Ranking the Most Thrilling Spanish Super Cup Finals That Made History
The Spanish Super Cup final has showcased numerous unforgettable encounters throughout its history, creating matches that will remain etched in the memory of one of football's most passionate nations.
The Supercopa de España stands as one of three premier domestic honors contested in Spanish football each season. While the tournament's structure has evolved over its 44-year existence, claiming victory in the final continues to represent a coveted achievement for any Spanish club.
A total of ten Spanish clubs have captured the Super Cup since its establishment, with Barcelona and Real Madrid—the country's dominant forces—holding the distinction as the most successful sides in the competition's history.
However, the final itself has produced legendary encounters, spectacular individual displays, nail-biting conclusions and contentious moments that have propelled the tournament to extraordinary levels.
Here, Sports Illustrated presents the five most outstanding Spanish Super Cup finals in history.
5. Real Madrid 5-3 Barcelona (1997)
Real Madrid secured their fifth Spanish Super Cup triumph in 1997 and their fourth consecutive final victory over Barcelona in this competition, laying the foundation for what would become a legendary campaign.
Anticipation surrounded Barcelona as they embarked on the Louis Van Gaal era, hoping to restore the magnificence of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" from previous years, and a 2–1 triumph at Camp Nou in the opening leg only heightened those aspirations.
However, the second leg belonged entirely to Real Madrid. Los Blancos mercilessly demolished Barcelona at the Bernabéu, netting four consecutive goals within sixty minutes, featuring a double from club icon Raúl. It represented a complete domination by Los Blancos, a triumph that launched a campaign culminating in Real Madrid breaking their 32-year Champions League title drought nine months afterward.
4. Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid (2026)
The most recent Spanish Super Cup final delivered an electrifying El Clásico encounter packed with excitement from beginning to end. Barcelona managed to defeat Real Madrid, becoming the inaugural team to claim back-to-back Supercopa titles under the four-team structure.
Real Madrid sought retribution following Barcelona's devastating 5–2 final victory the previous year. Nevertheless, it was the Catalans who struck first through Raphinha, before a thrilling and frantic conclusion to the opening half witnessed Real Madrid fight back to level the contest at two goals each by the interval.
During a nail-biting second period, the fierce adversaries exchanged attacks, but Raphinha emerged as the match-winner, securing a 3–2 victory for the Blaugrana with his second goal of the final against Los Blancos for consecutive years. For the third occasion in twelve months, Hansi Flick guided Barcelona past Real Madrid in a final to preserve their supremacy in Spanish football.
Yet the consequences of this loss proved severe for Real Madrid, who dismissed manager Xabi Alonso fewer than 24 hours following the final whistle in Saudi Arabia.
3. Athletic Club 3–2 Barcelona (2021)
Barcelona entered as overwhelming favorites against Athletic Club in the 2021 final, yet the Basque representatives executed perhaps the most remarkable turnaround in the tournament's annals to shock the Catalans and claim their first trophy in more than six years.
Two Antoine Griezmann goals brought Barcelona to the brink of Super Cup success, but Athletic Club had different plans as Asier Villalibre's dramatic strike with just one minute of added time remaining forced the final into extra periods. During the additional time, Iñaki Williams emerged as the match-winner, delivering a magnificent goal deserving of trophy-winning status.
Despite Barcelona's late attacking efforts, they failed to seriously challenge Unai Simón, and frustration overwhelmed their biggest star, Lionel Messi. In what proved to be Messi's final Spanish Super Cup appearance, he received his first and only red card during his Barcelona tenure after striking Villalibre near the match's conclusion.
2. Real Madrid 5-1 Barcelona (2017)
Real Madrid approached the 2017 Super Cup final fresh from capturing their second consecutive Champions League crown. Meanwhile, Barcelona remained shaken by the immediate impact of Neymar's surprising exit.
Conditions were ideal for Los Blancos to devastate their arch-rivals, and they seized the opportunity completely.
The opening leg became the Cristiano Ronaldo exhibition. Real Madrid's greatest player ever netted a spectacular goal to secure a 3–1 triumph at Camp Nou. Ronaldo memorably removed his jersey and presented it to all Barça supporters, creating an unforgettable moment that both sides of the rivalry will always remember, though it earned him a booking that would later prove costly.
Toward the first leg's conclusion, Ronaldo received his marching orders for simulation while attempting to earn a penalty. The Portuguese superstar lost his composure in obvious anger and pushed match official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, resulting in a five-match ban to begin the 2017–18 season, including the return leg.
Real Madrid maintained their momentum without Ronaldo, however, defeating the Catalans 2–0 in the second leg with an outstanding goal from Marco Asencio—who also found the net brilliantly in the first leg during what proved an inspired final display from the then Real Madrid prospect.
1. Barcelona 5–4 Real Madrid (2011)
During the peak of the Barcelona versus Real Madrid rivalry throughout the Pep Guardiola–Jose Mourinho period, the two Spanish powerhouses clashed in the two-legged 2011 Super Cup final and proceeded to produce pure entertainment across both encounters.
The opening leg at the Bernabéu proved a lively contest where both teams engaged in a center-ring heavyweight battle. Ultimately, strikes from David Villa, Messi, Mesut Özil and Xabi Alonso left the final perfectly balanced on aggregate heading to the second leg at Camp Nou.
The return fixture arguably ranks among the finest El Clásicos contested in the 21st century, a battle containing everything imaginable and capturing the spirit of football's greatest rivalry. As occurred during numerous Clásicos of that era, Messi's genius proved decisive.
Messi set up Andrés Iniesta's opening goal before Los Blancos answered through Ronaldo. Messi restored Barcelona's advantage with a now legendary chip over Iker Casillas, leaving Ronaldo on his knees trailing behind in a futile attempt to prevent the goal.
Karim Benzema leveled again for Madrid in the second period, but Messi refused to be stopped and netted the winner with a superb volley inside the final five minutes. The drama continued beyond that, as Mourinho then notoriously jabbed the eye of Barcelona assistant coach Tito Villanova, earning a two-game suspension.
It represented a spectacular Spanish Super Cup final between the world's two finest teams at that moment, one that perfectly demonstrated the incredible peaks of the unmatched spectacle that defined El Clásico.