Why Google displays the curly-haired cat effect when searching for Cucurella's name

Google displays an animated curly-haired cat waving a Spanish flag when users search for defender Marc Cucurella's name, embracing one of the most popular World Cup memes.

The popular "curly-haired cat" meme, now featured by Google, originated from a viral TikTok video. On 5/7/2025, TikTok user welcometolevusch posted a video captioned "When your cat is a Cucurella fan". The video showed a cat wearing a large curly wig, resembling Spanish footballer Marc Cucurella and his signature hairstyle.

The curly-haired cat video went viral starting in 2025. *Video: welcometolevusch*

Over the following year, the video gained immense traction across social media platforms. Users transformed the cat into various emojis, GIFs, and memes, editing it into different football club jerseys and integrating it into new scenarios.

This meme's popularity surged further during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Marc Cucurella played a key role in the Spanish national team's journey to victory, solidifying the meme's connection to his on-field success.

Google has now embraced this widespread phenomenon. Anyone searching for Marc Cucurella's name on Google will see a small, curly-haired cat appear in the bottom-left corner of the screen, waving a Spanish flag.

The curly-haired cat meme appears on Google search results when looking for information related to Marc Cucurella. Screen recording video.

Cucurella, who turned 28 on 22/7, was one of Spain's most prominent players at the World Cup 2026. His distinctive hairstyle, alongside his on-field performances, made him stand out.

Cucurella has shared that he dedicates 30-45 minutes daily to caring for his voluminous curly hair. This unique trait dates back to his youth league days when his mother, Patricia, let him grow his hair long for easy recognition on the field.

His signature hair has also frequently been a source of jokes and incidents among teammates and opponents. Lamine Yamal once playfully suggested he cut his hair to run faster. During a Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham in 2022, opposing center-back Romero grabbed his hair during a challenge. In 2024, Jack Stephens of Southampton received a red card for pulling Cucurella's hair.