Spanish Super Cup trophy: size, weight, worth and how it started

Appearances fees are bigger for some clubs than for others, with Real Madrid and Barcelona more handsomely rewarded for taking part.

Kicking off with the semi-finals on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 January, the 2024 Spanish Super Cup will be decided at its grand final slated for Sunday 14th. Competing for not only a gleaming trophy but also considerable prestige and financial rewards, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Osasuna are geared up for an intense showdown.

The Supercopa de España, to give it its native title, has evolved significantly since its inception. The 2024 edition highlights the latest format under Luis Rubiales’ presidency, with the ‘Final Four’ format in Saudi Arabia set to continue until 2029.

The Supercopa de España’s roots trace back to the former Copa Eva Duarte, where the champions of LaLiga and the Copa del Rey would compete. However, often the same team would win both titles, leading to many unplayed editions. The competition gained renewed importance in 1982 under Josep Lluís Núñez’s initiative, president of FC Barcelona at the time, reviving the tradition of the Copa Eva Duarte.

Originally played as a single match in a neutral venue, the format changed in 1994, moving the Super Cup earlier in the calendar. In 1996, it was decided that if a team won both the league and the cup, the runner-up of the Copa del Rey would participate. The format switched to a two-legged title until 2018, when it returned to a single match format with Barcelona defeating Sevilla in Tangier.

Since the 2019-20 season, the competition has been held in Saudi Arabia with a ‘Final Four’ format, involving semifinals and a final, featuring the top teams of LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. Some cynics say this decision was