Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final of FIFA World Cup 2026. After the win, coach Luis de la Fuente reminded defender Mark Cucurezza of his promise to get a tattoo of his face. Kukureja had made this promise after winning the title.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said that defender Mark Cucureja would have to keep his promise and get a tattoo of the coach’s face. On Sunday (local time), La Roja (Spain) won the FIFA World Cup 2026 final by defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time to lift the trophy. The 27-year-old Cucureja said before the title clash against Argentina that he would get a tattoo of de la Fuente’s face on his bicep if Spain lifted the trophy. The coach was reminded of this promise after leading Spain to its second World Cup title.
Coach reminded of tattoo promise
“I’m too old for tattoos, but my players are true to their word and I know they’ll stick to their word,” De La Fuente, 65, told reporters after the final, according to Reuters. He added, “They made a mistake, and they’re going to stick with it. I’m not that ugly.”
When asked where he would like to see the tattoo, the Spain boss laughed and replied: “Maybe on a part of the body where it is not visible. But when you say something, you have to stick to your word.”
The light-hearted moment capped a memorable evening for De La Fuente, who added the FIFA World Cup crown to the UEFA Euro 2024 title. This further cements his place among Spain’s most successful national team coaches.
How was the final match?
Spain needed extra time to defeat defending champions Argentina in a tense final at MetLife Stadium. In the 106th minute, Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal by taking possession of the ball and hitting it into the upper part of the net following a knockdown by Nico Williams. The victory gave Spain their second World Cup title and extended their unbeaten international run to a European record 38 matches.
The final was a tightly contested match, with both sides struggling to create clear chances. Spain kept possession of the ball and came closest to scoring in normal time, but Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano MartÃnez made several crucial saves to keep his side in the contest.
The match changed dramatically in stoppage time when Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off the field after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Pau Quibarsi, forcing the holders to play extra time with 10 players.
Spain thought they had taken the lead through Nico Williams at the start of extra time, but the goal was ruled out due to a foul. Torres finally broke Argentina’s resistance just moments later, ensuring a famous victory for the European champions.
Have made such promises before also
Before the final, Cucumberja had promised Spain a unique honor if they defeated Argentina. According to Fox Sports, he said, “If we win the World Cup I’ll get a small tattoo of Spain manager Luis de la Fuente’s face on my bicep.”
The left-back has built his reputation for making headline-grabbing promises. Early in his career, the Barcelona academy graduate famously said that he would rather shave his head than play for Real Madrid. However, after completing a deal with the Spanish giants in June, he opted to keep his trademark long hair.
Whether he delivers on his latest promise remains to be seen, but de la Fuente has made it clear he expects his players to honor their word after leading Spain to their biggest win in more than a decade. (ANI)
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