Real Madrid spent significant money to reinforce the squad in the summer, bringing in close to seven new players.

Among them was Marc Cucurella, the Spain left-back who had enjoyed an excellent World Cup after a solid couple of seasons with Chelsea.

However, Cucurella has endured a mixed start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. His contrasting performances for Real Madrid and Spain have attracted attention.

Former Spain international Salva Ballesta has pointed to the dramatic improvement he sees whenever the defender joins the national team.

As quoted by Defensa Central , Ballesta said that the left-back has not reached the same level at Madrid that he consistently produces for Spain.

“There are players who aren’t performing at the same level at their clubs, but they join the national team and triple their level, like Cucurella,” Ballesta said.

Cucurella only arrived at the Bernabeu this summer and has been adapting to Mourinho’s system.

Marc Cucurella is just settling into life at Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Former player takes a dig at new Real Madrid signing over Spain performance – “Not performing for the club”" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Player Ratings metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 LiveWire Editorial Desk. Readers following "Former player takes a dig at new Real Madrid signing over Spain performance – “Not performing for the club”" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.