Copa del Rey

Lore & Background

In 1902, a competition under the name Copa de la Coronación was played after Juan de Astorquia and Carlos Padrós suggested a football tournament to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII. Club Bizcaya defeated Barcelona in the final. That cup is on display in the Athletic Bilbao museum and the club includes the victory as the first of its Copa del Rey wins, but the RFEF officially does not recognise it as such. The Copa del Rey was effectively Spain's national football championship from 1903 until the foundation of La Liga in 1929. During the Second Spanish Republic, it was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República, and during the Franco years, as the Copa del Generalísimo. In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Copa de la España Libre was held; Levante FC beat Valencia 1–0 in the final. On 25 March 2023, that tournament was officially recognized by the RFEF, but not as a Copa del Rey. Because of the dispute regarding the 1902 competition, the statistics regarding the leading winners are also disputed: Barcelona have won the Copa 31 times; Athletic Bilbao are in second place, with either 24 or 25 titles, depending on the source.

In Their Own Story

For generations of Barça fans, the Copa del Rey final is defined not by the minutes on the clock, but by the roar that follows the final whistle. It is a sensory overload of blue and red scarves waving in unison, the deafening chorus of *El Cant del Barça* echoing off stadium walls, and the tangible relief of another trophy secured for the museum. Whether the victory comes from a last-minute strike or a dominant display, the flight to Catalonia turns into a parade before the team even touches down. It is a moment where the weight of 31 previous victories rests on the shoulders of the current squad, pushing them to add their name to a legacy that stretches back over a century.

Reader's Guide

The final is a one-off game played at a neutral venue, with Seville becoming the regular home. Beginning with the 2019–20 edition, the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville was chosen to host the final for a four-year period. All rounds are single-leg ties with lower division teams hosting the match and the majority of the top-level clubs entering at the first Round (four teams taking part in the Supercopa de España entering in the third round – last 32), other than the semi-final stage which is played over two legs. Winners qualify for the following season's UEFA Europa League and the Supercopa de España. From the 2019–20 Supercopa edition onwards, the previous Copa del Rey runners-up automatically qualify in addition to the winners with four teams taking part in the event.

Did You Know?

• The competition was founded in 1903, making it the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level.
• Barcelona is the most successful club with 31 titles; Athletic Bilbao has either 24 or 25 wins depending on the source.
• The 1902 Copa de la Coronación is not officially recognized as a Copa del Rey by the RFEF, though Athletic Bilbao counts it.
• The final was held at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville from the 2019–20 edition through the 2022–23 season, after which the venue arrangement ended.
• In 1937, Levante FC won the Copa de la España Libre, which was officially recognized by the RFEF in 2023 but not as a Copa del Rey.