On April 18, 2026, Atletico Madrid faced Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final at Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville. This marked Atletico’s first appearance in the final since 2013. Fans filled the stadium, with 72,000 spectators eager to see their teams compete for glory.
The match began dramatically. Ander Barrenetxea scored just 14 seconds into the game—setting a record for the fastest goal in Copa del Rey final history. Atletico quickly responded when Ademola Lookman found the net in the 19th minute, equalizing the score at 1-1.
Real Sociedad regained the lead just before halftime. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty during first-half stoppage time, putting his team ahead 2-1. However, Atletico battled back again. Julián Alvarez scored in the 83rd minute to level the match at 2-2, sending it into extra time.
Extra time failed to produce any goals. Both teams had opportunities but could not convert. The match ultimately went to penalties after a tense period of play.
In the shootout, Atletico Madrid struggled. Juan Musso made one save but could not prevent his team from losing. Atletico missed three penalties while Real Sociedad scored four times. They won the shootout 4-3 and lifted the trophy for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
This loss extends Atletico Madrid’s domestic trophy drought to five years. They have now lost six of their last seven matches across all competitions. Despite this setback, Marcos Llorente was named Man of the Match for his performance.
The defeat is significant for Atletico Madrid, as they had been unbeaten against Real Sociedad in their previous nine meetings before this final (W6, D3). Yet this match highlighted their struggles and raises questions about their future performances.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding potential changes within the club following this disappointing result. The team must regroup and focus on upcoming challenges as they seek to end their trophy drought soon.