Spanish Heroes Keep Their Word
After winning the World Cup title, the Spanish national team fulfilled a series of unusual promises, with star Marc Cucurella getting a tattoo of coach Luis de la Fuente's face.
After winning the World Cup title, the Spanish national team fulfilled a series of unusual promises, with star Marc Cucurella getting a tattoo of coach Luis de la Fuente's face.
The celebration of the Spanish national football team after winning the World Cup didn't end with just lifting the trophy. As the cup made its way from New Jersey to Madrid, promises made by the players before and during the tournament began to surface, and now, as true men of their word, they have fulfilled them. From pink hair to a permanent mark on their skin, the young stars have shown how much this historic achievement meant to them.
The first to grab attention was Barcelona midfielder Gavi. He turned a promise made to a Catalan radio station into reality by dyeing his hair neon pink. He proudly showed off his new look on social media with the caption: "Un hombre de palabra" ("A man of his word").
The photo went viral instantly, and among the first comments were laughing-crying emojis from his teammate Lamine Yamal. Young Yamal, dubbed a wonder kid, also had a promise to keep. He had pledged to grow a beard and mustache for three weeks if they won the title. Pedri also joined this fashion revolution by announcing his own hair color change.
However, all of that was overshadowed by Marc Cucurella, the Real Madrid full-back. Appearing on the show "Partidazo" before the final, he made a statement that would follow him for life: "If we win the World Cup, I'll get a tattoo of Luis de la Fuente's face." Although it sounded like a joke at the time, Cucurella immediately went into action after the victory over Argentina, where Ferran Torres scored the winner in extra time. On social media, he asked: "Is there a tattoo artist in the room?"
Coach De la Fuente took the whole situation with humor. "I'm too old for tattoos, but my players are men of their word, and I know they'll stick to what they said," he stated before the final, adding in his own style: "I already told them they made a mistake. But if you promise something, you have to deliver. After all, I'm not that ugly."
A few days later, the promise was officially fulfilled. Cucurella got a tattoo of the coach's likeness along with the World Cup trophy on his left arm, posting a photo with the caption "Promise fulfilled." In an interview with Marca before the act, he admitted he had some doubts: "I still don't know where I'll put it. I need to think. People will ask me about it, so it doesn't have to be in a visible place. We have a long trip home; I hope my teammates give me some ideas."
For Cucurella, this tattoo represents much more than an aesthetic decision. "I'm very proud, very happy. It's not easy to be here. Throughout our careers, especially in our teenage years, it's tough, and you have to make decisions. Sometimes people tell you you're not good enough or that you'll never make it. To all those people who say such things, I thank them for taking the time to give me advice, as well as all the people who helped me. We were stubborn, we never gave up, and today we have the reward of being here," he said.
He also emphasized the importance of the time spent together: "This summer wasn't easy for us, and I'm very happy... It was a long road; we were together for a long time, and now it's time to celebrate. We came here with a goal, we spent almost 50 days in camp, and now it's time to celebrate, be together, and make memories."
A similar precedent was seen in the world of rugby when Irish player Mack Hansen got a tattoo of his coach Andy Farrell after winning the Six Nations Cup in 2023, showing that such expressions of respect, though rare, are a powerful symbol of the bond between coach and players.
