Marc Cucurella was born on 22 July 1998 in Alella, near Barcelona, and came through the famed La Masia academy after joining Barcelona's youth setup in 2012. He made his professional debut with Barcelona B in 2016 before earning a loan move to Eibar, where he gained regular La Liga experience under manager José Luis Mendilibar — a spell he credits with building his confidence as a defender.
After a further stint at Getafe, where he made his European debut in the UEFA Europa League, Cucurella joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021. He quickly established himself as one of the better left-backs in the division, winning both the Players' Player of the Season and Player of the Season awards at Brighton in his only campaign there.
Chelsea signed him in August 2022 for a reported £56 million, a record sale for Brighton. He has since helped the club win the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, the latter earning him a place in the tournament's Team of the Tournament in 2025. An attack-minded left-back with strong defensive discipline, Cucurella is now an established first-team regular at Stamford Bridge.
On the international stage, Cucurella made his senior Spain debut in June 2021 and was part of the squad that won UEFA Euro 2024, providing the assist for Mikel Oyarzabal's winning goal in the final against England. He was named in the Team of the Tournament for that competition. He also claimed a silver medal with Spain's under-23 side at the 2020 Olympic Games.