Marc Cucurella continued a peculiar tradition in Spain’s World Cup triumph when he buried a “lucky” coin in the pitch moments before kick-off, by request of a fellow Spanish footballing hero.
Cucurella copied the pre-match ritual of 2010 World Cup winner Joan Capdevila, a left-back predecessor of the newly-signed Real Madrid man, who did the same before La Roja beat the Netherlands to lift their first title 16 years ago in South Africa.
The 27-year-old was spotted from the stands removing a coin from his sock and forcing it into the MetLife Stadium grass just as the match was about to get underway.
And after Spain’s extra-time victory over Argentina, courtesy of Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner, Capdevila took to X to reveal that he had sought out Cucurella to carry out the secret superstition.
“And now I’ll tell you a secret... In 2010, I buried a coin in the grass before starting the match... I've told it millions of times,” Capdevila said. “I asked Cucurella to do the same yesterday...
“Marc, I love you so much. YOU ARE A WORLD CHAMPION!”
Capdevila shared a video of Cucurella doing as he had been asked, sauntering over to the touchline while checking that nobody was looking before digging the coin into the turf.
🤫 Y AHORA OS CUENTO UN SECRETO...
⭐️ En 2010 enterré una moneda en el césped antes de comenzar el partido... Lo he contado millones de veces. Le pedí a @cucurella3 que hiciera lo mismo ayer... Marc, te quiero mucho. ¡ERES CAMPEÓN DEL MUNDO! pic.twitter.com/pPsSsf34FU
Former Villarreal stalwart Capdevila, now 48, was a key figure in Spain's golden era, starting in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands and being part of the squad that won the 2008 European Championship.
However, his World Cup final experience was thrown into doubt after encountering issues with his ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) application, which was denied due to a past visit to Iran.
Capdevila publicly appealed to US president Donald Trump for help in getting into the country for the showpiece finale, taking to X on Friday night and stating: "I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump!"
“They just told me that I can't travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied.
“Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my 2010 teammates and this team to cheer them on.
“I can't believe they're not letting me into the USA... and that I'll miss a moment like this with my kids who love soccer so much.”
Fortunately, he was able to get the issue resolved and watched on from the stands in New Jersey, sharing the news with his followers: “NEVER GIVE UP IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, LET’S GO SPAIN!”
Read MoreHow Luis de la Fuente’s tactical tweaks perfected Spain and created World Cup final masterclass
World Cup 2026 awards including best player, goal, match and the unforgettable moments
Copa Independent | Doing it their way: lessons from the final curtain in New York
Spain arrive home to parade World Cup as Argentina left in disgrace - live reaction
.png?width=1200&auto=webp&trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
