Cucurella: You Can't Say No to Real Madrid, I'm Happy and Now I Want to Win on Sunday

Spanish international Marc Cucurella has spoken about his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid. The left-back quickly decided to join the 15-time European champions, though his immediate focus remains on his national team duties with Spain at the 2026 World Cup.

"Everything was decided in a day and a half, maybe two. For me, that's even better – it happened quickly, without any unnecessary headaches. There were various options, but when Real Madrid came calling, I didn't even think twice. It's a unique opportunity. Playing for Real Madrid is a great honor, and not many footballers can say that. This club has a very special magic. I don't even know how to explain it. Life goes through different stages.

I had to make an important decision, and I have no doubt it was the right one. Every footballer dreams of playing at the highest level and for great clubs. When you're a child, you dream of playing for the best teams in the world, and I think Real Madrid is one of those teams. It's the club with the most Champions League titles. Finalizing the deal beforehand was very important because it's impossible to say no to Madrid. And now I'm focusing on the experience, because this might be my last World Cup, and I want to enjoy it 100%," the defender stated at a press conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The 27-year-old Marc Cucurella is a Barcelona academy product but never played for the Spanish champions' first team. "Ultimately, all opinions must be respected. Everyone has their own. I am grateful for everything I experienced at Barcelona, but life has its stages. When Madrid wants you, it's very difficult to refuse. I had no doubt that this was the right step, and I am very happy with that decision."

Now more focused on the national team, he commented: "The most important thing is that the core is the same. There were some changes, but the group has been together for quite some time. There are players who have already gained more experience since the European Championship, like Lamine and Nico, who played important matches for their clubs. The team is more mature, has ambition, and a desire to perform strongly here.

"I don't watch much football," the Spanish international continued, "but France is at a very high level, they've reached recent finals and started strongly. Still, we're only after the first match; we need to see how we adapt and how we handle difficulties. We didn't start as we wanted, but the tournament is long. Hopefully, we can win the next match and grow from there."