History of Copa del Rey in Timeline

The Copa del Rey, officially the Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, is an annual knockout football competition in Spain. Organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, it has gone by different names throughout history, including Copa del Presidente de la República and Copa del Generalísimo, reflecting changes in the country's political landscape. It is also known as La Copa or the Spanish Cup or King's Cup.

1902: Dispute Regarding Leading Winners

In 1902 a dispute arose over the Copa de la Coronación, which affects the statistics regarding the leading winners of the competition. Barcelona is credited with 31 Copa del Rey titles.

1902: Copa de la Coronación

In 1902, the Copa de la Coronación was played to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII, with Club Bizcaya defeating FC Barcelona in the final, though the Royal Spanish Football Federation doesn't officially recognize it as a Copa del Rey win.

1902: Disputed Win

In 1902, the Copa del Rey was won by Bizcaya, a team made up of players from Athletic Bilbao and Bilbao FC, leading to disputes about the number of wins credited to Athletic Bilbao.

1903: Competition Organized by Madrid FC

From 1903 to 1909, the Copa del Rey competition was organized either by Madrid FC or the Madrid Federation.

1903: Clubs Merged

In 1903, Athletic Bilbao and Bilbao FC merged to form the current Athletic Bilbao, adding to the dispute over the 1902 Copa del Rey win.

1903: Athletic Bilbao wins first edition

In 1903, Athletic Bilbao won the first edition of Copa del Rey with Juan de Astorquia as captain and president. The competition served as Spain's national football championship.

1903: Competition Founded

In 1903, the Copa del Rey was founded, making it the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level.

1904: Athletic Bilbao Declared Winners

In 1904, Athletic Bilbao were declared winners of Copa del Rey after their opponents, Español de Madrid, failed to appear for the match.

1905: Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Alfonso XIII

From 1905 to 1932, the competition was known as the Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Alfonso XIII, reflecting the reign of King Alfonso XIII.

1909: Competition Organized by Madrid FC ends

From 1903 to 1909, the Copa del Rey competition was organized either by Madrid FC or the Madrid Federation.

1910: Split Among Clubs

In 1910, a split among the clubs led to two parallel Copa del Rey competitions, one organized by the FECF and the other by the UECF.

1913: Split Among Clubs

In 1913, similar to 1910, a split among clubs resulted in two parallel Copa del Rey competitions, organized by the FECF and the UECF.

1928: Foundation of La Liga

In 1928, the Campeonato de Liga (La Liga) was founded, marking the end of the Copa del Rey as the de facto national football championship.

1929: Formation of La Liga

Before the formation of La Liga in 1929, the Copa del Rey served as the national championship, with teams qualifying through their regional leagues.

1932: Copa del Presidente de la República

In 1932, the Copa del Rey was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República, marking a change in its official name during the Second Spanish Republic era.

1936: Real Madrid Awarded Trophy

In 1936, Real Madrid was awarded the last Copa de la República trophy permanently.

1936: Copa del Presidente de la República

In 1936, the Copa del Rey was known as the Copa del Presidente de la República, a name it held during the Second Spanish Republic.

1937: Copa de la España Libre

In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, clubs in the Republican area of Spain entered the Copa de la España Libre, with Levante FC defeating Valencia in the final.

1939: Sevilla Awarded Trofeo del Generalísimo

In 1939, Sevilla was awarded the Trofeo del Generalísimo after its first edition.

1939: Copa del Generalísimo

In 1939, the competition became known as the Copa del Generalísimo, marking a name change that reflected the political landscape of Francisco Franco's Spanish State.

1976: Atlético Madrid Awarded Trophy

In 1976, Atlético Madrid, winners the previous year, were awarded the 11th Copa del Rey trophy following the death of Francisco Franco.

1976: Copa del Generalísimo ends

In 1976, the Copa del Rey ceased to be known as the Copa del Generalísimo, reverting to its more commonly known name after the end of Francisco Franco's regime.

1990: Reserve Teams Banned

From 1990-91 onward, reserve teams have been banned from competing in the Copa del Rey.

2007: Congress Urges Recognition

In 2007, the Congress of Deputies urged the Royal Spanish Football Federation to recognize Levante FC's 1937 Copa de la España Libre win as a Copa del Rey win.

December 2010: Sevilla Requests Permission

In December 2010, Sevilla requested permission from the Royal Spanish Football Federation to keep the trophy they had won in the 2010 final to commemorate the victory of the Spain national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

April 2011: Real Madrid Becomes First Recipients of New Trophy

On April 21, 2011, Real Madrid became the first recipients of the new Copa del Rey trophy. During celebrations, the trophy was accidentally dropped by Sergio Ramos from a bus.

2014: Europa League Qualification Changes

Until 2014, the Copa del Rey runners-up would qualify for the UEFA Europa League if the winners had already qualified through their league position.

2019: Supercopa de España Qualification

From the 2019–20 Supercopa de España edition onwards, the Copa del Rey runners-up automatically qualify, alongside the winners, creating a four-team competition.

2019: Broadcasting Rights

From the 2019–20 season, the final match is included in La Copa broadcasting rights package. Previously, the final match is excluded in selected countries.

2019: Restructuring Initiated

In 2019, Luis Rubiales's new presidency initiated restructuring within the Royal Spanish Football Federation, impacting the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.

2019: Format Overhaul

In 2019, a format overhaul introduced single-leg ties, with lower division teams hosting matches, and top-level clubs entering at the first round.

2019: Amended Rules

In 2019, amended rules for the 2019–20 edition led to an increase in the number of entrants, reaching 125 teams.

March 2023: Recognition of Copa de la España Libre

On March 25, 2023, the Royal Spanish Football Federation officially recognized the 1937 Copa de la España Libre, but not as an official Copa del Rey title.

April 2024: Official Winners List

As of April 2024, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) provided the official winners list for the Copa del Rey.

2024: Athletic Bilbao Wins Copa del Rey

In 2024, Athletic Bilbao defeated Mallorca in the Copa del Rey final, held at the Estadio de La Cartuja, securing their status as the most recent winner.