Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Cucurella and Bernardo Silva advance to Round of 16

Real Madrid’s summer recruits gathered momentum on the international stage, with Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva both featuring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.

The latest World Cup matches saw two of Los Blancos’ newest additions represent their respective nations, with Cucurella starring in Spain’s dominant 3-0 victory over Austria while Bernardo Silva helped Portugal secure a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over Croatia.

Spain arguably produced their most complete performance of the tournament, comfortably dispatching Austria to advance to the Round of 16. 

Portugal, meanwhile, had to dig deep to overcome Croatia in a tightly contested encounter.

Marc Cucurella vs Austria

Marc Cucurella continued his impressive form by producing one of his best performances of the tournament during Spain’s convincing victory over Austria.

The Real Madrid defender was heavily involved throughout the contest and played a significant role in La Roja’s attacking dominance.

Marc Cucurella was crucial in Spain’s win. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Cucurella was unfortunate not to find the scoresheet himself during the first half after seeing a goal disallowed.

However, the setback did little to affect his confidence.

Spain took control through Mikel Oyarzabal before Pedro Porro doubled the advantage after the interval. 

Cucurella then added another major contribution when he supplied the delivery that allowed Oyarzabal to complete his brace.

The Spaniard finished the evening with two assists, two big chances created and two key passes, underlining his importance in Spain’s attacking structure.

In possession, Cucurella was composed and efficient, completing 50 of his 55 attempted passes while frequently offering an outlet down the left flank.

Defensively, he was rarely tested as Austria struggled to sustain pressure, but he still managed to contribute with four recoveries, one interception and one clearance.

Overall, it was an encouraging display from the new Real Madrid signing, who appears to be adapting seamlessly to the demands of high-level international football.

Bernardo Silva vs Croatia

Bernardo Silva endured a quieter outing as Portugal edged past Croatia to reach the next round of the competition.

Bernardo Silva replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s win over Croatia. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

The Portuguese midfielder has seen his influence diminish slightly since the start of the World Cup, and his latest appearance followed a similar pattern.

The former Manchester City star entered the game in the 62nd minute, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo and inheriting the captain’s armband for the closing stages of the match.

Although he was unable to significantly impact proceedings in the final third, the Real Madrid midfielder contributed to Portugal’s game management as they protected their narrow advantage.

During his appearance, Bernardo registered 17 touches and completed eight of his 11 attempted passes.

He also made one clearance and recorded two recoveries, helping Portugal maintain control during the final moments of the encounter.

Interestingly, Spain and Portugal’s fate will intertwine as these two nations will face each other in the Round of 16, meaning that only one Real Madrid player will progress further.