Archrivals Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet in an El Clasico for the third time this season when they face off in the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) final.
Barcelona will be looking for a hat-trick of wins on Saturday over their fierce foes this 2024-2025 season, having defeated Real 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January and 4-0 in a LaLiga fixture in October.
Barcelona – the Copa’s most successful club with 31 trophies – have not made it to the final since 2021 when they beat Athletic Bilbao. Madrid, who will play in their second final in three seasons, won their 20th title against Osasuna in 2023.
Saturday’s blockbuster showdown will mark the first time in 11 years that Barcelona and Real Madrid have met in a Copa final, and it’s the 260th competitive match between the sides.
Here’s everything you need to know before the clash between Spain’s two football titans:
When is the 2025 Copa final?
The Copa del Rey final will be played on Saturday at 10pm (20:00 GMT)
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Where is the Copa final being held?
Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville is the venue for the 2025 Copa del Rey final.
The stadium, the fifth largest in Spain, has a capacity of 57,600 people and was one of the 11 stadiums used in the multicountry Euro 2020 tournament.
Estadio de La Cartuja also hosted the 2024 Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna.
Which team is the favourite to win the Copa 2025?
Given their recent form and dominance at the top of the LaLiga table, Barcelona are the favourite to win the Copa del Rey.
Hansi Flick’s side have lost just once this year across all competitions, falling 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals although that did not stop them from sealing their spot in the semifinals.
Multiple bookmakers around the world via the Oddschecker platform have Barcelona marked as the shorter-odds favourite to win the Copa, paying out $2.10 on average for the victory with Real Madrid at $3.10.
Barcelona winning the Cup final keeps open the Catalan giant’s ambition of winning the 2024-2025 season treble: the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and LaLiga.
Barcelona, Spain’s last hope in the Champions League, are the tournament frontrunner.
In LaLiga, Spain’s premier league competition, Barcelona sit atop the standings with a four-point lead over Real Madrid with just five matches remaining this season.
How did Real Madrid and Barcelona reach the 2025 final?
Real Madrid reached the Copa final after beating Real Sociedad 5-4 on aggregate in the semifinals while Barcelona booked their berth in the title clash by beating Atletico Madrid in the semis with the same scoreline.
Who is the defending Copa champion?
Athletic Bilbao are the reigning Copa champions, but they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Osasuna. Bilbao’s exit ensured there would be no repeat Copa champion since Barcelona won it four years straight from 2015 to 2018.
What happened the last time Real played Barca in the Copa final?
Real Madrid and Barcelona last met in a Copa final in the 2013-2014 season with Real winning 2-1 following goals from Angel di Maria and Gareth Bale.
How many times have Real and Barcelona faced each other in the Copa final?
Barcelona and Real Madrid have faced each other 38 times in the Copa del Rey throughout the competition’s history.
Los Blancos have a slight advantage over Barca in their head-to-head finals record, winning four of their seven matches:
- 2014: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
- 2011: Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona
- 1990: Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid
- 1983: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
- 1974: Real Madrid 4-0 Barcelona
- 1968: Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid
- 1936: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
Which team has won the most Copa del Rey titles?
- Barcelona: 31
- Athletic Bilbao: 24
- Real Madrid: 20
- Atletico Madrid: 10
- Valencia: eight
Will Lewandowski play in the Copa final?
Barcelona’s star striker Robert Lewandowski was diagnosed with a hamstring injury on Sunday and is to miss the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semifinal, according to Spanish media reports.
The 36-year-old Polish forward, Barcelona’s top goal scorer with 40 goals across all competitions, came off during his team’s 4-3 LaLiga win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.
“Tests carried out on Sunday have confirmed that first-team player Robert Lewandowski has a semitendinosus injury in his left thigh,” Barcelona said in a statement without specifying how long he would be sidelined for.
Spanish media reported Lewandowski could be out for three weeks.
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Kylian Mbappe is poised to return from injury to face rivals Barcelona.
The French striker was substituted with an ankle problem during Madrid’s Champions League elimination against Arsenal last week and missed the last two LaLiga matches.
The forward along with compatriot Ferland Mendy, should be fit for the Clasico.
Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal, however, remain sidelined due to knee injuries.
Barcelona team news
Lewandowski is the big-name absentee for Barcelona due to his hamstring problem.
Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all absent for Barcelona due to injuries.
Possible lineups
Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Kylian Mbappe
Barcelona starting XI: Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Curbasi, Gerard Martin; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Fermin Lopez; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha; Ferran Torres
Is the Copa del Rey the oldest Spanish competition?
Yes. Founded in 1903 and organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Copa del Rey is the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level.
The Copa del Rey winners qualify for the next season’s UEFA Europa League. If the winner has already qualified for Europe through their LaLiga ladder position, the Europa League spot is awarded to the next highest placed team that has not yet qualified.
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