The football world is abuzz not just with the impending World Cup final, but with a truly unique pledge from Spain's Marc Cucurella. The newly-signed Real Madrid left-back has vowed to immortalize manager Luis De La Fuente on his body should La Roja emerge victorious against Argentina in Sunday's blockbuster showdown.
“If we win the World Cup, I will tattoo Luis de la Fuente’s face on my body,” the 27-year-old declared, setting a peculiar personal stake for the final. Cucurella's commitment throughout the tournament has been absolute, having played every single minute and starring in Spain's impressive journey, which included a semi-final triumph over France that firmly established their world champion aspirations.
This highly anticipated match marks Spain’s first World Cup final appearance since their 2010 victory, and they enter as slight favourites against Lionel Messi's Argentina. La Roja demonstrated their prowess with comfortable wins against Portugal and France, only requiring a late strike against Belgium. In contrast, Argentina’s route to the final has been dramatic, relying on late goals to overcome Egypt, Switzerland, and England.
Spain's semi-final success saw Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro find the net against France. Argentina, meanwhile, secured their place by dealing a heartbreaking loss to England with two late goals. For Cucurella, the prospect of an 'embarrassing tattoo' will undoubtedly be secondary when the final whistle blows; his full focus will be on clinching Spain's second-ever title.
Adding another layer of intrigue, the ex-Chelsea man once famously stated, 'I prefer being bald than having a tattoo of the Barcelona badge,' making his current promise a remarkable shift in his body art philosophy. The World Cup final is set for Sunday, July 19, at 8pm BST, with talkSPORT providing live coverage from New York, featuring host Adrian Durham and commentary from Jim Proudfoot and former England captain Stuart Pearce.