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About Copa del Rey:
History
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey,La Copa or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanish football, organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
The competition was founded in 1903, making it the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level. Copa del Rey winners qualify for the following season's UEFA Europa League. If they have already qualified for Europe through their league position, the Europa League spot is given to the highest-placed team in the league who has not yet qualified (until 2014 this place was awarded to the Copa runners-up, unless they too had already qualified via the league).
Barcelona is the most successful club in the competition, having won 31 titles. Athletic Bilbao has the second-most wins with 24, while Real Madrid is third with 20. Athletic Bilbao is also the most recent winner, having defeated Mallorca in the 2024 final held at the Estadio de La Cartuja.
See also: List of Copa del Rey finalsIn 1902, a competition under the name Copa de la Coronación was played after Juan de Astorquia, President of Bilbao Football Club, and Carlos Padrós, later president of Real Madrid, suggested a football tournament to celebrate the coronation of Spanish King Alfonso XIII. Four other teams joined Madrid FC for the competition: FC Barcelona, Club Español de Foot-Ball, New Foot-Ball de Madrid and Club Bizcaya (a team made up of players from Athletic Club and Bilbao FC), which eventually defeated Barcelona in the final. That cup is on display in the Athletic Bilbao museum and the club includes the victory as the first of its Copa del Rey wins, but the Royal Spanish Football Federation officially does not recognise it as such, only considering it to be the forerunner of the Copa del Rey.
The Copa del Rey was effectively Spain's national football championship from 1903 (the first edition won by Athletic Bilbao with Juan de Astorquia as captain and president) until the foundation of the Campeonato de Liga—League Championship (La Liga)—in 1928. It was initially known as the Copa del Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid City Council's Cup). Between 1905 and 1932, it was known as the Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Alfonso XIII (His Majesty King Alfonso XIII's Cup). During the Second Spanish Republic, it was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República (President of the Republic Cup) or Copa de España (Spanish Cup) and during the years of Francisco Franco's Spanish State, it was known as the Copa de Su Excelencia El Generalísimo or Copa del Generalísimo (His Excellency, The Supreme General's Cup).
Athletic Bilbao were declared winners in 1904 after their opponents Español de Madrid failed to show up. Between 1903 and 1909 the competition was organized by Madrid FC or by the Madrid Federation. Afterwards, it was taken over by the FECF (Federación Española de Clubs de Football), a forerunner of the RFEF. However, in both 1910 and 1913 there was a split among the clubs and two parallel competitions were held, one organized by the FECF and the other by the UECF (Unión Española de Club de Football). All these editions are officially recognized by the RFEF. In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, clubs in the Republican area of Spain entered the Copa de la España Libre, with Levante FC (forerunner of the present Levante UD) beating their city rivals Valencia 1–0 in the final. Although in 2007 the Congress of Deputies urged the Royal Spanish Football Federation to recognise it as a Copa del Rey win for Levante, for several years the governing body of Spanish football made no decision on the matter. On 25 March 2023, the tournament was officially recognized by the RFEF, but not as a Copa del Rey.Because of the dispute regarding the 1902 competition, the statistics regarding the leading winners are also disputed. Barcelona have won the Copa 31 times; Athletic Bilbao are in second place, with either 24 or 25 titles, depending on the source.
See also: List of Copa del Rey finals
In 1902, a competition under the name Copa de la Coronación was played after Juan de Astorquia, President of Bilbao Football Club, and Carlos Padrós, later president of Real Madrid, suggested a football tournament to celebrate the coronation of Spanish King Alfonso XIII. Four other teams joined Madrid FC for the competition: FC Barcelona, Club Español de Foot-Ball, New Foot-Ball de Madrid and Club Bizcaya (a team made up of players from Athletic Club and Bilbao FC), which eventually defeated Barcelona in the final. That cup is on display in the Athletic Bilbao museum and the club includes the victory as the first of its Copa del Rey wins, but the Royal Spanish Football Federation officially does not recognise it as such, only considering it to be the forerunner of the Copa del Rey.
The Copa del Rey was effectively Spain's national football championship from 1903 (the first edition won by Athletic Bilbao with Juan de Astorquia as captain and president) until the foundation of the Campeonato de Liga—League Championship (La Liga)—in 1928. It was initially known as the Copa del Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid City Council's Cup). Between 1905 and 1932, it was known as the Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Alfonso XIII (His Majesty King Alfonso XIII's Cup). During the Second Spanish Republic, it was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República (President of the Republic Cup) or Copa de España (Spanish Cup) and during the years of Francisco Franco's Spanish State, it was known as the Copa de Su Excelencia El Generalísimo or Copa del Generalísimo (His Excellency, The Supreme General's Cup).
Athletic Bilbao were declared winners in 1904 after their opponents Español de Madrid failed to show up. Between 1903 and 1909 the competition was organized by Madrid FC or by the Madrid Federation. Afterwards, it was taken over by the FECF (Federación Española de Clubs de Football), a forerunner of the RFEF. However, in both 1910 and 1913 there was a split among the clubs and two parallel competitions were held, one organized by the FECF and the other by the UECF (Unión Española de Club de Football). All these editions are officially recognized by the RFEF. In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, clubs in the Republican area of Spain entered the Copa de la España Libre, with Levante FC (forerunner of the present Levante UD) beating their city rivals Valencia 1–0 in the final. Although in 2007 the Congress of Deputies urged the Royal Spanish Football Federation to recognise it as a Copa del Rey win for Levante, for several years the governing body of Spanish football made no decision on the matter. On 25 March 2023, the tournament was officially recognized by the RFEF, but not as a Copa del Rey.
Because of the dispute regarding the 1902 competition, the statistics regarding the leading winners are also disputed. Barcelona have won the Copa 31 times; Athletic Bilbao are in second place, with either 24 or 25 titles, depending on the source.
