Real Madrid faces the risk of losing the financial compensation paid by FIFA to clubs for the participation of their players in the 2026 World Cup, after the international federation insisted on registering left-back Marc Cucurella as a player of English Chelsea and not the royal club, despite the official announcement of his joining Real Madrid last June 15.

According to all official FIFA reports that mention Marc Cucurella and his club, they refer to Chelsea, where he played last season and earned his place in the Spanish national team, as he was playing with the London club at the time of his official registration for the 2026 World Cup.

The royal club announced the signing of Cucurella from Chelsea last June 15, i.e., four days after the start of the World Cup, but FIFA still lists the Spanish player within Chelsea's squad in all official documents and name lists submitted before matches.

Despite the support Real Madrid showed Cucurella on social media before matches, and its celebration of the Spanish national team's victory in the tournament considering him as one of its players, FIFA rules officially classify him as a Chelsea player, meaning the London club is legally entitled to the financial compensation, not the royal club.

This situation may represent a financial loss for Real Madrid, which hoped to receive its share of the financial compensation thanks to Cucurella's participation with the champion Spanish national team, but the literal interpretation of FIFA rules may deprive it of this money in favor of Chelsea.

It is worth noting that FIFA pays millions of dollars to clubs as compensation for loaning their players to their national teams during the World Cup, and these compensations are calculated based on the number of days and matches each player participates in with his national team.