Google activates Cucurella cat meme easter egg for World Cup final

Google has activated a special animation in its search engine that appears when users search for Spanish footballer Marc Cucurella, featuring his viral cat meme waving a Spanish flag. The easter egg is live ahead of the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.

The easter egg

When users type "Cucurella" or related terms in Google Search, a small animation plays in the bottom-left corner of the screen showing a cat with a curly wig – a nod to the player's haircut – waving a Spanish flag. The feature is available on both mobile and desktop. Source: El Español

'Cucurellamanía' in numbers

The phenomenon around Cucurella has translated into massive search spikes. According to Google's internal data cited by El Español:

• Searches for "Cucurella meme" increased over 5,000% in Spain in the past week.
• Internationally, search volume rose 1,500%, making it the sixth most searched personality meme globally.
• Among Spanish national team players, Cucurella now ranks third in search volume.

Infobae/EFE confirmed the easter egg's activation, noting that "the friendly feline appears on screen holding and waving the flag." Source: Infobae/EFE The same source also mentioned that Google previously did similar custom animations for Erling Haaland with Viking rowers. Source: Infobae/EFE

Context

This interactive easter egg coincides with Spain's preparation for the World Cup final against Lionel Messi's Argentina on Sunday. Cucurella, who recently signed for Real Madrid, has become a fan favorite. Google's move follows its tradition of creating search-based easter eggs for popular athletes and events.