Real Madrid was not only threatened with participating in a World Cup without any representatives inside the Spanish national team, but it was also on the verge of an unprecedented historical precedent, represented by the possibility of "La Roja" winning the World Cup title without a single player from the Royal Club in its ranks.
That scenario remained in place since the announcement of the Spanish national team squad, which was devoid for the first time of any player belonging to Real Madrid, before the club president Florentino Perez moved in the transfer market and sealed the deal for left-back Marc Cucurella coming from Chelsea, to become a player in the ranks of the white team during the tournament competitions.
With this step, Real Madrid ensured the presence of a representative inside the Spanish national team before the final match, after it had been threatened with watching the Spanish players lift the World Cup without any player wearing the Royal Club jersey, a precedent that would have constituted a major historical disgrace for one of the world's biggest clubs and one of the most influential in the history of the Spanish national team.
The deal came at the perfect time, after the Spanish national team continued its strong performances and succeeded in reaching the 2026 World Cup final following its 2-0 victory over France in the semi-final.
Cucurella, who became a Real Madrid player during the tournament, is now one match away from lifting the World Cup wearing the Spanish national team jersey, turning Perez's deal from mere technical reinforcement into a step that saved the club from recording a historical incident that would have remained stuck in the memory of its fans.
The question now remains: Will the story be completed in the final, and will Cucurella become a world champion as a Real Madrid player?
