BARCELONA VS REAL MADRID: COPA DE REY FINAL, STATS AND KITS
The 2025 Copa del Rey final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, held on April 26 at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, marked the eighth time these archrivals faced off in the tournament's final. Historically, Real Madrid led with four victories to Barcelona's three in previous Copa del Rey finals. However, Barcelona entered this match with momentum, having secured a 4–0 win in La Liga and a 5–2 triumph in the Supercopa against Madrid earlier in the season .
In the first half of the final, Barcelona took a 1–0 lead, thanks to a stunning 28th-minute goal by Pedri. The assist came from Lamine Yamal, whose impressive run and precise pass set up the midfielder for a curling finish past Real Madrid's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. Barcelona dominated much of the play, with Raphinha and Yamal posing consistent threats on the wings. Real Madrid struggled to cope but had moments of promise, notably a disallowed goal by Jude Bellingham for offside and a potential penalty for Vinícius Jr., which was also ruled off due to an offside call. The match was full of intensity and controversy, including a booking for coach Carlo Ancelotti and a yellow card for Tchouaméni for a rough tackle .
The final was not without its share of controversy. Real Madrid generated significant attention by not attending the pre-match press conference, dinner, or training session in Seville, protesting comments made by referees De Burgos Bengoetxea and González Fuertes, who alleged pressure from the club via Real Madrid TV. This move was seen by some as a form of boycott, with former footballer Djibril Cissé criticizing Madrid's actions as a "smokescreen" to preempt a potential heavy defeat .
Regarding team kits, as per the Royal Spanish Football Federation's regulations, the team with greater seniority in the federation is considered the home team in neutral venues. Since FC Barcelona was founded in 1899 and Real Madrid in 1902, Barcelona was deemed the home team and wore their traditional blue and garnet striped kit. Real Madrid, although the away team, was expected to don their iconic white kit unless the referee, Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, deemed it too similar to Barcelona's colors. In such a case, Madrid would have switched to their second kit in orange or a third kit in gray and silver tones .
This final added another chapter to the storied rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Previous finals have seen memorable moments, such as Gareth Bale's remarkable solo goal in 2014 and the debut of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" in 1990. With Barcelona's victory in this match, they not only leveled the number of Copa del Rey final wins against Real Madrid but also continued their dominant form in domestic competitions this season .