Atlético de Madrid v Real Sociedad

About the Drawing

The 2026 Copa del Rey Final brought Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad together in Seville on a warm spring evening. Even at nine o'clock at night, the temperature was close to 30°C, creating an atmosphere that felt different from many of the cup finals I have drawn.

The match was only four seconds old when Real Sociedad scored. Goals that arrive so early always fascinate me because they instantly change the story. Coaches, players and supporters all have to adjust to a completely different match from the one they expected.

Watching the celebrations, I found myself thinking back to another Real Sociedad final. They had won the 2020 Copa del Rey, but because of the COVID pandemic the final was postponed for a year and played in an almost empty stadium. Although they lifted the trophy, supporters were unable to celebrate the achievement in the way everyone had imagined. I drew that match too, and I have always remembered the strange contrast between such a historic victory and the silence that surrounded it.

Perhaps that is why this drawing feels so special to me. Five years later, Real Sociedad were once again Copa del Rey winners, this time with the joy of supporters fully shared. Football has a long memory. Sometimes a celebration has to wait, and when it finally arrives, it seems all the more meaningful.