Why are Mallorca playing in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup?

Real Madrid and Barcelona have long been the dominant forces and biggest attractions (for most) in Spanish soccer, with Atlético Madrid sporadically entering the conversation in the last 15 years or so. Yet Diego Simeone’s team aren’t part of the four-club 2025 Spanish Super Cup currently being played in Jeddah, with Mallorca and Athletic Club joining El Clásico’s finest in Saudi Arabia.

The involvement of Mallorca in particular may have gone under the radar and caught some by surprise. The team from the Balearic Islands, part-owned by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, face Real Madrid in the second semifinal on Thursday (January 9) and are very much the underdogs.

Mallorca have won the Spanish Super Cup before, in 2003, although their Copa del Rey triumph in the same year is the only ‘major’ trophy they have won. So how did they manage to qualify for this year’s edition?

How Mallorca qualified for the Spanish Super Cup

Since 2020, the Spanish Super Cup has been played in Saudi Arabia and had four participants: the reigning LaLiga champions (Real Madrid this year), the LaLiga runners-up (Barcelona), the Copa del Rey holders (Athletic Club) and the Copa del Rey runners-up (Mallorca).

You may be surprised to read that, as a result of their 2023/24 victory, Athletic have won the Copa del Rey four more times (24) than Real Madrid (20). The Basques only just pipped Mallorca to the trophy, winning in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, although the result had no bearing on the 2025 Spanish Super Cup lineup, with both finalists qualifying thanks to Madrid and Barça finishing first and second in LaLiga last season.

Mallorca now go in search of a second Spanish Super Cup, 22 years after the first, which would put them level on two victories with Atlético Madrid and make them just the sixth multiple winner of the competition.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.