The Spanish Super Cup kicked off on January 8th with the highly anticipated match between Athletic Club and FC Barcelona. This prestigious tournament, held at the King Abdullah Sport City in Saudi Arabia, brings together four top teams competing for the first major Spanish football title of 2025. Beyond the thrill of the competition, the Super Cup offers a significant financial incentive, making it a coveted event for clubs. However, the financial rewards are not equally shared, with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona receiving the lion’s share due to their historical success and greater marketability.
Beyond the chance to start the year with a trophy, the Spanish Super Cup also provides a significant financial incentive. However, this incentive is not equally distributed among the four participants, with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona receiving the largest share.
Since the first edition of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2020, the host country has provided 40 million euros to the RFEF, which manages the funds. Half of this amount remains with the Federation, while the rest is distributed among the participating teams.
The distribution among the four teams—FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Club, and Mallorca—is based on both sporting criteria and the prestige of each club. Sporting criteria consider the number of titles won, while prestige is influenced by television rights.
Based on these criteria, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid receive significantly more than Athletic Club and Mallorca. Real Madrid earns slightly over 6 million euros for participating, while FC Barcelona receives nearly 6 million euros.
Athletic Club ranks next, with earnings around 2 million euros, and Mallorca at the bottom, with about 850,000 euros. Additionally, teams can earn extra bonuses based on their performance: the 2025 Super Cup winner will receive an additional 2 million euros, and the runner-up will get 1 million euros.
The unequal distribution of funds has been a recurring issue since the tournament’s relocation to Saudi Arabia. Smaller clubs often raise concerns, and recently, Athletic Club has called for more equitable distribution.
In past editions, the RFEF has taken steps to address this imbalance. In 2024, an agreement was reached with FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético to contribute 200,000 euros each to Osasuna, the team with the lowest prestige, as an effort to promote fairness.
Contenido GEC