The Atlético de Madrid will set an unprecedented record in the recent history of world football this Sunday: with the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, the red and white club will become the team with the most players present in the last three World Cup finals.
The Madrid team will contribute 10 players to the title match on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, bringing the total number of representatives from the red-and-white squad to 18 in the last three World Cup finals.
For Spain, there will be Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Álex Baena, and Alejandro Grimaldo. For Argentina, the list includes Juan Musso, Giuliano Simeone, Nahuel Molina, Julián Álvarez, Thiago Almada, and Nico González.
The club's journey in the tournament finals began at Russia 2018, when four red-and-white players participated in the match between France and Croatia. Antoine Griezmann, Lucas Hernández, and Thomas Lemar lifted the trophy with the French team, while Šime Vrsaljko played for the Croatian side.
According to the official club website, Griezmann, Hernández, and Lemar became at that moment the first Atlético players to win the World Cup while wearing the red and white jersey.
At Qatar 2022, the club once again had four representatives in the final between Argentina and France. Rodrigo De Paul, Nahuel Molina, and Ángel Correa became champions with the Albiceleste, while Griezmann played in the final once more, this time as a runner-up with the French team.
Nahuel Molina is the only Atlético player to have participated in two consecutive World Cup finals, both with Argentina.
A family dimension adds symbolism to the record: Giuliano Simeone, son of the club's coach Diego Simeone, is one of the ten red-and-white representatives in this final. The young forward made his tournament debut against Jordan on June 28 and scored his first goal with the Argentine senior national team in March 2025 against Brazil.
Spain reached the final after defeating France 2-0 on July 14 in Arlington, Texas. Argentina overcame England 2-1 on July 15 in Atlanta, with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez.
The final on Sunday is also a historic event in itself: it is the first time Spain and Argentina face off in a World Cup final. Argentina arrives as the defending champion from Qatar 2022; Spain is seeking its second world title, 16 years after winning it in South Africa in 2010.
The total of 18 red-and-white players in three consecutive finals is unmatched in the recent history of the tournament and solidifies Atlético de Madrid as the club with the greatest presence in the decisive stages of world football over the past decade.
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