Supercopa de España: Can Real Madrid, Atletico or Athletic stop Barça?

1 day ago 11

Alex Kirkland
Sam Marsden

Jan 6, 2026, 04:03 AM ET

Barcelona's defense of the Supercopa de España begins on Wednesday when they take on Athletic Club in Saudi Arabia. Then, on Thursday, it's an all-Madrid semifinal as Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid face-off against Atlético Madrid.

So, which side is in the best shape to lift the cup? And are we set for another Clásico final?

Alex Kirkland and Sam Marsden preview all the action -- and remember, you can stream every single game LIVE on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

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Where is the Supercopa de España being played, and why?

The Supercopa used to be an afterthought: a two-legged, pre-season summer friendly that nobody cared too much about. Now, it isn't just a money-spinning, four-team January jaunt in the Saudi Arabian sunshine, it's also a key indicator of where the Spanish season is heading as we enter the business end of the campaign.

For many years, the Supercopa trophy was contested by the previous season's LaLiga and Copa del Rey winners, playing home and away. It first travelled abroad, to Tangiers in Morocco, in 2018, before the deal with the Saudis -- initially for three editions, later extended for another seven until 2029 -- a year later. At the same time as the switch to the Middle East, the tournament was expanded to a week-long, "final four" format featuring the top-two finishers in the league and both Copa del Rey finalists, who would face off in semifinals and a final, and was moved from preseason to January.

The agreement, which was reached under former RFEF president Luis Rubiales and brokered by Gerard Piqué's company, Kosmos, was hugely lucrative for the Spanish football federation and worth around €40 million per season. The main attraction for the Saudis, of course, is the prospect of hosting a competitive Clásico. There are even penalty clauses included in the contract if Madrid or Barcelona don't qualify.

The tournament has now been played twice in Jeddah, and three times in Riyadh -- with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ensuring the 2021 edition stayed at home in Spain -- and it returns to the Alinma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah this week. Current RFEF president Rafael Louzan has suggested there are no plans for a rethink anytime soon.

"The last time this tournament was played before going to Arabia, it generated €1 million," he said in October. "This edition will generate €51 million, directly for Spanish football." -- Kirkland

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Which teams are playing in the Supercopa de España, and how did they qualify?

Spain's four most successful teams historically, in both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, complete the lineup in Saudi Arabia this month. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club will compete for the chance to lift the Supercopa trophy in Jeddah on Sunday.

The four places are granted to the winners and runners-up in LaLiga and the Copa. If there is any crossover, then the team that finishes third in the league, and potentially fourth as well, qualifies. The latter scenario has come into play this year. Barça qualify as LaLiga and Copa winners, Madrid as runners-up in both those competitions, and Atlético (third) and Athletic (fourth) gain entry to a multi-million euro payday through their league finishes.

Barça and Madrid are the only ever-presents since the switch to a four-team format in 2020, competing in all seven editions. Atlético and Athletic are also regulars, as both return for the fourth time this year. Athletic are the only side outside the Clásico duo to have won the Supercopa in its current guise, too, beating Barça in the 2021 final (which played in Seville during the pandemic.) Madrid have won it three times; current holders Barça have won it twice.

The semifinals should be fun. Barça take on Athletic on Wednesday as they begin their quest to win what would be a fourth trophy since Hansi Flick took charge 18 months ago. That serves as the perfect starter for Thursday's Madrid derby, with Alonso's Real seeking revenge for the 5-2 defeat Atlético inflicted on them in LaLiga back in September. -- Marsden

Will we see another Clásico final in the Supercopa de España?

Let's take a look at the finals since the "final four" format was first introduced: we've had Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid (2020), Athletic Club vs. Barcelona (2021), Real Madrid vs. Athletic Club (2022), Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2023), Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2024) and Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2025). So the trend is pretty clear: in the last three seasons, the RFEF and the Saudis have had their competitive Clásico. Will they get one in 2026?

Barcelona will be strong favorites to beat Athletic in Wednesday's first semifinal. Barça won 4-0 when the sides met in LaLiga in November, and Athletic are having a poor season, with 12 defeats in the 26 games they've played in all competitions, limping into this tournament with a 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday.

Barça haven't been playing especially well -- they had goalkeeper Joan García to thank for beating Espanyol 2-0 in the Catalan Derby on the same day -- but they've also won their past nine games. With Athletic's key players such as Nico Williams struggling for form -- the winger has just three goals this season, the last coming in November -- it's hard to envisage an Athletic win, although the Williams brothers do possess the pace to trouble Flick's famous high line.

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Thursday's Madrid derby in the other semifinal is much harder to call. Atlético demolished Real Madrid 5-2 when the teams met at the Metropolitano in September, in what was Real's worst performance of the season, and was a crushing low for coach Alonso's tenure. But fast forward to the present, and Real Madrid played some of their best football in weeks on Sunday, beating Real Betis 5-1 even without injured star striker Kylian Mbappé.

Atlético were only able to draw 1-1 at Real Sociedad on the same day, and a pre-Christmas wobble saw them lose back-to-back games at Barça and Athletic, just when they looked to be gearing up for a title challenge.

Will Alonso have learnt from the mistakes of September's derby embarrassment? It seems likely; he's a smart, tactically flexible coach, whose future in the Madrid job might be on the line in this semifinal after an unconvincing first half of the season. Much will depend on Mbappé's fitness after his knee sprain, with Alonso worryingly non-committal on the forward's availability for this tournament when speaking at the weekend. Though without Mbappé, youngster Gonzalo García stepped up to score a hat trick against Betis.

To answer the question: yes, I think we'll probably get a Clásico final. But wouldn't rule out it being Barcelona vs. Atlético, either. -- Kirkland

What have been the top five matches since the Supercopa de España began its new format?

5. 2020 final: Real Madrid 0-0 Atlético (4-1 on penalties)

As 0-0 draws go, this one was one of the better ones, although it was one moment in particular that lives in the memory from the first final of the four-team format. With Atleti striker Álvaro Morata clean through in extra-time, Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde brazenly took him out. He was sent off, but Atlético could not score from the resulting free kick and Madrid went on to win the shootout. Sublime until that last-man challenge, Valverde was subsequently named player of the match.

Even Atlético coach Diego Simeone struggled to be too critical of the Uruguay international afterwards. "I think it makes sense to give him the award because he won the game with that challenge," he said. "I told him [when he was sent off] that anyone would have done the same in his place."

4. 2020 semifinal: Barcelona 2-3 Atlético

The RFEF could not have hoped for a more dramatic start to the competition than this topsy-turvy five-goal thriller that resulted in Ernesto Valverde, now the Athletic coach, being sacked as Barça manager. Goals from Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, in Blaugrana colours at this point, had cancelled out Koke's opener, but an Morata penalty in the 81st-minute and an 86th-minute winner from Ángel Correa sealed an unlikely turnaround for Atlético and spelled the end of Valverde's time in charge in Catalonia.

3. 2025 final: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona

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Last year's final bordered on the ridiculous at times, from Mbappé giving Madrid an early lead, through to Barça responding with four goals before half-time, and Wojciech Szczesny being sent off in the 56th minute. It was one of four Clásico defeats Barça inflicted on Madrid last season and came at a key juncture in Flick's reign as the team began to click through the gears in the second half of the campaign. Even after Szczęsny's moment of madness, which was punished by a Rodrygo goal, Barça were able to confidently see the match out with 10 players to clinch a 15th Supercopa title and win the first of three trophies in Flick's impressive debut season as coach.

2. 2021 final: Barça 2-3 Athletic Club (after extra time)

Where to start with this one? Barcelona squandering a 2-1 lead heading into the final minutes of the game? Athletic providing the biggest Supercopa final upset since the switch to four teams? Asier Villalibre's late equaliser? Iñaki Williams' brilliant winner? Messi losing his cool late on and being sent off? Actually, the lasting image is probably of the bearded Villalibre playing the trumpet during the celebrations after the game on the pitch. Athletic -- as they showed in 2024 with their barge ride along the river Nervion after winning the Copa -- sure know how to enjoy any success.

1. 2024 semifinal: Real Madrid 5-3 Atlético (after extra time)

Madrid's 2024 Supercopa campaign was incredible. Vinícius Júnior's first-half hat trick stole the show in the final as they hammered Barça 4-1 in Riyadh, but before that had been a barely believable semifinal against Atlético that featured eight goals, seven different scorers (including Antonio Rüdiger at both ends) and three comebacks. Atlético led 1-0; Madrid 2-1; Atlético 3-2; and then, in the 85th minute, Dani Carvajal took the tie to extra-time. There, with penalties looming, Joselu, via Atlético defender Stefan Savic, and Brahim Díaz netted to seal a 5-3 win for Carlo Ancelotti's side that left both teams exhausted.

"We don't enjoy matches like this," Ancelotti said. "The wear and tear has been tremendous."