Sociedad beats Atletico on penalties to win Copa del Rey. American coach Matarazzo lifts 1st title

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Sociedad beats Atletico on penalties to win Copa del Rey. American coach Matarazzo lifts 1st title

Real Sociedad's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, right, celebrates with Duje Caleta-Car after winning the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal, centre, lifts the trophy after the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Real Sociedad's goalkeeper Unai Marrero makes a save during during the penalty shoot out at the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Spain's King Felipe VI, centre, looks as Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal kisses the trophy after the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone, centre, and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, centre left, walk with silver medals after the Copa del Rey final soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville, Spain, early Sunday, April. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Associated Press

Sat, Apr 18, 2026 ·

4 min read

Fastest goal in a cup final

Opta Statistics said Barrenetxea's goal was the fastest ever in a Spanish cup final.

The opening goal against Atletico's vaunted defense was about as simple as they come: ball to goalkeeper, long ball down the right flank, where Gonçalo Guedes was free to send in a cross for Ander Barrenetxea to head it home.

The sequence exposed a series of less-than-ideal defending. Neither Nahuel Molina nor Giuliano Simeone intercepted reachable balls; Matteo Ruggeri let the shorter Barrenetxea outjump him for the header; and goalkeeper Juan Musso perhaps could have made a more sprightly effort to stop the shot from bouncing past.

Lookman again proved the most-impactful winter signing by a Spanish side – his goal was his seventh for Atletico – when the former Atalanta forward received a pass from Antoine Griezmann just inside the area and sent a left-footed shot inside the post.

Oyarzabal went to the spot after Musso slammed into Guedes while disputing a high ball in the box. Oyarzabal lived up to his reputation as a penalty expert, slotting his try home. The Spain striker also scored a penalty for the only goal in the 2020 cup final against Athletic Bilbao .

Sociedad was in control and only minutes away from the title when Atletico finally mounted a good team move to unsettle Sociedad's defense for the first time and set up Álvarez in the second half.

Goalies shine late

Musso made up for his earlier mistakes by making back-to-back saves in extra time. And Álvarez went close to netting a winner when he hit the woodwork in the 100th.

Otherwise, Atletico created several chances it couldn't finish off to get the title-clinching goal.

Then it was Marrero's turn to shine as he guessed right on the first two penalties by Atletico's strikers before Marín fired his shot into the top corner.

"I knew that if we got to penalties, I believed in myself, my teammates believed in me, our fans believed in me," the 24-year-old Marrero said before the winners received the trophy and medals from Spanish King Felipe VI.

"I still can't believe it," Marrero said. "The boy who dreamed about this since he was young has fulfilled his dream."

Griezmann will now need to help steer Atletico past Arsenal in the European semifinals to have another shot at finishing his final season in Spain with a title before the club's all-time leading scorer joins Orlando City in the MLS next season.

"We want to win the Champions League," Atletico's veteran midfielder Koke Resurrección said. "But tonight is a hard night. We will have time to think about the Champions League."

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F1 São Paulo GP 2026 – Practice 1

Sociedad beats Atletico on penalties to win Copa del Rey. American coach Matarazzo lifts 1st title

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Spain Copa del Rey Soccer

Fastest goal in a cup final

Goalies shine late