COPA DEL REY
How many times have Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey?
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey against Osasuna - but what is their record in the competition?
Real Madrid took on Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final in Sevilla and came away with a 2-1 win. An early Rodrygo strike set Madrid up for a comfortable first half, but Osasuna bit back and showed the rest of Spain just why they made it all the way to the final. A feisty first half ended with a bit of handbags in the tunnel, after various vibes of anger and frustration converged on Vinicius, who had become chief pest from the beginning.
The second half started just as brightly as the first, and Osasuna kept pushing, eventually finding the net via Lucas Torró from the edge of the box. But it was Rodrygo again who gave the sense of delight back to Madrid’s travelling fans, as his goal in the second half was enough to see Madrid lift the trophy that, historically, has not been so kind to them.
If you managed one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs, what would you rather win? The Champions League, your domestic league title or your domestic cup competition? Let’s not kid ourselves, the Copa del Rey very much plays third fiddle (this apparently does exist) to LaLiga and ‘old big ears’ in Spanish soccer circles. And no more so than for Real Madrid.
As one of Spain’s ‘big two’, Madrid and Barcelona are constantly compared. It’s tedious but it’s inevitable. Los Blancos are well ahead in terms of Champions League victories (14-5) after their recent-ish dominance of the competition and also lead the way when it comes to league titles (35-26), although it’s closer than it once was.
How many Copa del Rey victories do Real Madrid have?
But one competition that hasn’t been quite as kind to Real Madrid is the Copa del Rey. They’ve now won it 20 times, and as one of the ‘big two’, you’d expect Madrid to be either first or second when it comes to cup victories. Look at the Copa del Rey honours’ list, however, and you’ll see that they sit third, well adrift of Barcelona (31) and languishing behind Athletic Club (23). In truth, there are a whole bunch of statistics that illustrate their relative ‘struggles’ in the competition (or, perhaps more accurately, that their priorities have lain elsewhere).
Real Madrid hadn’t won the Copa del Rey in nine years. They’ve won it just three times in the 21st century and six times in the last 40 years. Until this year, Real Zaragoza, Real Betis and Espanyol had all lifted the trophy as often as Los Blancos since 2000. But none of those clubs have won as much as a single Champions League, so Madrid probably won’t care.
When was the last time Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey?
Before the 22/23 victory, Real Madrid last won the Copa del Rey in the 2013-14 season, when they defeated Barcelona in the final at Mestalla in Valencia. There have been plenty of memorable Clásicos over the years, especially around that period, and this was another one.
You might not remember it as being the one that Asier Illarramendi came off the bench in but you certainly will remember it for Gareth Bale’s iconic run-off-the-pitch-and-around-Marc-Barta goal (see above tweet), which came with just five minutes left to play. That season culminated in a Champions League and Copa del Rey double for Los Blancos for the only time in their history. What’s left for them to win this year?
