Cucurella’s El Clasico display wins praise as wife posts cryptic message

Marc Cucurella played a decisive defensive role for Real Madrid in their 2-1 El Clasico victory over Barcelona, limiting the threat posed by Lamine Yamal at Camp Nou.

The Spanish full-back, who returned to face his former club in the colours of their traditional rivals, was one of the standout performers as Real Madrid secured the win. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Cucurella was central to the visitors’ success because he consistently closed down the space available to Yamal.

The Barcelona winger struggled to make an impact on the flank occupied by Cucurella, who prevented him from finding a route through the defence. His performance nevertheless came in a hostile atmosphere, with sections of the home support booing him whenever he touched the ball while wearing a Real Madrid shirt at Camp Nou.

Cucurella’s wife, Claudia Rodriguez, watched the match from the stands and celebrated her husband’s contribution and Real Madrid’s victory. After the final whistle, she shared several images from the evening on Instagram, including a video call between the couple.

One image attracted particular attention: a piece of clothing that Cucurella had taken with him to Barcelona. Rodriguez described it as a special good-luck charm and captioned the photograph: “Only the real ones will understand.”

She did not explain the message further, but had previously revealed the story behind the item. Rodriguez said Cucurella tends to be superstitious, so she makes sure he takes one of his sleepwear items with him when travelling for away matches. She keeps her perfume on the clothing so that he can feel close to her despite being apart.

The habit is not new for the Real Madrid defender. He also took the same item of clothing with him during the European Championship and the World Cup. On an earlier occasion, Cucurella asked on social media whether it might be the secret behind his success.

The result gave Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the latest meeting between the two clubs, while Cucurella’s performance drew attention both for his work against Yamal and for the reaction to his appearance in the visiting kit.

The listed La Liga fixtures include Barcelona on 31 October 2026, followed by Deportivo Alaves against Racing Santander on 01 November 2026 and Real Madrid on the same competition schedule.