Spain defender Marc Cucurella confirmed his move to Real Madrid, describing the deal as extremely swift — clubs agreed within a day and a half, leaving him with no doubts whatsoever. He acknowledged interest from other clubs but stated that when Real Madrid arrived with such conviction, turning them down was virtually impossible.

José Mourinho personally called Cucurella to express his eagerness to work together, which reinforced the player's confidence in the decision. Responding to Piqué's criticism of a Barcelona academy product signing for their rivals, Cucurella was measured: everyone is entitled to an opinion, but careers have stages, and this was the right step for him and his family.

On the World Cup, Cucurella admitted the opening draw against Cape Verde was a wake-up call — Spain lacked their usual clinical edge, but he sees it as a timely reminder rather than a crisis. He expects Sunday's match against Saudi Arabia to follow a similar pattern to the first game, with the opponent sitting deep and looking to exploit counter-attacks.

Cucurella stressed that team spirit in the dressing room remains strong: his transfer news was greeted with embraces from teammates, and he views the group's unity as Spain's key asset heading into a must-win game.

Spain's pre-match press conference ahead of their World Cup encounter with Saudi Arabia was dominated by Marc Cucurella's confirmed transfer to Real Madrid from Chelsea, with the defender saying the deal was sealed in roughly a day and a half during the tournament. Cucurella revealed that José Mourinho called him personally and expressed eagerness to work together, which left him with no doubts about the move.

The Barcelona academy product addressed criticism from Piqué, saying he respects all opinions but believes the Madrid move was the right step for his career and his family. On the tournament front, Cucurella acknowledged that the opening draw with Cape Verde was a reality check, noting Spain's free-flowing Euro 2024 form was never guaranteed to carry over.

He argued that dropping points early could actually prove beneficial, since it forces the squad to reassess rather than stumble in a knockout round. The defender expects Saudi Arabia to be compact and dangerous on the counter, much like Cape Verde, and stressed the importance of clinical finishing Spain lacked in the first game.

Despite the tricky start, Cucurella described team morale as high, pointing to strong group cohesion and a relaxed but focused atmosphere in the camp.