Spain defender Marc Cucorrea has changed his professional club ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Spaniard left English Premier League club Chelsea on Monday to sign a formal contract with Spanish top-flight side Real Madrid, just ahead of Spain’s first match against Cape Verde. The deal will see Cukoreira play in La Liga after the World Cup. Real Madrid officially announced the deal on Monday.
Twenty-seven-year-old left-back defender Kukoria is currently regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world. According to BBC, he has signed a six-year deal with Real Madrid worth 600 million euros, which is equivalent to around 660 crore rupees in Indian currency. Kukoria, who joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022, was unhappy with some recent decisions by the Chelsea authorities. He has decided to leave the English Premier League and sign with a club in his home country. This is the first signing of a player since Jose Mourinho took over at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez plans to sign a few more players to strengthen their defence. These include Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate and Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries. The FIFA World Cup, which is currently being held jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico and features 48 countries, began on June 11 with a match between Mexico and South Africa. FIFA said the tournament will continue till July 19.
Cucoria is currently preparing for the World Cup matches with the Spanish national team. He will officially join the Real Madrid camp once the current World Cup tour is over and begin his new football journey in the Spanish La Liga.