Juan Foyth and Geronimo Rulli join elite Villarreal company after World Cup achievement

Villarreal pair Geronimo Rulli and Juan Foyth have become the second and third players to reach a World Cup final while playing for Villarreal.

Both were called up to the Argentina squad by Lionel Scaloni, and while neither have started a match yet, Foyth appeared off the bench as his country beat Croatia in the semi-finals.

The only other player to reach a World Cup final whilst playing for the Yellow Submarine was left-back Joan Capdevila, who started for Spain as they beat the Netherlands in the 2010 final.

Current Villarreal players Pepe Reina and Raul Albiol were also in the squad for the tournament in South Africa, and although Santi Cazorla missed the 2010 tournament, he picked up winners’ medals at Euro 2008 and 2012.

Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

Club hero Marcos Senna was also in the 2008 squad alongside Albiol, Capdevila and Cazorla, but injury struggles kept him out of the squad in 2010.

Former centre-back Diego Godin reached the semi-finals with Uruguay in 2010 while a Villarreal player, but they lost 3-2 to the Netherlands.

Rulli and Foyth have therefore joined an exclusive club, and will be hoping to follow the accomplishment of Capdevila by lifting the trophy on Sunday in Lusail.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez is first choice ahead of Rulli, who looks unlikely to add to his four international caps, while Foyth is behind Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina and Sevilla’s Gonzalo Montiel in the pecking order at right-back.

Foyth’s position remains somewhat surprising, given his excellent form over the past few seasons, and despite some injury struggles this campaign, he is arguably a better defender than both Molina and Montiel.

Argentina face a tough test against current holders France, in what promises to be a thrilling encounter to conclude the tournament in Qatar.