Ahead of Spain kicking off their 2026 World Cup campaign, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has assessed the nations he’s worried about.
Marc Cucurella has made Luis de la Fuente’s final 26-man Spain squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America, but he sat out the 1-1 friendly draw with Iraq.
Spain face a highly competitive and intriguing test in the group stage, having been drawn into Group G alongside the United States, Japan, and Nigeria.
This set of fixtures is full of potential dark horses. The host nation advantage of the USMNT, the disciplined organisation of Japan, and the raw explosiveness of Nigeria.
However, Chelsea won’t be the only ones keeping an eye on how Cucurella fares, as he’s been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
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Marc Cucurella is wary of Ecuador and Moises Caicedo
During the presentation of a new sponsorship of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) (as per Sport), Cucurella made a few predictions for the World Cup.
He believes that the tournament will bring important surprises outside of the favourites.
“There are always the typical national teams, but… The Netherlands seems to me to have a great team. And Ecuador, which doesn’t give me much confidence, is going to play a good role, with good players, and it’s going to do things well.
“So, hopefully he will go home soon -Ecuador.”
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Spain and Ecuador’s overall record
Spain and Ecuador share a very sparse head-to-head history, having only ever faced each other in two international friendlies.
La Roja holds a perfect record against the South American nation, maintaining a clean sheet across both encounters. Their first meeting took place in April 2003, where a dominant Spanish side cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory in Madrid.
The two teams next crossed paths a decade later in August 2013, with Spain securing a 2-0 win in Guayaquil.
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