In the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, two Spanish players, Martin Zubimendi and Eric Garcia, made their individual World Cup debuts as substitutes at the same time.
In the final between Spain and Argentina, after the match entered extra time, in the 99th minute, De la Fuente made simultaneous substitutions, with Martin Zubimendi and Eric Garcia replacing Rodri and Laporte respectively. The two officially made their first appearances in the World Cup.
It is worth noting that in previous matches of this FIFA World Cup, neither Martin Zubimendi nor Eric Garcia had been given a chance to play. Although Eric Garcia had been selected for the Spanish team to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he also failed to play in that tournament, so this final became his career World Cup debut.
According to relevant statistics, this is the first time in FIFA World Cup history that two players have made their individual World Cup debuts in the same final.
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