Rivals on the pitch, united by football: Atlético de Madrid vs Real Sociedad

Rivals on the pitch, united by football.

On the eve of the Copa del Rey Mapfre final, before the match begins and while the roar of the stadium is still just a distant echo, there is a place where football is reduced to its purest form. A table, eight rods, twenty-two motionless figures waiting to come to life. A table football game.

Facing each other, wearing the shirts of Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad, Marcos Llorente, Carlos Soler, Álex Baena and Ander Barrenetxea come together with a shared idea. There are no stands, no anthems, no colours carrying more weight than the game itself. Just two rivals exchanging smiles, sharing a moment, and letting the ball roll.

Football knows no barriers, and this video reflects the spirit of a new Copa del Rey final. Outside, the stadium waits. Inside, the table football match decides little—but means everything.

During the latest Spain national team training camp, the four players involved in this year’s final came together to show that football is, quite simply, football.

“Rivals on the pitch, united by football” — the Spanish Football Federation’s slogan for the final — is a message both clubs will carry as they aim to lift the trophy.