Road to the 2025/26 Spanish Supercup: form, history and what the RFEF is doing
The 2025/26 Supercopa de España arrives with familiar heavyweight names and an organisational push from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to sharpen the competition’s profile. The four-team tournament — featuring FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club — is slated for the early January window, with the RFEF listing 7–11 January 2026 in its competition calendar and confirming Saudi Arabia as the host country.
Looking back over the last two editions sets the sporting scene. Real Madrid re-established domestic bragging rights with a dominant Supercopa win over Barcelona in January 2024, while Barcelona answered in the next edition by capturing the title in January 2025 — the pair trading headline El Clásico results and cementing themselves as the tournament’s recent pacesetters. Those finals underlined the Supercopa’s status as both a trophy and a form-check for top Spanish sides.
On current form, Barcelona arrive as the reigning champions and one of the most settled squads in Spain, blending youth and experience; Real Madrid remain a physical, counter-attacking force with squad depth; Atlético bring their trademark defensive organisation; and Athletic, with their Basque identity and high-intensity pressing, have proven dangerous in knockout settings. (Season-by-season specifics are evolving, but these identities are reflected in recent tournament and league campaigns.)
Off the pitch the RFEF has taken a proactive approach. In July 2025 the federation convened an early working meeting with the four qualified clubs to fast-track logistics, match operations and marketing for the 2026 edition — a clear sign it wants smoother delivery and broader reach for both the men’s and women’s Supercopa formats. The RFEF has also publicly discussed possibilities for a greater international footprint of the women’s tournament, part of a wider strategy to grow Spanish football’s global profile.
Fans should pencil in the January window and watch for specific kick-off times and the official match schedule from the RFEF. With high-stakes El Clásicos and club derbies shaping recent winners, the 2025/26 Supercopa looks set to be another compact, intense showcase — and a test of which side is best prepared when silverware and momentum can be won in a few decisive days.
If you want, I can now produce a match-by-match preview for each of the four teams based on their most recent league form and
