Micah Richards has hailed a former Chelsea star as the ‘most underrated left-back’ in world football, identifying Marc Cucurella as that player. The former England full-back made his comments ahead of the World Cup quarter-final clash between Spain and Belgium.
Richards highlighted Cucurella’s consistent ability to deliver on the pitch, both defensively and in attack. His remarks come as Spain prepares to face Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday night, with tournament favourites France awaiting the winner in the semi-finals.
Cucurella’s World Cup Impact and £52m Move
Spain’s World Cup campaign began with an ’embarrassing’ goalless draw against debutants Cape Verde, but the team has since rebounded strongly. They most recently secured a victory against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, and their defence has yet to concede a single goal in the tournament.
Marc Cucurella, aged 27, has been a central figure in this defensive strength, playing every minute of Spain’s campaign so far. During the tournament, he completed a £52million transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid, a move that has seemingly coincided with a period of strong form. Beyond his five clean sheets, Cucurella has also recorded two assists, which is more than any other La Roja player.
Richards’ High Praise for a ‘Brilliant’ Defender
Speaking on the Rest is Football, former England full-back Richards was unequivocal in his assessment of Cucurella. ‘Cucurella is probably the most underrated left-back in world football,’ he stated, offering a detailed explanation of the player’s attributes.
Richards praised Cucurella’s defensive tenacity, noting, ‘Whether it’s defensively, you always think you’ve got past him and then he gets a leg or a tackle in, he reads it.’ He also underlined the left-back’s attacking contributions: ‘And then going forward, he just gives them a different dimension with [Alex] Baena on that left-hand side. I just think he’s been brilliant.’
Addressing the Chelsea Departure and New Confidence
Richards also touched upon the circumstances surrounding Cucurella’s departure from Chelsea. ‘There’s all that talk about how he disrespected Chelsea. I didn’t like that, talking about other clubs when [Chelsea are] paying your wages,’ the former Manchester City star remarked.
However, he speculated on the impact of the transfer, adding, ‘But he’s at Madrid now, I don’t know if that’s given him a new confidence.’ Cucurella originally joined Chelsea from Brighton in a deal worth up to £63m in 2022. After what was described as a shaky start, he had established himself as one of the Premier League’s best left-backs, winning the Club World Cup and Conference League last year. The source noted he had ‘no hesitation’ to leave when Real Madrid came calling, a decision that left Blues captain and England star Reece James ‘devastated’.
Shearer’s Take on Cucurella’s Style
Former England captain and striker Alan Shearer echoed some of Richards’ sentiments regarding Cucurella’s playing style. Shearer commented on the polarising nature of the defender, stating, ‘Cucurella is one of those players where if he’s on the opposition, you as a fan just don’t like him.’
He further elaborated on this point, adding, ‘Just his style and his aggression. But if he’s on your team, you would love him!’ This perspective highlights the combative and intense approach that Cucurella brings to his role.
Spain’s Defensive Task Against Belgium
Spain are considered well-fancied to progress to the semi-finals, but they face a significant challenge in a Belgium team that has scored an impressive 13 goals in the tournament. Only France and Argentina have a higher goal tally.
Despite Belgium’s attacking prowess, Richards believes that the quality of Spain’s defensive unit, particularly Cucurella and Tottenham’s right-back Pedro Porro, can effectively deal with Belgium’s forwards, including Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku. The former Manchester City star acknowledged that it ‘is going to be difficult’ for Belgium.
Richards also mentioned Charles De Ketelaere, noting that he ‘can cause problems’ by moving into spaces vacated by advancing full-backs. However, Richards concluded his analysis by predicting, ‘But I just think Spain are going to push them back way too far and it’s going to be difficult [for Belgium].’