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Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente described Marc Cucurella as "sensational" following the convincing 4–1 Nations League victory against Croatia.
The summer arrival at Real Madrid carried his World Cup momentum into the match, delivering a characteristically dynamic two-way performance that included five defensive actions, winning six of seven duels, creating two chances, and registering four touches inside the opponent's box.
Yet while Cucurella's commanding displays as an attacking fullback are a familiar sight for Spain, Real Madrid supporters are still waiting to witness the 28-year-old at his peak following his €55 million ($62 million) transfer from Chelsea.
Cucurella has hardly failed at the Bernabéu and is working with a limited sample, but he has found it difficult to influence matches consistently in the manner he does for the national side.
Defensive vulnerabilities have been a recurring concern for Los Blancos since the opening of the 2026–27 campaign. José Mourinho's side has managed just one clean sheet across eight matches, with Cucurella featuring in unconvincing performances against Atlético Madrid, Elche, and Real Betis.
Country Over Club
After the dominant victory over Croatia extended Spain's remarkable unbeaten run to a record 40 matches, De la Fuente acknowledged that several players, Cucurella among them, appear to elevate their performances when representing the national team.
"Something happens with us that we notice with many players," he said. "When they arrive with the national team, they transform. Some occasionally display a level far above what they produce at their clubs.
"Perhaps because they feel very much at home here, because our style fits them like a glove."
Cucurella is far from alone in experiencing this shift. Unai Simón had a relatively underwhelming 2025–26 club season, posting just the 17th-best save percentage in La Liga at 64.9% while his Athletic Club side finished 12th. Yet he conceded only once throughout Spain's 2026 World Cup campaign and claimed the tournament's Golden Glove award.
Players such as Aymeric Laporte, Pedro Porro, and Mikel Oyarzabal have similarly outperformed their club contributions on the international stage, with De la Fuente seemingly capable of building a system and atmosphere that draws the very best out of his players.
Cucurella's Madrid Challenge
When De la Fuente unveiled his World Cup squad, it raised eyebrows that no Real Madrid player was included — a historic first. That changed when Cucurella joined Los Blancos on the eve of the tournament, and the former Barcelona left back lifted football's most coveted trophy at the Bernabéu at the season's outset. His next ambition is to carry that Spain-level form back into club football.
Madrid brought Cucurella in to fill the elite left-back void left in recent years, with Ferland Mendy sidelined by persistent injury and Álvaro Carreras repeatedly exposed by top-class wingers. Mourinho reportedly told Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez that Cucurella was his only target this summer, such was his confidence in the fullback.
Despite that backing, Cucurella has so far been required to share the role with Carreras this season and has not yet cemented himself as the solution to Madrid's defensive problems.
Part of that can be attributed to an adjustment period, with Madrid integrating three new defenders — Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, and Denzel Dumfries — as the squad adapts to Mourinho's methods. But with Barcelona already building a comfortable advantage in La Liga and the first Clásico drawing near, the stakes are rising quickly.
Madrid supporters will be hoping the issues are resolved sooner rather than later, and that Mourinho can unlock something close to De la Fuente's formula that brings out arguably the finest left back on the planet.