Spain defender Marc Cucurella continued a 16-year superstition by secretly burying a coin by the side of the pitch prior to his country’s World Cup triumph.
In a fiery encounter, Spain lifted the World Cup for a second time after a hard-fought 1-0 win over defending champions Argentina.
The victory comes after their inaugural title in South Africa in 2010 — where they saw off the Netherlands in the final.
And the left-back from that tournament, Joan Capdevila, has now taken to social media to share footage of Cucurella burying the coin by the sideline.
Capdevila then explained Cucurella, who plays the same position, performed the act upon his request.
He said: “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.
“I asked @cucurella3 to do the same yesterday… Marc, I love you so much. YOU ARE A WORLD CHAMPION!”
Cucurella, who recently sealed a move to Real Madrid from Chelsea, did not miss a single minute of the competition and played a crucial role in Spain’s World Cup win.
He is now set to get a tattoo of manager Luis de la Fuente after making the startling promise prior to the final.
Cucurella said: “If we win the World Cup, I will tattoo Luis de la Fuente’s face on my body.”
The Spanish defender has spent the last four years at Chelsea after sealing a move to Stamford Bridge from Brighton in 2022.
He has won the Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, and established himself as one of the world’s best left-backs.
He was also a part of the Spain team which won Euro 2024 — the nation’s third European title in 16 years.
