Marc Cucurella Agrees to Join Real Madrid After the World Cup

José Mourinho has begun shaping his squad for next season, and according to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid have reached an agreement to sign left back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea. The 27-year-old is currently in the United States with the Spain national team ahead of Monday’s match against Cape Verde, and he is expected to join the European champions after the World Cup.

If the transfer is completed officially, Cucurella would surprisingly become Real Madrid’s first and only player in the Champions League-winning squad. The defender came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy after first playing for Espanyol’s youth system, but he made only one senior appearance for Barcelona.

He broke through at Eibar and later moved to Getafe. In summer 2021, Brighton paid about £15.4 million for him, and within a season he had become one of the Premier League’s standout full backs. Chelsea then signed him for £55 million plus potential bonuses, and after an uneven start at Stamford Bridge, he became an important player in the squad. In total, he made 163 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions and won the Conference League in 2025 and the Club World Cup last summer.

For Spain, Cucurella rose through the youth teams, but his real breakthrough with the senior side came at Euro 2024. He started six of Spain’s seven matches, was named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament, and assisted Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winner against England in the final. The Euro triumph made him one of the defining players of Spain’s new generation, and he has now earned 23 senior caps.