Saúl Ñíguez

Saúl Ñíguez was born in Elche in 1994 into a footballing family. He joined Atlético's academy as a teenager, came through the reserve team and, after a formative loan at Rayo Vallecano in 2013–14, broke into Diego Simeone's first team.

The goal against Bayern

Saúl had a gift for decisive moments. In the 2016 Champions League semi-final at the Vicente Calderón he picked up the ball near halfway, slalomed past several Bayern Munich players and curled it into the corner: the only goal of the first leg and one of the most famous in the club's history. Atlético reached the final in Milan that May.

Tallinn and the 2021 title

He won the UEFA Europa League in 2018 and, in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid in Tallinn that August, scored a superb volley in extra time to put Atlético ahead on the way to a 4–2 win. In 2020–21 he was part of the squad that won La Liga again. Comfortable in central midfield, on the left or even at full-back, he became one of the most versatile players of the Simeone era.

Legacy

After loans at Chelsea and Sevilla, Saúl left in 2025 for Flamengo, having played nearly 300 league games for Atlético. For the supporters he is the academy boy who scored the goals of their dreams.