Spanish Supercopa: Can Real Madrid, Atletico or Athletic stop Bara?

Barcelona's defense of the Spanish Supercopa begins on Wednesday when they take on Athletic Club in Saudi Arabia. Then, on Thursday, it's an all-Madrid semifinal as Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid face-off against Atltico Madrid.

So, which side is in the best shape to lift the cup? And are we set for another Clsico final?

Alex Kirkland and Sam Marsden preview all the action -- and remember, you can stream every single game LIVE on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

- How Alonso's Real Madrid start compares to Mourinho, Ancelotti, Zidane
- Hunter's midseason verdicts: Bara lead the way, but is there a title race?
- Messi, Ronaldo, Mbapp, Haaland, Kane? Who was 2025's top goal scorer?

Where is the Spanish Supercopa being played, and why?

The Supercopa used to be an afterthought: a two-legged, pre-season summer friendly that nobody cared too much about. Now, it isn't just a money-spinning, four-team January jaunt in the Saudi Arabian sunshine, it's also a key indicator of where the Spanish season is heading as we enter the business end of the campaign.

For many years, the Supercopa trophy was contested by the previous season's LaLiga and Copa del Rey winners, playing home and away. It first travelled abroad, to Tangiers in Morocco, in 2018, before the deal with the Saudis -- initially for three editions, later extended for another seven until 2029 -- a year later. At the same time as the switch to the Middle East, the tournament was expanded to a week-long, "final four" format featuring the top-two finishers in the league and both Copa del Rey finalists, who would face off in semifinals and a final, and was moved from preseason to January.

The agreement, which was reached under former RFEF president Luis Rubiales and brokered by Gerard Piqu's company, Kosmos, was hugely lucrative for the Spanish football federation and worth around 40 million per season. The main attraction for the Saudis, of course, is the prospect of hosting a competitive Clsico. There are even penalty clauses included in the contract if Madrid or Barcelona don't qualify.

The tournament has now been played twice in Jeddah, and three times in Riyadh -- with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ensuring the 2021 edition stayed at home in Spain -- and it returns to the Alinma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah this week. Current RFEF president Rafael Louzan has suggested there are no plans for a rethink anytime soon.

"The last time this tournament was played before going to Arabia, it generated 1 million," he said in October. "This edition will generate 51 million, directly for Spanish football." -- Kirkland

Which teams are playing in the Spanish Supercopa, and how did they qualify?

Spain's four most successful teams historically, in both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, complete the lineup in Saudi Arabia this month. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atltico Madrid and Athletic Club will compete for the chance to lift the Supercopa trophy in Jeddah on Sunday.

The four places are granted to the winners and runners-up in LaLiga and the Copa. If there is any crossover, then the team that finishes third in the league, and potentially fourth as well, qualifies. The latter scenario has come into play this year. Bara qualify as LaLiga and Copa winners, Madrid as runners-up in both those competitions, and Atltico (third) and Athletic (fourth) gain entry to a multi-million euro payday through their league finishes.

Bara and Madrid are the only ever-presents since the switch to a four-team format in 2020, competing in all seven editions. Atltico and Athletic are also regulars, as both return for the fourth time this year. Athletic are the only side outside the Clsico duo to have won the Supercopa in its current guise, too, beating Bara in the 2021 final (which played in Seville during the pandemic.) Madrid have won it three times; current holders Bara have won it twice.

The semifinals should be fun. Bara take on Athletic on Wednesday as they begin their quest to win what would be a fourth trophy since Hansi Flick took charge 18 months ago. That serves as the perfect starter for Thursday's Madrid derby, with Alonso's Real seeking revenge for the 5-2 defeat Atltico inflicted on them in LaLiga back in September. -- Marsden

Will we see another Clsico final in the Spanish Supercopa?

Let's take a look at the finals since the "final four" format was first introduced: we've had Real Madrid vs. Atltico Madrid (2020), Athletic Club vs. Barcelona (2021), Real Madrid vs. Athletic Club (2022), Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2023), Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2024) and Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (2025). So the trend is pretty clear: in the last three seasons, the RFEF and the Saudis have had their competitive Clsico. Will they get one in 2026?

Barcelona will be strong favorites to beat Athletic in Wednesday's first semifinal. Bara won 4-0 when the sides met in LaLiga in November, and Athletic are having a poor season, with 12 defeats in the 26 games they've played in all competitions, limping into this tournament with a 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday.

Bara haven't been playing especially well -- they had goalkeeper Joan Garca to thank for beating Espanyol 2-0 in the Catalan Derby on the same day -- but they've also won their past nine games. With Athletic's key players such as Nico Williams struggling for form -- the winger has just three goals this season, the last coming in November -- it's hard to envisage an Athletic win, although the Williams brothers do possess the pace to trouble Flick's famous high line.

Thursday's Madrid derby in the other semifinal is much harder to call. Atltico demolished Real Madrid 5-2 when the teams met at the Metropolitano in September, in what was Real's worst performance of the season, and was a crushing low for coach Alonso's tenure. But fast forward to the present, and Real Madrid played some of their best football in weeks on Sunday, beating Real Betis 5-1 even without injured star striker Kylian Mbapp.

Atltico were only able to draw 1-1 at Real Sociedad on the same day, and a pre-Christmas wobble saw them lose back-to-back games at Bara and Athletic, just when they looked to be gearing up for a title challenge.

Will Alonso have learnt from the mistakes of September's derby embarrassment? It seems likely; he's a smart, tactically flexible coach, whose future in the Madrid job might be on the line in this semifinal after an unconvincing first half of the season. Much will depend on Mbapp's fitness after his knee sprain, with Alonso worryingly non-committal on the forward's availability for this tournament when speaking at the weekend. Though without Mbapp, youngster Gonzalo Garca stepped up to score a hat trick against Betis.

To answer the question: yes, I think we'll probably get a Clsico final. But wouldn't rule out it being Barcelona vs. Atltico, either. -- Kirkland

What have been the top five matches since the Spanish Supercopa began its new format?

5. 2020 final: Real Madrid 0-0 Atltico (4-1 on penalties)

As 0-0 draws go, this one was one of the better ones, although it was one moment in particular that lives in the memory from the first final of the four-team format. With Atleti striker lvaro Morata clean through in extra-time, Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde brazenly took him out. He was sent off, but Atltico could not score from the resulting free kick and Madrid went on to win the shootout. Sublime until that last-man challenge, Valverde was subsequently named player of the match.

Even Atltico coach Diego Simeone struggled to be too critical of the Uruguay international afterwards. "I think it makes sense to give him the award because he won the game with that challenge," he said. "I told him [when he was sent off] that anyone would have done the same in his place."

4. 2020 semifinal: Barcelona 2-3 Atltico

The RFEF could not have hoped for a more dramatic start to the competition than this topsy-turvy five-goal thriller that resulted in Ernesto Valverde, now the Athletic coach, being sacked as Bara manager. Goals from Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, in Blaugrana colours at this point, had cancelled out Koke's opener, but an Morata penalty in the 81st-minute and an 86th-minute winner from ngel Correa sealed an unlikely turnaround for Atltico and spelled the end of Valverde's time in charge in Catalonia.

3. 2025 final: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona

Last year's final bordered on the ridiculous at times, from Mbapp giving Madrid an early lead, through to Bara responding with four goals before half-time, and Wojciech Szczesny being sent off in the 56th minute. It was one of four Clsico defeats Bara inflicted on Madrid last season and came at a key juncture in Flick's reign as the team began to click through the gears in the second half of the campaign. Even after Szczsny's moment of madness, which was punished by a Rodrygo goal, Bara were able to confidently see the match out with 10 players to clinch a 15th Supercopa title and win the first of three trophies in Flick's impressive debut season as coach.

2. 2021 final: Bara 2-3 Athletic Club (after extra time)

Where to start with this one? Barcelona squandering a 2-1 lead heading into the final minutes of the game? Athletic providing the biggest Supercopa final upset since the switch to four teams? Asier Villalibre's late equaliser? Iaki Williams' brilliant winner? Messi losing his cool late on and being sent off? Actually, the lasting image is probably of the bearded Villalibre playing the trumpet during the celebrations after the game on the pitch. Athletic -- as they showed in 2024 with their barge ride along the river Nervion after winning the Copa -- sure know how to enjoy any success.

1. 2024 semifinal: Real Madrid 5-3 Atltico (after extra time)