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Marc Cucurella was spotted performing an unusual pre-match ritual in the moments before Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, and it has now emerged that the act was part of a 16-year-old superstition passed down by one of Spain’s previous World Cup winners.Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium to win the Men’s World Cup for the second time in their history, with substitute Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute.While much of the attention after the final was focused on Spain’s triumph and Argentina’s late collapse, footage taken shortly before kick-off showed Cucurella walking quietly towards the touchline, removing an object from his sock and burying it under the turf.
‘secret’ the tradition of lucky coins
At first, no one knew what the Spanish left-back had hidden in the grass.The mystery was solved after the final by former Spain defender Joan Capdevila, who revealed that the object was a coin and that he had personally asked Cucurella to continue the superstition dating back to Spain’s first World Cup triumph in 2010.Capdevila, who started at left-back when Spain beat the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg, explained that he buried a coin in the pitch before that game and encouraged Cucurello to repeat the ritual before facing Argentina.Writing on X, Capdevila said: “And now I’ll tell you a secret… In 2010 I buried a coin in the grass before the start of the game… I’ve said it a million times.“I asked @cucurella3 to do the same yesterday…“Marc, I love you so much. YOU ARE THE WORLD CHAMPION!”He also shared a video showing Cucurella discreetly checking that no one was watching before placing a coin in the turf and covering it with grass moments before kick-off.
Spain’s lucky winner ends with another World Cup
Whether it was coincidence or superstition, the ritual seems to have worked again.Spain controlled much of the final against defending champions Argentina before finally getting the breakthrough in extra time.Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute after being set up by Nico Williams to give Luis de la Fuente’s side a hard-earned 1-0 victory and secure Spain’s second World Cup title, exactly 16 years after their first.Cucurella was again a key figure during the tournament, capping off another successful international campaign after helping Spain win the European Championship two years earlier.Argentina’s penalty shootout hopes had already suffered a major blow when Enzo Fernández was sent off in stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for a reckless tackle on Pau Cubarsí. Matters later boiled over after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes also sent off after an altercation involving several Spanish players.
Capdevila’s journey to the World Cup was almost over before it began
The story had additional significance because Capdevila almost missed the final.Earlier this week, the 2010 World Cup winner revealed that his application for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to enter the United States had been rejected, reportedly because of a previous exhibition match he played in Iran.Capdevila publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump on social media, writing: “I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump!”“They just told me that I couldn’t travel to the finals with my children because my ESTA was rejected.“Can someone 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 US… and I’m going to miss a moment like this with my kids who love soccer so much.”According to ESPN, US Customs and Border Protection later confirmed to The Associated Press that it had received a request related to Capdevila’s case and subsequently cleared him to enter the country.The former Villarreal defender arrived in New Jersey in time for the final and watched Spain win the World Cup from the stands.After the win, he celebrated Spain’s triumph and his successful journey by announcing: “HOW IT WASN’T WORTH IT… I DESERVED TO BE HERE WITH MY FAMILY ENJOYING THIS MOMENT, AND JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED. Thank you to everyone who fought to make this possible, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”For Capdevila, a coin buried under the grass brought good luck to Spain once before in 2010. Sixteen years later, after Cucurella repeated the same silent pre-match ritual, it ended with another World Cup trophy returning to Spain.
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