Marc Cucurella’s contributions to Spain’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria in World Cup qualifying have been highlighted by Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, who praised the Chelsea full-back for his “underrated” performance. Cucurella’s first international goal helped secure the victory, and de la Fuente expressed confidence in his squad’s goal-scoring abilities, despite questions about the center-forward position.
Marc Cucurella’s performance in Spain’s dominant 3-0 win over Bulgaria in World Cup qualification was one of the highlights of the match, and the Chelsea full-back has earned widespread praise for his contributions. Cucurella not only played a key role in Spain’s clean sheet but also scored his first international goal, making it 2-0 with a clinical strike following a deflected cross inside the penalty area.
In his post-match press conference, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente acknowledged Cucurella’s underrated impact, noting how players in less glamorous positions, like the full-back, often go unnoticed in comparison to the forwards. “I completely agree,” de la Fuente said. “Sometimes those up front shine so much that we overlook other positions. This is the case with Cucurella, whom I congratulate on his first goal for the national team.”
De la Fuente also extended his praise to other key contributors like Alejandro Grimaldo and Alejandro Balde, who, despite an injury, remains an integral part of Spain’s squad. However, it was Cucurella’s standout moment that truly caught the coach’s attention.
With questions still looming over Spain’s center-forward role, de la Fuente reiterated that he isn’t concerned about the lack of a traditional number nine in his team. “I’m not at all worried about this because we have players who can score goals, and plenty of them,” he added. Reflecting on Spain’s performance in the last European Championship, where they broke the national record for goals, de la Fuente emphasized the depth of goal-scoring talent within the squad, with ten different players contributing to the goal tally.
As Spain now turns its attention to their next World Cup qualifying match against Turkey on September 8, de la Fuente’s belief in his team’s ability to score from multiple areas of the pitch remains unwavering. Cucurella’s growing influence, both for Chelsea and Spain, will certainly be a key factor in the team’s continued success on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
