Intriguing Trend: Atlético Madrid to Have Most Players in Third Consecutive World Cup Final

If you want to reach a World Cup final, signing with Atlético Madrid seems to be the magic formula. This isn't a joke, but a striking trend highlighted by Spanish newspaper "Marca." For the third consecutive World Cup final, the Spanish club will boast the most representatives among the two competing teams. Four Spanish players currently at Atlético – Alex Baena, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, and new signing Alejandro Grimaldo – are set to feature.

From Argentina, the numbers are even higher: Thiago Almada, Nahuel Molina, Juan Musso, Giuliano Simeone, and Julián Álvarez. Atlético Madrid also had the most players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Rodrigo De Paul, Nahuel Molina, and Ángel Correa from Argentina lifted the trophy, while France's Antoine Griezmann earned a silver medal. In the 2018 Russia final, Atlético Madrid once again had four representatives – more than any other club. Frenchmen Lucas Hernandez, Thomas Lemar, and Antoine Griezmann became world champions, while Croatia's Šime Vrsaljko had the consolation of reaching the final.