Madrid has put Giuliano Simeone under a bright and unforgiving light at the start of the season, with Atlético de Madrid’s number 20 drawing criticism for uneven displays and, inevitably, for carrying one of the club’s most recognisable surnames. The mood shifted in the derby against Real Madrid, where his contribution helped turn scrutiny into applause.
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Simeone won the penalty from which Grimaldo opened the scoring, then set up Jonathan David for Atlético’s second goal a few minutes later. His work without the ball also mattered, including several important duels won in his own half.
Whatever the debate around his club form, the 22-year-old occupies a far rarer place in the wider Spanish top flight. Of more than 400 players in Primera División, only 20 have appeared in a World Cup final, and Simeone is among them. There have been periods when that circle was even smaller.
He entered the final in the 70th minute with the score still 0-0, replacing Rodrigo de Paul, and went on to play 50 minutes. It is a distinction that eluded celebrated figures such as Alfredo Di Stéfano and Cristiano Ronaldo.
At Atlético, Simeone shares that experience with Argentina teammates Cristian “Cuti” Romero and Julián Álvarez, as well as Spain’s Baena. The group from the most recent World Cup final also includes Unai Simón, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri, Nico Williams and Eric García.
The list extends back to the preceding final, represented by Barcelona’s Jules Koundé and Real Madrid players Aurélien Tchouaméni, Kylian Mbappé, Eduardo Camavinga and Ibrahima Konaté. Together, they make up the 20 current Primera División footballers with a World Cup final appearance.
For Giuliano Simeone, it is a career marker earned on the field rather than inherited. He is the first member of the Simeone family to play in a World Cup final; his father, Diego, never reached one as a player.
