Copa del Rey facts for kids
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| Organising body | Royal Spanish Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1903 |
| Region | Spain |
| Number of teams | 126 |
| Qualifier for | UEFA Europa League Supercopa de España |
| Current champions | Barcelona (32nd title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Barcelona (32 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | List of broadcasters |
The Copa del Rey (which means "King's Cup" in English) is a super exciting annual football competition in Spain. It's like a big knockout tournament where teams play against each other, and if they lose, they are out! The Royal Spanish Football Federation organizes this famous event.
This competition started way back in 1903, making it the oldest national football tournament in Spain. The team that wins the Copa del Rey gets a special spot in the next season's UEFA Europa League, which is a big European competition. If they've already qualified for Europe through their league games, then the Europa League spot goes to the next best team in the league.
Barcelona is the most successful team in the Copa del Rey, having won the trophy 32 times! Athletic Bilbao is second with 24 wins, and Real Madrid is third with 20 wins. Barcelona also won the most recent final in 2025, beating their rivals Real Madrid.
Contents
History of the King's Cup
In 1902, a special football tournament called the Copa de la Coronación was held. This was to celebrate the crowning of Spain's King Alfonso XIII. Five teams played, and Club Bizcaya won against FC Barcelona. This cup is now in the Athletic Bilbao museum. Athletic Bilbao counts it as their first Copa del Rey win. However, the official Spanish Football Federation sees it as a warm-up event, not the official start of the Copa del Rey.
The Copa del Rey officially began in 1903. For many years, it was considered Spain's main football championship. This was before La Liga, the national league, was created in 1928. The cup has had different names over time. It was once called the "Madrid City Council's Cup." Later, it became "His Majesty King Alfonso XIII's Cup." During different times in Spanish history, it was also known as the "President of the Republic Cup" or the "Supreme General's Cup."
In 1904, Athletic Bilbao won the cup because their opponents, Español de Madrid, didn't show up for the game. For a few years, Madrid FC helped organize the competition. Later, the Spanish Football Federation took over. Sometimes, there were disagreements between clubs, and two separate competitions were held in the same year. But the Federation officially recognizes all these wins.
Because of the debate about the 1902 competition, the exact number of wins for some clubs can be a bit confusing. Barcelona has 32 wins. Athletic Bilbao has either 24 or 25 titles, depending on whether the 1902 cup is counted.
Before La Liga started in 1929, teams qualified for the Copa del Rey through their regional leagues. Over the years, the competition has used different ways of playing, including group stages. For a while, even reserve teams from professional clubs could play, but this stopped in 1990.
The rules for the Copa del Rey changed a lot in 2019–2020. Now, most games are single-leg ties. This means teams play only one match, and the lower-division team usually hosts it. The biggest teams, who play in the Supercopa de España, join the Copa del Rey later in the tournament. Only the semi-finals are played over two legs. The final match is a single game played at a neutral stadium. The Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville has become the regular place for the final.
The winners of the Copa del Rey get to play in both the next season's Supercopa de España and the UEFA Europa League. Since the 2019–2020 season, the Copa del Rey runner-up also gets to play in the Supercopa, making it a four-team event.
Throughout history, 12 different Copa del Rey trophies have been made. A club gets to keep a trophy permanently if they win it three times in a row or five separate times. Barcelona has kept five trophies, Athletic Bilbao has kept three, and Real Madrid has kept one. In 2011, Real Madrid won a new trophy. But during their celebrations, player Sergio Ramos accidentally dropped it from a bus! The trophy was run over and broke into ten pieces. The club now displays a copy of it.
In recent years, the Spanish Football Federation has made more changes to the Copa del Rey. They wanted to make it more exciting. One big change was picking a fixed stadium for the final. The Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville was chosen to host the final for four years.
Copa del Rey Winners List
This table shows which football clubs have won the Copa del Rey, how many times, and when. The official list is from the RFEF.
| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Finalists | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 32 | 11 | 43 | 1909–10, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1931–32, 1935–36, 1942, 1951, 1952, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1957, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2024–25 |
| 2 | Athletic Bilbao | 24 | 16 | 40 | 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1944–45, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1969, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 20 | 21 | 41 | 1903, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1924, 1928–29, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1940, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1958, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2024–25 |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 10 | 9 | 19 | 1920–21, 1925–26, 1955–1956, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76. 1984–85, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2009–10, 2012–13 |
| 5 | Valencia | 8 | 10 | 18 | 1934, 1941, 1944, 1944–45, 1946, 1948-49, 1952, 1954, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1978–79, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2007–08, 2018–19, 2021–22 |
| 6 | Zaragoza | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1975–76, 1985–86, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06 |
| 7 | Sevilla | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1935, 1939, 1947–48, 1955, 1961–62, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2017–18 |
| 8 | Espanyol | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1911, 1915, 1929, 1940, 1941, 1947, 1957, 1999–2000, 2005–06 |
| 9 | Real Betis | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1931, 1976–77, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2021–22 |
| Real Unión | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1918, 1922, 1924, 1927 | |
| 11 | Real Sociedad | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1913, 1928, 1951, 1986–87, 1987–88, 2019–20 |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2 | – | 2 | 1994–95, 2001–02 | |
| 13 | Arenas | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1917, 1919, 1925, 1927 |
| Mallorca | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1990–91, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2023–24 | |
| Club Ciclista de San Sebastián | 1 | – | 1 | 1909 | |
| Racing Club de Irún | 1 | – | 1 | 1913 | |
| 17 | Español de Madrid | – | 3 | 3 | 1904, 1909, 1910 |
| Celta Vigo | – | 3 | 3 | 1947–48, 1993–94, 2000–01 | |
| Sporting Gijón | – | 2 | 2 | 1981, 1982 | |
| Real Valladolid | – | 2 | 2 | 1949–50, 1988–89 | |
| Getafe | – | 2 | 2 | 2006–07, 2007–08 | |
| Osasuna | – | 2 | 2 | 2004–05, 2022–23 | |
| Bizcaya | – | 1 | 1 | 1907 | |
| Real Vigo Sporting | – | 1 | 1 | 1908 | |
| Vasconia Sporting Club | – | 1 | 1 | 1910 | |
| Gimnástica | – | 1 | 1 | 1912 | |
| Espanya de Barcelona | – | 1 | 1 | 1914 | |
| CE Europa | – | 1 | 1 | 1923 | |
| Sabadell | – | 1 | 1 | 1935 | |
| Racing de Ferrol | – | 1 | 1 | 1938–39 | |
| Granada | – | 1 | 1 | 1958–59 | |
| Elche | – | 1 | 1 | 1969 | |
| Castellón | – | 1 | 1 | 1972–73 | |
| Las Palmas | – | 1 | 1 | 1977–78 | |
| Real Madrid Castilla ‡ | – | 1 | 1 | 1979–80 | |
| Recreativo | – | 1 | 1 | 2002–03 | |
| Alavés | – | 1 | 1 | 2016–17 |
‡ Real Madrid's reserve team. Reserve teams have not been allowed in this competition since 1990–91. ‡‡ The number of wins for Athletic Bilbao is sometimes debated. The 1902 cup was won by Bizcaya, a team made of players from Athletic Bilbao and Bilbao FC. In 1903, these two clubs joined to form the current Athletic Bilbao. The 1902 cup is in the Athletic museum, and the club includes it in its list of honors. However, the Spanish Football Federation does not officially recognize that edition.
Clubs in italic no longer exist. Seasons in bold mean the club won the cup, while seasons in italic mean they were the losing finalists.
Top Goal Scorers in Copa del Rey History
These are the players who have scored the most goals in the Copa del Rey. Players in bold are still playing football in Spain.
| Rank | Nat. | Player | Pos. | Years | Club(s) (goals) | Total | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Telmo Zarra | FW | 1939–1957 | Athletic Bilbao (81) | 81 | |
| 2 |  |
Josep Samitier | MF | 1919–1934 | Barcelona (65) Real Madrid (5) |
70 | |
| 3 | |
Guillermo Gorostiza | FW | 1928–1946 | Racing Ferrol (3) Athletic Bilbao (37) Valencia (24) |
64 | |
| 4 |  |
Lionel Messi | FW | 2004–2021 | Barcelona (56) | 56 | |
| 5 | |
Edmundo Suárez | FW | 1939–1950 | Valencia (55) | 55 | |
| 6 |  |
Quini | FW | 1968–1987 | Sporting Gijón (36) Barcelona (14) |
50 | |
| 7 |  |
Ferenc Puskás | FW | 1958–1966 | Real Madrid (49) | 49 | |
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László Kubala | FW | 1951–1965 | Barcelona (49) | 49 | ||
|
Santillana | FW | 1970–1988 | Real Madrid (49) | 49 | ||
| 10 | |
César Rodríguez | FW | 1939–1960 | Granada (3) Barcelona (36) Elche (8) |
47 |
Individual Records in the Copa del Rey
- Most goals scored: 81 – Telmo Zarra
- Most goals scored in finals: 9 – Lionel Messi
- Most finals scored in: 7 – Lionel Messi
- Most assists provided in finals: 6 – Lionel Messi
- Most "man of the match" awards won in finals: 3 – Lionel Messi
- Most appearances made in finals: 10 – Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets
- Most cup wins by a player: 7 – José Maria Belauste, Piru Gaínza, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi
See also
In Spanish: Copa del Rey para niños
- Copa Federación de España
