The first trophy of 2026 is on the line tonight, Sunday, January 11, 2026, as Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the Spanish Super Cup Final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In what has become a modern tradition, the two giants meet in the final for the fourth consecutive year. Barcelona enters as the defending champion, looking for a record-extending 16th title, while Real Madrid aims to close the gap with their 14th.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: Spanish Super Cup (Final)
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Kick-off: 19:00 GMT / 20:00 CET / 22:00 Local
Venue: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero
Broadcast: TNT Sports 1 (UK), ABC/ESPN+ (US), Movistar Plus+ (Spain)
The Storyline: Flick’s Perfection vs. Alonso’s Resilience
Barcelona: The Nine-Game Winning Machine
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona is arguably the most in-form team in world football. The Blaugrana arrive in Jeddah on a nine-match winning streak across all competitions, scoring at least two goals in every one of those victories. Their semi-final performance was a statement of intent—a 5–0 demolition of Athletic Club that saw Raphinha net a brace while Fermín López and Ferran Torres also got on the scoresheet.
Currently leading La Liga by four points, Flick has transformed the side into a high-intensity defensive fortress, keeping five consecutive clean sheets heading into tonight’s final.
Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso’s Quest for Silverware
For Real Madrid, tonight represents the first chance for Xabi Alonso to lift a trophy as Los Blancos manager. After a period of intense pressure late last year, Alonso has stabilized the side with five successive wins. Their path to the final was hard-fought, requiring a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid in a semi-final marred by a touchline row between Alonso and Diego Simeone.
The major boost for Madrid is the return of Kylian Mbappé. Having missed the semi-final with a knee sprain, the Frenchman is back in the squad and likely to start on the bench as a potent "X-factor" for the second half.
Team News & Probable Lineups
Barcelona Team News
Injury Ward: Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Andreas Christensen remain long-term absentees.
Key Return: Lamine Yamal is expected to return to the starting XI after being carefully managed in the semi-final.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): J. Garcia; Koundé, Cubarsí, E. Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermín, Raphinha; Torres.
Real Madrid Team News
Absentees: Éder Militão (hamstring) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh) are out. Brahim Díaz is away at AFCON.
Returns: Kylian Mbappé returns to the matchday squad but may not start. Antonio Rüdiger and Rodrygo are fit despite minor semi-final knocks.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rüdiger, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Garcia, Vinicius Jr.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Season Record: Real Madrid won the only previous Clásico of this season, a 2–1 victory at the Bernabéu in October thanks to goals from Bellingham and Mbappé.
Super Cup History: Barcelona demolished Madrid 5–2 in last year's final, but Madrid holds the overall Supercopa H2H lead with 10 wins to Barça's 6.
The "Fermin" Factor: Fermín López has been in red-hot form, contributing to five goals in his last two outings (1G, 4A).
Saudi Goal Fest: The last three Supercopa finals between these two have produced a staggering 16 goals.
Tactical Analysis: High Press vs. Counter-Attack
Hansi Flick will not deviate from his high-line defensive trap, which has caught many opponents offside this season. However, this is a dangerous game against the pace of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. Xabi Alonso will likely look to use Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham to bypass the initial press and find direct balls into the channels.
Match Prediction
Barcelona enters as the favorite based on sheer momentum and defensive solidity. However, Real Madrid’s "DNA" in finals and the return of Mbappé make them incredibly dangerous as underdogs.
Final Score Prediction: Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid (Barça to win on penalties)
