- January 11, 2026
- 11:34 pm
- World News
Spain / Saudi Arabia, January 11, 2026
The final of the Spanish Super Cup 2026 turned out exactly as it is usually expected in any country where football is more than just a sport. “Barcelona” defeated Madrid “Real” 3:2 at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Saudi Jeddah and took the trophy again after another tense, noisy El Clasico.
The match looked like a story of two different halves.
The first was a pure “shootout” with goals in added time, as if the teams decided not to postpone the drama. The second was a battle for inches, for pace, for air, where one episode turns decisive.
How the match developed: five goals and one half that “doesn’t let go”
“Barcelona” opened the score in the 36th minute. Raphinha scored and gave the Catalans what they usually seek in big matches: early control of emotions, the feeling of “we’re in the game.” However, the goal didn’t “close” the match — it heated it up.
Then everything rolled into a final series mode.
In the 45+2nd “Real” equalized thanks to a precise shot by Vinicius Junior. It seemed that the break was near, one could exhale — but the teams arranged another short war right in added time.
In the 45+4th “Barcelona” took the lead again: Robert Lewandowski scored.
And yet they went to the break with an equal score because in the 45+6th “Real” responded with a goal by Gonzalo Garcia. 2:2 — and this is one of those cases where the numbers look too “calm” for what was happening on the field.
Second half: less chaos, more pressure
After the break, the match became tighter. Fewer “clean” runs, more struggle, more positional skirmishes. Such El Clasico has its own logic: first, the teams spend emotions, then character and work in details remain.
The decisive blow was again delivered by Raphinha — in the 73rd minute he scored a double and made it 3:2. This goal became the one that is later called “championship”: not the most beautiful by legend, but the most valuable by price.
Red card and a nervous ending
The final could not end peacefully.
In the 90+1st minute “Barcelona” was left with ten men: Frenkie de Jong received a straight red card for a rough foul. In such endings, “Real” is always dangerous by default — even when the game doesn’t go well, even when things don’t stick. But “Barcelona” held the result and brought the match to the trophy.
Who was in goal, and where was Lunin
Ukrainian goalkeeper of “Real” Andriy Lunin spent El Clasico on the bench.
The Madrid goal was guarded by Belgian Thibaut Courtois.
For Lunin, this season, judging by the available match statistics, unfolds episodically: he rarely appears in the starting lineup, and in big finals, the bet is again placed on the first number.
What this victory means for “Barcelona”
Firstly, “Barcelona” defended the title of the current Super Cup winner. A year ago, the Catalans also took the trophy, and also in the final against “Real” — and then everything was even more productive (5:2).
Secondly, this is the 16th Spanish Super Cup in the club’s history — a tournament record. “Real” has 13 such trophies, and this chase for historical numbers separately heats up each El Clasico: even when it’s “just” one match, it’s always about “who’s higher” in the long timeline.
Thirdly, winning such a match is always about psychology. Finals do not give three points in the La Liga table, but they give the feeling that the team knows how to win “in the moment,” when nerves, cards, added time, and everything falls on the head at once.
Why the final in Jeddah is discussed even in Israel
The Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia has long become a separate media product: prime time, huge broadcast, loud poster. In Israel, such matches are traditionally watched en masse — both in Russian and Hebrew: it’s that rare evening when people far from the daily football schedule still know the score.
That’s why such finals end up in the general news feed, not just in sports.
Football here works as a common language: some argue about Raphinha and Lewandowski, some about de Jong’s red card, some just note the result because “Barca — Real” always sounds like an event.
And yes — it is with this meaning that this topic appears with us at the end of the day: NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency writes about the Spanish Super Cup not for the sake of the “dry score,” but because El Clasico in such a format becomes part of the general agenda, which is discussed in Israel on par with other news.
