Real Sociedad defeated Atlético Madrid 4-3 in a penalty shootout to win the 2026 Copa del Rey. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time at Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville.
Ander Barrenetxea opened the scoring almost immediately after kickoff. He struck at 14 seconds. That goal officially set the record for the fastest ever scored in a Spanish cup final, according to an AP syndication. Atlético Madrid answered back shortly after. Ademola Lookman secured the first equalizer in the 19th minute.
Mikel Oyarzabal restored the Real Sociedad lead. He hit a penalty strike in first-half stoppage time. Diego Simeone made several tactical changes to keep his team in the game. Detailed match statistics outline the tactical substitutions that followed throughout the second half. Julián Álvarez forced extra time with an 83rd-minute goal.
The game went to penalties. Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero took absolute control. He saved attempts from both Alexander Sorloth and Julián Álvarez. Pablo Marín converted the final penalty to secure the 4-3 shootout victory. A major Spanish outlet verified the exact timeline of Marrero’s specific saves. European football fans are tracking knockout stages closely as Arsenal advances to Champions League semi-finals elsewhere in the continent.
The Matarazzo Turnaround and the 1987 Parallel
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo orchestrated this massive victory. He took over Real Sociedad in December 2025. At that time, the club was sitting just two points above the La Liga relegation zone. Four months later, he delivered the club’s fourth Copa del Rey title.
The outcome is an exact historical replication of the 1987 Copa del Rey final. Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid played to a 2-2 draw in that historic match. Real Sociedad ultimately won that title via a penalty shootout as well.