Top 10 Most Successful Teams in Copa del Rey History

Bitterest rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet in the 2025 Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja Stadium in Sevilla on Saturday, April 26. 

The Blaugrana secured a thrilling 5-4 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid to book their place in the finals. Interestingly, Los Blancos also won 5-4 on aggregate against semi-final opponents Real Sociedad, but they needed extra time to qualify for the main event.

Ahead of Saturday’s mouth-watering El Clasico in the Spanish Cup final, SportsCasting takes a look back at the most successful teams in Copa del Rey history. Join us as we explore the 10 most dominant teams of Spain’s oldest knockout competition.

Most Successful Teams in Copa del Rey History

#10 Real Union: 3 Titles

Kicking off the list are Real Union, who won the Spanish Cup three times throughout the years. Union qualified for four finals, winning thrice and losing just once.

Union’s first Copa final appearance came in 1918. They produced a stellar performance against Real Madrid (then Madrid FC) and came away with a 2-0 win. Their last Copa del Rey triumph, meanwhile, came in 1927. They beat Arenas 1-0 after extra time.

#9 Real Betis: 3 Titles

Real Betis are the ninth-most successful team in Copa del Rey history. They took part in five Copa finals over the years, winning three and losing two times.

Betis’ first Copa del Rey appearance came in 1931, but they lost the trophy to a formidable Athletic Bilbao. Betis returned to the Copa final in 1977, once again locking horns with Athletic. The scoreline read 2-2 at the end of extra time, with Betis ultimately snatching the win in the shootout.

Betis’ most recent Copa success came in the 2021-22 season. After playing out a 1-1 draw, Betis beat Valencia 5-4 on penalties.

#8 Espanyol: 4 Titles

The second Catalan club on our list, Espanyol, have won the Copa del Rey four times over the years. They have qualified for nine finals, finishing runners-up on five occasions.

Espanyol qualified for their first Copa final as early as 1911, but lost out to Athletic Bilbao. After another unsuccessful attempt in 1915, Espanyol lost their pedigree and could not qualify for the final for over a decade. They returned to the showpiece event in 1929 and finally had the last laugh, beating the mighty Real Madrid 2-1 in the cup decider.

Espanyol’s last Copa del Rey success came in the 2005-06 season. They bagged a mega 4-1 win over Real Zaragoza to claim their fourth Spanish Cup.

#7 Sevilla: 5 Titles

Sevilla have had their fair share of success in the Copa del Rey, winning the competition five times over the years. In the last 122 years, Sevilla have reached the final nine times, losing four of them.

The Andalusian club reached their first Copa final in 1935. They simply blew the competition away, bagging an emphatic 3-0 win over Sabadell. They won the next two finals as well, the first one in 1939 and the second in 1948.

Sevilla’s final Copa del Rey success came in the 2009-10 season. They clinched a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid to win the oldest cup competition in Spain.

#6 Real Zaragoza: 6 Titles

Real Zaragoza are the sixth-most successful team in Copa del Rey history, with six cups to their name. They have competed in 11 Copa finals over the years, losing five.

Real Zaragoza, who are now toiling in 18th place in the Segunda Division, qualified for their first Copa del Rey final in the 1962-63 season. Zaragoza could not convert in their first go, losing 3-1 to heavyweights Barcelona. They, however, did not have to wait long for their first Spanish Cup. They reached the final once more in the 1963-64 season and snatched the trophy, beating Atletico Madrid 2-1.

Zaragoza’s last Copa triumph came in the 2003-04 season. They beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time.

#5 Valencia: 8 Titles

With eight Copa del Rey trophies in their cabinet, Valencia are one of the most frequent winners in Copa del Rey history. Los Che have played in 18 Copa finals, ending up on the losing side on 10 occasions.

Valencia qualified for their first Copa final in 1934. Real Madrid, however, spoiled their party, sealing a 2-1 win in the decider. They took seven years to reach their next final, but the wait was worth it. They beat Catalan side Espanyol 3-1 to claim their first Copa.

Valencia’s most recent Copa del Rey success came in 2019. They beat Barcelona 2-1 to win their eighth Copa del Rey.

#4 Atletico Madrid: 10 Titles

Narrowly edging out Valencia, Atletico Madrid have claimed the fourth spot, winning the coveted Spanish Cup 10 times. Los Rojiblancos, who crashed out in the semi-finals this season, played 19 finals, losing 9.

Atletico Madrid reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time in the 1920-21 season, but had to settle for the runners-up medal. Their drought finally ended in 1959-60, as they claimed a famous 3-1 victory over their sought-after neighbours Real Madrid.

Los Colchoneros last succeeded in the Copa del Rey long back in 2013. They bagged a 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to claim their 10th Spanish Cup.

#3 Real Madrid: 20 Titles

Record 15-time European champions Real Madrid have been surprisingly poor in the Copa del Rey. Having qualified for 41 finals (including this year), Los Blancos took the trophy home on just 20 occasions. It will be interesting to see if they can improve upon their record with a win over Barcelona this Saturday.

Real Madrid were in the final of the inaugural edition of the Copa del Rey. However, they fell short at the end, losing 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao. Los Merengues finally succeeded in 1905, beating Athletic in the final. They then went on to defend their crown for the following three seasons.

Real Madrid’s last Copa triumph came in the 2022-23 season, as they beat Osasuna 2-1 in the final.

#2 Athletic Bilbao: 24 Titles

In second place, we have Basque outfit, Athletic Bilbao, who have stood on the top step 24 times in the last 122 years. Bilbao have played 40 finals, losing 16 of them.

Athletic Bilbao won the inaugural edition in 1903 and successfully defended their crown in 1904. They reached the final in 1905 and 1906 as well, but lost to Real Madrid. Bilbao’s last Copa del Rey triumph came in the 2023-24 season. They drew 1-1 with Mallorca before beating them 4-2 in the penalty shootout.

#1 Barcelona: 31 Titles

Barcelona are the most dominant team in the history of the Copa del Rey, having conquered the competition a whopping 31 times since its inception in 1903. They have reached the final 43 times (including 2025), settling for the runners-up medal on only 11 occasions.

Barca won the Spanish Cup for the first time in the 1909-10 season, beating Real Sociedad (Vasconia SC) 2-1. Their last success, meanwhile, came in the 2020-21 season. They claimed an emphatic 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao to lift the trophy in 2021.

Copa del Rey Winners in the Last Decade

Since 2015, the most successful team in Copa del Rey history, Barcelona, have claimed the trophy five times. Valencia, Real Sociedad, Real Betis, Real Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao have won it one time each.

Here are the last 10 Copa del Rey winners: