One of Lautaro Martinez or Julian Alvarez will join elite company as they look to win the World Cup and Champions League in the same year.
Both strikers conquered the world stage in December 2022 as they lifted the World Cup with Argentina out in Qatar. It was the first time since 1986 that La Albiceleste won the competition.
Martinez and Alvarez will now go head-to-head in the Champions League final, representing Inter Milan and Man City respectively. The latter will likely make an impact off the bench while Martinez will lead the line for Inter alongside Edin Dzeko or Romelu Lukaku.
The Sporting News looks at players who have won the Champions League and World Cup in the same year.
MORE: Champions League bracket 2023: Path to the final
Players who won Champions League and World Cup in same year
There are nine players who have previously won the Champions League and World Cup in the same year. The most recent player to achieve this was Raphael Varane, winning the European competition with Real Madrid and lifting the World Cup with France in 2018.
Five players incredibly won both tournaments in 1974. Bayern Munich were victorious in the European Cup while West Germany beat Netherlands 2-1 in the World Cup final.
Once Martinez or Alvarez win the Champions League, they will be the first player to win both competitions having not played for neither Bayern nor Real Madrid.
| Player | Team | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raphael Varane | Real Madrid | France | 2018 |
| Sami Khedira | Real Madrid | Germany | 2014 |
| Roberto Carlos | Real Madrid | Brazil | 2002 |
| Christian Karembeu | Real Madrid | France | 1998 |
| Sepp Maier | Bayern | West Germany | 1974 |
| Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern | West Germany | 1974 |
| Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck | Bayern | West Germany | 1974 |
| Gerd Muller | Bayern | West Germany | 1974 |
| Uli Hoeneb | Bayern | West Germany | 1974 |
When is the 2023 Champions League final
The 2023 UEFA Champions League final will be held on Saturday, June 10, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
The kickoff will be 8 p.m. BST in the UK, 3 p.m. ET in the USA and Canada, and 5 a.m. AEST in Australia (the following day).
MORE: When is Man City vs Inter Milan Champions League final 2023?
| Country | Date | Projected Time |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sun, June 11 | 5 a.m. AEST |
| Canada | Sat, June 10 | 3 p.m. EDT |
| Hong Kong | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. HKT |
| India | Sun, June 11 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
| Malaysia | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. MYT |
| New Zealand | Sun, June 11 | 7 a.m. NZST |
| Singapore | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. SST |
| UK | Sat, June 10 | 8 p.m. BST |
| USA | Sat, June 10 | 3 p.m. ET |