Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad meet this Saturday, April 18 at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville in the grand final of the Copa del Rey 2026, one of the most anticipated matches of the season in Spanish football. Diego Simeone’s colchoneros arrive with the extra motivation of having qualified for the semifinals of the Champions League just four days before, while Real Sociedad arrives rested and with the hope of winning its fourth Copa del Rey in the club’s history.
For Atlético de Madrid, this title represents the only real option to lift a trophy this season, since they are ruled out in LaLiga and in the Champions League they still have work to do. Antoine Griezmann, who will say goodbye to Spanish football in the summer to join Orlando City, arrives at his dream match against the team that launched him to the first level. At his side will be Julián Álvarez, a key figure in the qualification against Barcelona in the semifinals. Atlético has not won the Cup since 2013, when Koke, its current captain, was the protagonist of the title against Real Madrid.
Real Sociedad, for its part, has not lifted this trophy since 2021 and arrives with the advantage of being more rested after a week without European commitments. Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo recovered several injured players and will be able to present his gala eleven with Mikel Oyarzabal as the offensive reference and the Croatian Luka Sucic in midfield.
Match details
The duel between both teams has a historical precedent dating back to 1987, when Real Sociedad won the only Cup final that has faced them throughout history on penalties. Almost four decades later, both teams meet again in the final with the title as their only objective in what promises to be a high-level and maximum intensity match.