Spain’s 2026 World Cup triumph over Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New York was more than a tactical masterclass. It also carried a quiet, superstitious thread connecting two generations of Spanish left backs — and a coin buried in the grass.
After the final whistle and the trophy lift, former Spanish defender Joan Capdevila revealed that he had passed down a personal ritual to Marc Cucurella before the match. Capdevila, who started for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg, had discreetly embedded a coin into the pitch before kickoff against the Netherlands. That tradition, kept private for over a decade, was revived for the 2026 final.
A Legacy Passed from Johannesburg to New York
Capdevila had to overcome complex travel visa issues just to attend the final in person. Once he made it to New Jersey, he reached out to Cucurella, the Chelsea left back who would start against Argentina. The message was simple: replicate the coin-burying ritual that had brought luck in 2010.
Video footage later shared by Capdevila on social media shows Cucurella jogging toward the left touchline before kickoff, pulling a coin from the top of his sock, and pressing it into the turf without drawing attention from match officials. The act was subtle, but for those in the know, it carried the weight of a shared heritage between two players who occupy the same position on the pitch.
“It’s a tradition that belongs to the left backs of Spain,” Capdevila said after the match. “I told Marc: ‘Do it the same way I did. It works.’”
The ritual is not just about luck — it’s about continuity. Capdevila’s gesture in 2010 was a personal superstition, but by passing it to Cucurella, he turned it into a legacy. The fact that Spain won both finals only strengthens the belief that the coin holds some kind of charm.
For Cucurella, the pressure was immense. Argentina came into the final as defending champions, led by Lionel Messi and a squad full of talent. The concern over Lamine Yamal's thigh bandage added to the tension, but Spain’s defense held firm. Cucurella’s performance was solid, and the coin stayed buried for the full 90 minutes.
This isn’t the first time superstition has played a role in a World Cup final. From lucky socks to pre-match routines, players often rely on rituals to calm nerves. But the Cucurella-Capdevila connection feels different — it’s a deliberate handoff between two players who never shared a national team camp but share a position and a belief.
Capdevila’s decision to go public after the match surprised many. He posted the video on his Instagram account, showing the exact moment Cucurella bent down to hide the coin. The post quickly went viral, with fans and media outlets picking up the story. El Confidencial in Spain called it “el secreto mejor guardado de la final” — the best-kept secret of the final.
For Spanish football, this ritual may now become a formal tradition. With the 2030 World Cup on the horizon, the next generation of left backs — perhaps players like Alejandro Balde or Juan Miranda — might be expected to carry the coin. It’s a small gesture, but in a sport where margins are thin, every bit of fortune counts.
The 2026 final itself was a spectacle. The halftime show featuring Shakira, Madonna, and Justin Bieber drew as much attention as the match. But for those who follow the game closely, the real story was the quiet ritual that preceded the action.
As Spain celebrates its second World Cup title, the coin buried at MetLife Stadium will likely stay there — a hidden marker of a tradition that started in South Africa and found new life in New York. Whether it becomes a permanent part of Spanish football culture remains to be seen, but for now, Cucurella has earned his place in the lineage of La Roja left backs.
