On Sunday, FC Barcelona will play the Spanish Super Cup final at 8pm CET. The opponent, either Real Madrid or Mallorca, has yet to be determined, but the Catalan side are certainly in attendance after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Barcelona already holds the record for titles in this competition, having won 14 out of 40 editions played so far, and appearing in the final 27 times.
First win in 42 years
What was originally a pre-season curtain raiser, played back and forth between the previous year’s league and cup champions, was first contested in 1982. Barcelona won the cup the second time it was asked, in 1983, by beating Athletic Bilbao III. -2 in aggregate of the two matches.
Three in a row
Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona equaled Real Madrid’s feat in the 1980s by winning the cup three times in a row, from 2009 to 2011. They beat Athletic Bilbao in 2009, Sevilla in 2010 and then Real Madrid in 2011, to take the overall number of wins. Up to ten.
Recent success
In the decade and a half since then, Barcelona have continued their love affair with the Super Cup, winning it four more times. The last one was in 2023, and Barcelona’s first under the new system of four teams in a neutral venue.
It was a momentous occasion as it was a Clásico, the eighth time the two famous rivals had met face to face. Barcelona won that match 3-1, but 12 months ago, the Whites were victorious when the two teams met again.
Hansi Flick’s mission is to extend Barcelona’s Super Cup record to 15 wins, compared to Real Madrid’s current 13 wins, with Athletic Club and Deportivo La Coruña next on the list with three wins each.
