2024 Spanish Super Cup: when is it? who plays who? how does it work?

The Spanish Super Cup is about to get underway and we aim to explain how it all works for the Spanish clubs involved.

When does the 2024 Spanish Super Cup take place?

The 40th edition of the Spanish Super Cup takes place between 10-14 January.

Where is the 2024 Spanish Super Cup taking place?

The Spanish Super Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. In June 2021, the Spanish Federation agreed a deal worth a reported $120 million to have Saudi Arabia host the tournament until 2029. The move drew criticism from almost all quarters, with Amnesty International scathing of the federation’s “collaboration in this ‘whitewashing’ of the image of the Saudi Arabia”, where it said there had been very little improvement in the “the systematic abuse of homosexuals and continued discrimination against women.”

Speaking in 2019, when the first ‘Saudi Arabia Spanish Super Cup’ took place, LaLiga President Javier Tebas was also unhappy, “not only for human rights” but also because “they’ve been pirating Spanish and European football for two years through a paid television backed by the Saudi Arabian government.”

Which teams have qualified for the 2024 Spanish Super Cup?

The tournament features the winners and runners-up of LaLiga and the winners and runners-up of the Copa del Rey in 2022-23. The four qualified teams this year are:

Barcelona (2022-23 LaLiga winners)

Real Madrid (2022-23 LaLiga runners-up/Copa del Rey winners)

Osasuna (2022-23 Copa del Rey runners-up)

Atlético Madrid (2022-23 third place in LaLiga)

When are the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup?

Real Madrid and Atlético will play the first semi-final on Wednesday 10 January. The second semi-final, between Barça and Osasuna, will be played a day later, on Thursday 11 January. The final is scheduled for Sunday 14 January.

The four teams have had their matches postponed for matchday 20 of LaLiga 2023-24. Barça and Osasuna face each other on that matchday and will play their postponed match on Tuesday 30 January. Atlético will play Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday 31 January and Real Madrid will visit Getafe on Thursday 1 February.

What is the format?

Between 1983 and 2017, the Spanish Super Cup was a two-legged final between the winners of LaLiga and the Copa del Rey during the previous season. There were a few exceptions, with no finals held in 1986 or 1987, while Athletic Club and Real Madrid were automatically presented with the trophy in 1984 and 1989 respectively having won both competitions. In subsequent years, the Copa del Rey runners-up played in the Spanish Super Cup if any team did the league and cup double.

After a one-legged final between league and cup winner in 2018, the current format was introduced in time for the 2019-20 tournament. Two semi-finals will be followed by the final. There will be no third-place playoff.

Who has won the Spanish Super Cup the most times?

Barcelona lead the way on 14 Spanish Super Cup victories, ahead of rivals Real Madrid on 12. Athletic Club and Deportivo La Coruña are next with three each.