Opinion: Marc Cucurella justifies Real Madrid’s €55 million splurge with exceptional World Cup | OneFootball

From criticising the team for not having any representatives in the Spanish national team to celebrating La Roja’s crowning moment with a player in the team of the tournament, Real Madrid and their fanbase enjoyed a rather unexpected journey over the past month.

One move changed it all – the masterstroke of Marc Cucurella’s signing from Chelsea days before Spain’s curtain-raiser at the event.

The club’s decision to sign Cucurella was not motivated by the aim of having a representative in Luis de La Fuente’s side, but that was how the transfer was perceived externally.

Cucurella’s performances at the World Cup, however, have silenced all critics and transformed all lingering skepticism into unanimous acclaim. At this point, Real Madrid seem to have hit the jackpot with his recruitment.

A campaign to be remembered

Cucurella was not just a part of De la Fuente’s plans at the World Cup but an indispensable member of the starting lineup who barely ever left the field.

The left-back played a staggering 750 minutes for Spain in the tournament, meaning he averaged over ninety minutes in each of the team’s eight games. He was not taken off the field for a single minute by the manager.

Alongside Pau Cubarsi and Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister, that is the highest number of minutes played by any outfield player at the World Cup.

Arriving as a World Champion. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)

What is astounding is how the player kept up his level for such a long event and complete games without showing even the slightest dip in quality or lapse in concentration. His remarkable physical stamina and tactical durability were headline-worthy.

Jose Mourinho, needless to say, will be pleased with the work rate of the left-back for it is exactly what Real Madrid were lacking in their dynamics last season. A fit and relentless profile like Cucurella can transform this Real Madrid side.

Ice cool under pressure

Spain’s path to the trophy was filled with elite opponents all along the road, right from the dark horses Cape Verde and Uruguay in the group stages to Austria, Portugal, Belgium, France and Argentina in the knockout stages.

Starting as the left-back and going up against the star wingers of all of Spain’s opponents, Cucurella did not have it easy at any stage in the event. The challenges only got harder as the games progressed, but the player blossomed under the pressure.

The former Chelsea star’s positioning effectively neutralised the threat from Pedro Neto and Joao Cancelo against Portugal, Leandro Trossard and Timothy Castagne against Belgium, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and co. vs France and Lionel Messi against Argentina.

While keeping the winger assigned to him in his pocket throughout games, the defender also managed to create regular attacking threats of his own and racked up two assists at the event.

If anything, Cucurella’s performance at the World Cup only exemplifies why he is one of the best in the world in his department and a well-balanced full-back with an excellent defensive and offensive profile.

Numbers to remember

Keeping his physical resilience and on-field impact aside, Cucurella also completed the campaign with numbers to back him, proving that he is not just a player whose quality passes the eye-test but one whose numbers speak for him as well.

Defensively, the 27-year-old was part of the stingiest defensive line in the tournament, and one of the best defensive units of all time in World Cup history. With just one goal conceded all tournament, Cucurella was instrumental in Spain’s defence.

Cucurella produced close to 0.9 interceptions, one tackle, 1.1 clearances, and won 2.4 duels per game. In addition, he had 3.1 ball recoveries per game and blocked 0.4 shots every ninety minutes.

Offensively, he created three big chances, averaged 0.8 key passes per game, and racked up two assists from an xA of 1.18. He also completed 91% of his passes and 60% of his dribbles.

He also stands out as the player to cover the second-highest distance through the course of the tournament (84 km).

Takeaway

Real Madrid shelled out a sum of €55 million for Cucurella earlier this summer, and a lot was understandably said about the decision given that the squad already had three left-backs.

His performances, however, have seen most of that criticism redacted and it is now clear that he will be Mourinho’s starting left-back for the upcoming season by some margin.

With every passing day, the player’s price tag seems increasingly to be a bargain, and Los Blancos can be certain that they are receiving the services of a match-winner.

The only question, however, is how he will adapt to the Merengues’ system and whether he can thrive in the on-field environment. After all, playing under the pressure at Real Madrid is not for everyone.