Copa del Rey

The surprise team that has won the Copa del Rey more than Real Madrid

Real Madrid face Real Sociedad in the semifinals of the Spanish cup and will be hoping to improve their surprising record in the competition.

FERNANDO VILLAR

Roddy Cons

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: Feb 25th, 2025 08:37 EST

It’s probably not too controversial to suggest Real Madrid and Barcelona are Spain two biggest soccer clubs, based on a number of different metrics, from trophies won, to national and global fanbase, to annual revenue and overall valuation. However, if we were to use Copa del Rey victories as the barometer, one of the Clásico rivals would be bumped down into third spot.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Copa del Rey victories

Barça host Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the semifinals of the 2024/25 Copa del Rey on Tuesday (February 25) and are going in search of a record-extending 32nd triumph in the Spanish cup.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, start their last-four tie away to Real Sociedad on Wednesday (February 26) as they look to keep their hopes of winning the competition for the 21st time alive.

Despite the Catalans having won the Copa del Rey 11 times more than their eternal foes, many would still expect Real Madrid to be second on the all-time list of successes. For a little context, Los Blancos have won LaLiga 36 times compared to Barcelona’s 27, with Atlético, the next most successful team, a long way behind on just 11.

Real Madrid aren’t the second best team in the Copa del Rey

Surprisingly, however, that isn’t the case in the Copa del Rey. Sandwiched between the Clásico duo with 24 victories is Athletic Club, who most recently added to their haul just last season, when they defeated Mallorca in the final.

Incredibly, however, Athletic hadn’t won the Spanish cup before then since 1983/84, when they registered their 23rd victory. At that point, the Basques were the most decorated team in the competition, ahead of Barcelona (20 wins) and Madrid (15).

Real Madrid’s disappointing Copa del Rey record

In recent seasons, Real Madrid have regularly won the Champions League, with six triumphs in the last 11 seasons. By contrast, they have lifted the Copa del Rey only four times in 35 years, which very much shows where their main focus lies.

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