The Unlikely Curse Haunting Barcelona at the Spanish Super Cup

Overview

Saudi Arabia will stage the Spanish Super Cup from January 7 to 11, 2026, featuring four European heavyweights: Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. The current format, introduced in 2020, brings together the league champion, league runner-up, cup winner, and cup runner-up in a compact, winner-takes-all mini-tournament. The event will be broadcast exclusively on the Eight app, aligning with the growing trend of streaming-first sports coverage.

History, Trends, and a Barcelona Edge

A notable stat highlighted by the Spanish daily Sport notes that, under the new format, the team that wins the league has often gone on to lift the Super Cup, with the singular exception occurring in 2021 when Athletic Bilbao beat Barcelona 3-2 in the final. Barcelona currently holds momentum after securing La Liga in the 2024-25 season with 88 points, potentially translating into an advantage on the Saudi pitch.

Sport also lists the recent champions in the six editions since the format change as follows: 2020 Real Madrid; 2021 Athletic Bilbao; 2022 Real Madrid; 2023 Barcelona; 2024 Real Madrid; 2025 Barcelona. The quartet in this edition—Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid—promises a high-stakes mini-tournament in a country far from home for the Spanish giants.

The format’s blend of prestige and winter drama continues to attract fans, with a familiar cast chasing another trophy in a different time zone.

Humor break: If luck were a footballer, it would be benched by Barca. And if tiki-taka needed a vacation, this tournament would be the perfect one to book it. Punchlines aside, the only thing certain is that the trophy prefers winners who can handle the moment when January heat meets winter stakes.