting De la Fuente’s portrait tattooed on his left arm, the defender fulfilled a promise that became one of the defining stories of Spain’s winning campaign off the pitch.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

28 Jul 2026 21:21 IST