Barcelona secured a thrilling 3–2 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah on Sunday, lifting the trophy for a record 16th time. The win saw Barcelona become the first league champion in eight seasons to claim the Super Cup and the first team to retain it since Pep Guardiola’s era.

Raphinha emerged as the hero for Barcelona, scoring twice, including a late 73rd-minute winner. His shot deflected off Madrid defender Raúl Asencio, wrong-footing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and sealing the title for the Catalans. Raphinha had also scored twice in last year’s Super Cup final against Madrid.

The match was a frenetic affair, with three goals coming in first-half stoppage time. Real Madrid took the lead twice through Vinícius Júnior, ending his 16-match goal drought, and Gonzalo García, while Robert Lewandowski kept Barcelona in the game with a goal between Madrid’s strikes.

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Barcelona opened the scoring in the 36th minute when Raphinha finished a quick counter-attack. Despite Madrid introducing Kylian Mbappé in the 76th minute, the French forward could not change the outcome, as Barcelona held firm even after Frenkie de Jong was sent off late in the match.

The trophy was lifted by defender Ronald Araujo, returning after a mental health break since November. Barcelona had reached the final with a dominant 5–0 win over Athletic Bilbao, while Madrid edged past Atletico Madrid 2–1 in the semifinals.

Reflecting on the loss, Madrid coach Xabi Alonso emphasized the need to move forward, calling the Super Cup “the least important” competition and urging his team to recover morale as the season progresses. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s triumph reinforced their dominance in Spanish football and set the tone for a promising campaign.

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