Tears flowed on the day Atletico Madrid fell in the final.

Atletico Madrid were disappointing.

The La Cartuja stadium witnessed one of the most dramatic finals in Copa del Rey history. There, Real Sociedad defeated Atletico Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout to lift the trophy for the first time in six years. The Sociedad players burst into tears of overwhelming joy.

Conversely, Atletico Madrid players and fans also shed tears as they were unable to end their trophy drought, which has lasted since 2021. If we consider only the Copa del Rey, the "Rojiblancos" haven't lifted the trophy in over a decade.

The final erupted just 14 seconds into the match when Ander Barrenetxea headed the ball past Juan Musso, before the Atletico players had even touched the ball. Despite being stunned, Diego Simeone's side calmly regained control and equalized with a powerful shot from Ademola Lookman. However, a mistake by goalkeeper Musso at the end of the first half allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to restore the lead for the Basque team.

In the second half, Atletico launched a full-scale attack. After numerous attempts to break through the defense, Julian Alvarez played the hero with a clever move and a superb left-footed finish, sending the game into extra time. There, Alvarez unfortunately hit the crossbar, forcing the two teams into a tense penalty shootout.

From the penalty spot, goalkeeper Unai Marrero became Sociedad's hero by successfully saving the first two penalties from Alexander Srloth and Alvarez. Pablo Marin then calmly converted the decisive penalty, bringing overwhelming joy to Sociedad.

Aihen Munoz burst into tears after winning the Copa del Rey.

This defeat is a major blow to the morale of coach Diego Simeone and his team ahead of the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal. For Real Sociedad, the championship is a well-deserved reward for their resilient play and unwavering composure in crucial moments.