Doha, Dec 16: The Spanish football team may have flown home after losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout in the last 16 but the Spanish football league is still going to be well-represented in Sunday’s World Cup final between France and Argentina.
Fifteen of the 52 players in the France and Argentina squads currently ply their trade in La Liga, with that rising to 16 if we count Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who flew back to Spain with a muscle injury but was never replaced in the French squad by coach Didier Deschamps.
Atletico Madrid may not be having the best of seasons, but they are the most represented club with Antoine Griezmann, Rodrigo de Paul, Angel Correa and Nahuel Molina all at Atletico, reports Xinhua.
Bayern Munich also have four players involved in the final, with: Pavard, Upamecano, Coman and Lucas Hernandez all in the French squad although Lucas is now recovering after damaging his cruciate knee ligament.
FC Barcelona were the team that sent most players to the World Cup, (17), but now only Ousmane Dembele and Jules Kounde remain.
The Premier League is also well-represented in the final, with 10 players who are currently playing in England, including Argentine forward Julian Alvarez and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, eight players are in France, seven each in Germany and Italy and two in Portugal, with just one each in the US and Argentina – showing perhaps how many top Argentinian players seek their fortune abroad. (IANS)
