Marc Cucurella was spotted carrying out an unusual pre-match ritual moments before Spain’s FIFA World Cup 2026 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 defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium to lift 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 centred on Spain’s triumph and Argentina’s late collapse, footage captured shortly before kick-off revealed Cucurella quietly walking towards the touchline, removing an object from his sock and burying it beneath the turf.
The ‘secret’ lucky coin tradition
Initially, nobody knew what the Spain 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 a superstition dating back to Spain’s first World Cup triumph in 2010.Capdevila, who started at left-back when Spain defeated the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg, explained that he had buried a coin in the pitch before that match and encouraged Cucurella 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 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!”He also shared the video showing Cucurella discreetly checking that nobody was watching before placing the coin into the turf and covering it with grass moments before kick-off.
Spain’s lucky charm ends with another World Cup
Whether coincidence or superstition, the ritual appeared to work once again.Spain controlled much of the final against defending champions Argentina before finally finding the breakthrough in extra time.Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute after being set up by Nico Williams, handing Luis de la Fuente’s side a hard-earned 1-0 victory and securing Spain’s second World Cup title, exactly 16 years after their first.Cucurella was once again a key figure throughout the tournament, capping another successful international campaign after helping Spain win the European Championship two years earlier.Argentina’s hopes of forcing penalties had already suffered a major blow when Enzo Fernández was sent off in stoppage time of normal time after receiving a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsí. Tempers later boiled over after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes also being dismissed following an altercation involving several Spain players.
Capdevila’s own World Cup journey almost ended before it began
The story carried extra significance because Capdevila himself almost missed the final.Earlier in the week, the 2010 World Cup winner revealed that his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application to enter the United States had been denied, reportedly because of a previous exhibition match he had 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 can’t travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied.“Can anyone 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 USA… and that I’ll 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 regarding Capdevila’s case and subsequently granted him permission to enter the country.The former Villarreal defender arrived in New Jersey in time for the final and watched Spain lift the World Cup from the stands.After the victory, he celebrated both Spain’s triumph and his own successful journey by posting: “HOW WASN’T IT WORTH IT… I DESERVED TO BE HERE WITH MY FAMILY ENJOYING THIS MOMENT, AND JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED. Thanks to everyone who pushed for this to be possible, thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart.”For Capdevila, the coin buried beneath the grass had already brought Spain luck once in 2010. Sixteen years later, after Cucurella repeated the same quiet ritual before kick-off, it ended with another World Cup trophy heading back to Spain.
