It’s been a summer of change at Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are looking to embark on a new era, having returned to an old manager in Jose Mourinho.

The former Los Blancos coach, who left in 2013 after three seasons with the club, has already overseen some key transfers as well. Yan Diomande is the biggest spend, but the likes of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva all give a new feel to Madrid ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Another key arrival looks to be the purchase of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for around £51m. The Spanish left-back was signed just before the World Cup, and then went on to win that tournament as one of the standout players.

After a brief holiday, he’s now linked up with his new teammates and made his debut for the club over the weekend.

Crowd Jeers Cucurella During His First Madrid Outing

Many would expect excitement over Cucurella’s debut, but eye-opening footage has shown that the 28-year-old was loudly booed in his first outing for Real Madrid. In clips online, the crowd can be heard jeering and whistling whenever the Spaniard touched the ball.

Cucurella played just 29 minutes in the friendly match against Schalke 04, as Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi all got on the score sheet to hand Mourinho’s side a 3-0 victory. In that cameo off the bench, the Spanish left-back did not do anything wrong to provoke the boos, but rather it relates to a past issue.

As the game was played in Schalke 04’s Arena AufSchalke stadium in Gelsenkirchen, it’s now clear that the German fans have still not forgiven Cucurella for an incident at Euro 2024. Spain would win that tournament, but they were helped by a controversial call in the quarter-finals.

Coming up against tournament hosts Germany in Stuttgart, Luis de la Fuente’s men were taken to extra-time. Mikel Merino then netted a 119th-minute winner to send his team into the semis, but not before Cucurella got away with a big call from the officials.

Jamal Musiala had struck a dangerous shot at goal, but as it looked set to trouble Unai Simon, the ball hit Cucurella on the hand. The Germans were outraged as no penalty was given.

An explanation later claimed his ‘arm [was] close to the side, pointing predominantly down/vertically, and/or in a position behind line of the body.’ Despite the reasoning, the German fans remained furious with the Spanish left-back throughout the remainder of the tournament and could be heard booing him in the semi-final against France.

After the game, Cucurella hit out at the crowd, saying:

Cucurella Has Been Booed in Germany Since Euro 2024

REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Remarkably, Cucurella has been booed when returning to Germany in the two years since. In the summer of 2025, Spain took on Portugal in the Nations League final. The game was held in the Allianz Arena in Munich, and booes could be heard for the left-back throughout the night.

And now playing in Gelsenkirchen for the first time as a Real Madrid player, jeers could once again be heard for the 28-year-old. Despite that, Cucurella did not seem bothered as he instead focused on the positives post-game, telling the press:

“I’m very happy. I think it was a good game from everyone, and it’s our last result before starting the league. They’re my first minutes. It was a long wait, I’m finding my rhythm and I’m looking forward to getting started in the league.”

It was the moment that established David Beckham as both Manchester United‘s new star and as a major celebrity.

The halfway-line goal against Wimbledon grabbed the attention of every football fan up and down the country. The type of goal that creates a breakthrough from promising talent to a star player. Beckham himself has described it as his favourite goal of his career. And even now, it still sits high in the pantheon of great Premier League strikes.

It was the first of many great goals for club and country, but it spoke of what Beckham would become known for. The vision, the audacity, and the mastery of the long ball. It was all present on that afternoon at Selhurst Park.

The Game

Tony O’Brien/Action Images

Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United (1996)

The 1996/97 campaign was an important one for Beckham. The previous season had been his first as a regular, with his 40 appearances contributing to the Premier League and FA Cup double. At one point, United found themselves 10 points behind leaders Newcastle, but they miraculously overturned the deficit to claim the title in dramatic fashion.

Sir Alex Ferguson was very confident in the club’s young players, and believed that they could drive United towards a new era of success. Ferguson came under heavy criticism for his faith in young, homegrown players, such as Beckham, Gary Neville, and Nicky Butt – just ask Alan Hansen. But the club’s success during the 1995/96 season justified his choice.

But having proved the club’s and his own critics wrong, Beckham was under pressure to prove that he wasn’t merely a one-season wonder.

The then-21-year-old was also still overcoming the disappointment of being overlooked for the Euro ’96 squad, this despite consistently good performances for Manchester United and contributions in big matches, such as providing the corner for Eric Cantona’s winning goal in the FA Cup final. At the very beginning of his football career, Golden Balls was still a relative unknown and far from the global stardom he would eventually achieve.

Beckham may have been deemed not quite good enough by England manager Terry Venables, but Ferguson was keen to reward Beckham’s efforts from the previous season. He was given the no.10 shirt for the 1996-97 season, vacated by the departing Mark Hughes. But even Ferguson wouldn’t have expected Beckham to repay that confidence so quickly and emphatically.

The Goal

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‘A Goal You’ll See Over and Over Again’

The match against Wimbledon on the opening weekend of the season had gone as planned for Ferguson. Eric Cantona had opened the scoring in the first half and Denis Irwin had doubled the lead with just over half an hour to go. The game ticked over into stoppage time, sleepily edging towards its foregone conclusion. Enter United’s no.10.

Brian McClair seized a loose ball in the middle of the park and prodded it towards Beckham. The right midfielder moved forward a couple of yards before discovering that Wimbledon ‘keeper Neil Sullivan was off his line. Beckham didn’t hesitate. The future England captain lofted the ball towards goal, sending Sullivan into a panicked back pedal. But there was nothing he could do about it as the ball struck the back of the net.

“I say how important it was for me personally in my career, but I was more happy about the fact that Eric Cantona came up to me afterwards and said: ‘Good goal.'”

– David Beckham on his halfway-line goal

Captain Roy Keane climbed onto his back in celebration, but commentator John Motson was already thinking about the legacy of the goal and the player who scored it. “David Beckham, surely an England player of the future, scores a goal that will be talked about and replayed for years,” he exclaimed, in his inimitable tones.

And despite all the memorable goals and moments that followed, Beckham himself always seems to return to the Wimbledon goal as his favourite. “Everybody talks about it, and everybody talks about the history of it,” Beckham said. “I say how important it was for me personally in my career, but I was more happy about the fact that Eric Cantona came up to me afterwards and said: ‘Good goal.’ That was better than scoring the goal for me.”

The Aftermath

Action Images / Tony O’Brien via REUTERS

Beckham had delivered the greatest opening-day goal of a Premier League season ever. The problem was that the strike set a high bar for the campaign ahead. ‘But Golden Balls’ met the challenge head on.

More memorable goals followed against West Ham, Liverpool, and Arsenal. His searing volley against Chelsea, which almost broke the 100mph barrier, was delivered in front of an audience that included Victoria Adams. The goal provided an ideal icebreaker for their first meeting after the game.

But the Wimbledon goal provided more than just lasting memory; it was a springboard for Beckham to lead by example. Injuries to Nicky Butt and Roy Keane forced the 21-year-old to adapt quickly, filling in at centre midfield.

United’s 75 points, the lowest tally of the Premier League era, ensured a successful title defence. Beckham deservedly earned the Young Player of the Year award, as well as finishing runner-up to Alan Shearer in the senior award. It was the season that Beckham started with a bang that only grew louder.