What Number Will Marc Cucurella Wear at Real Madrid?

Marc Cucurella has signed for Real Madrid from Chelsea, but which shirt number will he wear? His first choice, the No. 3 he wore at Stamford Bridge, is taken by Éder Militão, so the most likely outcome is the No. 24 he already wears for Spain — though that depends on a knock-on shuffle in Carlo Ancelotti’s old back line. Below we break down every number realistically on the table at the Bernabéu.

The transfer in brief

Real Madrid have confirmed the capture of left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea on a six-year contract, in a deal reported at up to €60 million (around £51.8m). The 27-year-old arrives as a Champions League and World Cup-bound full-back, and his switch is one of the marquee moves of the 2026 summer window — completed before he reported for Spain’s World Cup campaign in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With the paperwork done, attention turns to the small but symbolic question every signing faces in Madrid: what goes on the back of the shirt. La Liga’s squad rules restrict senior outfield players to numbers 1–25, and goalkeeper-reserved digits (1, 13 and 25) are off limits, so the pool is smaller than it looks.

Why No. 3 is off the table

Cucurella has worn No. 3 throughout his Chelsea years and it is comfortably his preferred number. At Real Madrid, though, it belongs to Éder Militão, a first-choice centre-back with no reason to give it up. Unless Militão departs — which nobody at the club is anticipating — the No. 3 stays exactly where it is.

That pushes Cucurella towards his international identity. For Spain he wears No. 24, and it is the number he is reportedly keenest on if the famous No. 3 is unavailable.

The most likely number: 24

The catch is that No. 24 is currently occupied by young defender Dean Huijsen. The path clears if Huijsen moves up to the vacant No. 4 — a shirt freed by David Alaba’s situation and one Huijsen is in contention for alongside Raúl Asencio. Should Huijsen claim the No. 4, the No. 24 would fall to Cucurella, giving him continuity between club and country. It is the cleanest, most probable outcome.

Other numbers that could open up

Real Madrid’s summer is busy at the back, and several squad numbers may be freed by departures. The realistic alternatives for Cucurella look like this:

• No. 18 or No. 20 — tied to the left-back logjam. With Álvaro Carreras and Fran García competing for minutes, one is expected to leave, vacating a defender-friendly number that would suit Cucurella’s position perfectly.
• No. 19 — likely to come free if Dani Ceballos moves on, a long-rumoured possibility.
• No. 17 — could open up depending on Raúl Asencio’s situation in the centre-back pecking order.
• No. 6 — a small chance if Eduardo Camavinga is sold, though that remains speculative.

None carries the personal resonance of 3 or 24, but a position-appropriate number in the teens or low twenties would be an entirely normal landing spot for a new full-back.

What it means for shirt buyers

For supporters wanting a personalised Cucurella shirt, the advice is simple: wait for the official squad-number announcement, which Real Madrid typically confirm in pre-season. Printing a number before it is locked in risks ending up with the wrong digit. In the meantime, the new Real Madrid 2026/27 home shirt — the club’s striking 125th-anniversary design — is the kit any 2026/27 signing will be pictured in first. You can read our full breakdown in the Real Madrid 2026/27 kit guide.

If you would rather back him in white this summer, the current Real Madrid 2025/26 home jersey and its player-version remain available while stock lasts. And with Cucurella set to feature for La Roja, the Spain 2026 World Cup jersey lets you wear his No. 24 right now — alongside the rest of our 2026 World Cup collection.

Frequently asked questions

What number will Marc Cucurella wear at Real Madrid?

It is not yet officially confirmed. His preferred No. 3 is taken by Éder Militão, so the most likely outcome is No. 24 — the number he wears for Spain — if Dean Huijsen moves to No. 4. Numbers such as 18, 19 or 20 are alternatives.

What number did Cucurella wear at Chelsea?

Cucurella wore No. 3 at Chelsea throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.

How much did Real Madrid pay for Cucurella?

Real Madrid signed Cucurella for a fee reported at up to €60 million (around £51.8m) on a six-year contract.

When will Real Madrid confirm Cucurella’s shirt number?

Real Madrid usually confirm squad numbers in pre-season, ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, so an official announcement is expected before the season opener.

Number scenarios via Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports reporting; squad-number details subject to official confirmation by Real Madrid.

{“@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@graph”: [{“@type”: “BlogPosting”, “headline”: “What Number Will Marc Cucurella Wear at Real Madrid?”, “description”: “Marc Cucurella has joined Real Madrid from Chelsea. His No. 3 is taken by Militao, so No. 24 is most likely. Every shirt-number scenario explained.”, “image”: “https://433fc.com/wp-content/uploads/cucurella-real-madrid-number-hero.jpg”, “datePublished”: “2026-06-17”, “dateModified”: “2026-06-17”, “author”: {“@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “433FC”}, “publisher”: {“@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “433FC”, “logo”: {“@type”: “ImageObject”, “url”: “https://433fc.com/wp-content/uploads/logo.png”}}, “mainEntityOfPage”: {“@type”: “WebPage”, “@id”: “https://433fc.com/what-number-will-marc-cucurella-wear-real-madrid/”}}, {“@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What number will Marc Cucurella wear at Real Madrid?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “It is not yet officially confirmed. His preferred No. 3 is taken by Eder Militao, so the most likely outcome is No. 24 \u2014 the number he wears for Spain \u2014 if Dean Huijsen moves to No. 4. Numbers such as 18, 19 or 20 are alternatives.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What number did Cucurella wear at Chelsea?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Cucurella wore No. 3 at Chelsea throughout his spell at Stamford Bridge.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How much did Real Madrid pay for Cucurella?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Real Madrid signed Cucurella for a fee reported at up to \u20ac60 million (around \u00a351.8m) on a six-year contract.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “When will Real Madrid confirm Cucurella’s shirt number?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Real Madrid usually confirm squad numbers in pre-season, ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, so an official announcement is expected before the season opener.”}}]}]}