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The acquisition of Marc Cucurella not only strengthened Real Madrid's left side, but also helped them avoid breaking a streak of eight consecutive World Cup finals featuring at least one player from Los Blancos.
When Luis de la Fuente unveiled Spain's 2026 World Cup squad, one of the most talked-about revelations was that, for the first time in La Roja's tournament history, no Real Madrid player was included. Then, just before the tournament kicked off, Los Blancos confirmed the signing of the former Chelsea left back.
Cucurella is the sole Real Madrid player set to appear in the final, with Argentina fielding no Los Blancos representatives—regardless of how much Enzo Fernández might wish otherwise. Had England or France reached the final, Real Madrid would have had a stronger presence.
Despite being just one player, Cucurella's inclusion with Spain is sufficient to ensure a Real Madrid player features in the World Cup final for the eighth straight time. You have to look back to the 1994 final, in which Brazil defeated Italy on penalties, to find the last occasion when no Madrid player took part in football's biggest match.
🇪🇸 THE WORLD CUP FINAL AWAITS! 🇪🇸
👉 @Cucurella3
⏰ 19/07 | 21:00 CEST
🏆 Final | FIFA World Cup 2026 pic.twitter.com/afwZMmM6UX
Prior to the streak beginning, Madrid went two consecutive World Cup finals without any representation, in 1990 and 1994. In the 1986 World Cup final, however, Real Madrid star Jorge Valdano netted to help Argentina defeat West Germany 3–2.
In total, Real Madrid have had representation in 12 World Cup finals and, thanks to Cucurella, in each of the last eight—but does it genuinely count?
Cucurella Still Considered Chelsea Player By FIFA
However, there is debate surrounding whether Cucurella can legitimately be considered a Real Madrid player yet, which could mean Los Blancos' 28-year streak coming to an end.
There is no question that Cucurella will play for Real Madrid in the 2026–27 season; however, in FIFA's view, the left back is still listed as a Chelsea player on all official team sheets and related documentation, per Mundo Deportivo.
Since the World Cup is still regarded as part of the 2025–26 season, Cucurella is classified as a player for the club he represented during that campaign.
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Moreover, at the time Cucurella was registered for the 2026 World Cup, his move to Real Madrid had not yet been finalized. Los Blancos announced the signing on June 15, four days after the tournament's opening match.
Despite this situation, Real Madrid have embraced Cucurella as one of their own throughout the past month.