lThe conquest of the 2026 World Cup has not only crowned Spainas two-time world champion, but also converts Álex Baena is a unique name in the football history books.
The Atlético de Madrid midfielder has become the first footballer to achieve consecutively chain the three major international football championships: the Euro Cup, the Olympic Games and the World Cup. Never before had a player completed this triple crown in a row, which makes his record an unrepeatable case within the sport.
Spain 1-0 Argentina I Final Summary of the 2026 World Cup
The key to this milestone is precisely in the word “consecutive.” Baena began this streak in the summer of 2024, when he conquered the German Euro Cup with the senior team of Luis de la Fuente.
Just a few weeks later, With the Olympic team led by Santi Denia, he won gold at the Paris Gamesa feat that had only been achieved once before in the history of Spanish football. Two years later, he has closed the circle with the World Cup title in the United Statesthus completing three different championships, with two different teams, in a period of just two years.
Messi and Di María
What makes his achievement even more unique is the limited company he has in the history of football. Only two footballers had previously achieved an equivalent record: the Argentinians Lionel Messi and Ángel Di Maríawith the Olympic gold of Beijing 2008two America Cups (2021 and 2024) and the Qatar World Cup 2022.
However, neither of them achieved it consecutively, since several years and different generations of teammates intervened between those titles. Baena, on the other hand, has chained his three trophies almost without restsomething that no European had ever achieved.
