How many times have Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey?

As one of the biggest clubs in Spain, Real Madrid have enjoyed La Liga and Champions League success with regularity over the years.

Stars from around the world have landed at the Bernabeu and picked up trophies galore, be that on the domestic, European or international circuit.

They are also major players in the Copa del Rey, Spain’s cup competition, and have lifted the trophy on a number of occasions in the club’s history.

Here is a breakdown of Real Madrid’s record in the Copa del Rey as they get ready to try to win the 2023/24 edition.

Real Madrid are actually only the third most successful side in the history of the Copa del Rey, behind Barcelona and Athletic Club. They have won the trophy an incredible 19 times, although that pales compared to Barcelona’s 31 victories.

While 19 is a lot of times to win a trophy, Los Blancos have only won it twice in the last 30 years, which is remarkable considering their regular success in La Liga and the Champions League.

A Real Madrid director recently spoke to The Athletic anonymously and suggested it is a matter of prioritising other competitions.

They said: “In this club, the Copa del Rey has never been thrown away, but if Madrid is the one with the most La Liga and Champions League titles, it’s because of the right order of priorities.”

Each season Real Madrid has won the Copa del Rey

If Real do prioritise other competitions over the Copa del Rey, it makes sense that this is a goalscoring chart club legend Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t lead.

Instead, it’s his fellow Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema who has struck the most for Real in the Copa del Rey. The former France international was part of the last two Real sides to win the competition in 2010/11 and 2013/14.

While priorities can be a reason for Real Madrid’s lack of Copa del Rey success in comparison to other tournaments, that does not explain why they have lost more finals than they have won. They have clearly tried had enough to reach the final so many times.

Los Blancos have lost 20 Copa finals in their time, three coming since 2000. It is not a particularly happy hunting ground but they should be able to change that in the 2023/24 final.

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Many fans around the world are very familiar with the action when Real Madrid last won this competition. It will probably always be remembered as Gareth Bale’s second-best moment for the club, behind the Champions League final overhead kick against Liverpool in Kyiv.

Real had taken the lead early on through Angel Di Maria but Marc Bartra equalised for Barcelona with just over 20 minutes left to play. In the 85th minute, having started the final, Bale received a pass on the halfway line and knocked it beyond Barta into space. He then put the afterburners on and surged past the defender from incredibly far behind, keeping control of the ball and poking it beneath Jose Pinto.

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said after the game it was “difficult to see a player sprint like that at that stage of the game.”