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

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.

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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.

Origins of the Spanish Super Cup

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.

Formats and introduction of new teams

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 made to almost guarantee that the behemoths of Madrid and Barcelona will always be involved. Real Sociedad was the first winner of this cup, and Barcelona leads with the most titles (13), followed by Real Madrid with 12.

How tall is the Spanish Super Cup trophy?

Distinct from the LaLiga and Copa del Rey trophies, the Spanish Super Cup trophy is permanently awarded to the winner. Crafted by Alegre de Madrid, the same jeweler responsible for the Copa del Rey, the trophy is made of silver, stands at 58 centimetres and weighs approximately two kilograms.

As you can see in the image, the trophy features a wooden pedestal with the badges of the participating teams. It also has the Spanish Federation’s crest as well as a commemorative plaque. For all that we do know, the value of the trophy has not been made available, but the rewards that go with winning it have been. Read on.

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Live VAR reviews audio debut in 2024 Spanish Super Cup

This latest edition of the Spanish Super Cup brings innovations in terms of refereeing. In addition to the semi-automatic offside Technology used last season, this year all fans will have the opportunity to listen to the referees’ conversations during VAR reviews when the referee has to go to the pitch-side monitor.

The goal of the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation is to continue advancing in the path of transparency and understanding of the refereeing work by all football bodies and fans themselves. The full audio will also be available to listen to after the matches have finished, with the RFEF publishing them via their social media channels.

Spanish Super Cup appearance fees

Ever since the federation struck a profitable agreement in 2020 with the Saudi government to relocate the tournament to the Gulf region, the distribution of the Spanish Super Cup’s financial rewards has sparked debate. Theoretically, the appearance fees for the cup are allocated based on sporting merit (number of trophies won) and the stature of the participating clubs, determined by factors such as television rights and audience ratings. You can guess who that benefits the most.

Revenue for Real Madrid, Barça, Atlético and Osasuna

For the latest Middle Eastern-based Super Cups, similar to previous ones, Saudi Arabia is compensating the RFEF with a handsome hosting fee of €40 million ($43.8 million). The federation will then distribute this sum based on the previously mentioned criteria.

In this year’s event, Real Madrid and Barcelona are each anticipated to earn €6 million ($6.57 million) for their participation, while Atlético Madrid is set to receive €3 million ($3.29 million), and Osasuna about €800,000 ($876,000).

Additionally, the federation has brokered a deal with the two Madrid teams and Barça to each contribute an extra €200,000 ($219,000) to Osasuna, the previous season’s Copa del Rey runner-up.

Spanish Super Cup prize money

In addition to the appearance fees, the champion of the tournament will receive a prize of €2 million ($2.19 million), and the second-place team will earn €1 million ($1.1 million). In the 2024 Spanish Super Cup, Real Madrid and Barcelona are poised to be the top earners. However, Atlético could potentially rival the financial gains of these two giants if they emerge victorious in the competition.