FC Barcelona and Athletic Club face off in the first semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup 2026 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For Hansi Flick and company, this match is the first hurdle in their quest to defend their title and secure their first trophy of the year. Follow our liveblog of Barcelona vs Athletic Club for minute-by-minute updates!
Barcelona enter the tournament as the heavy favorite. Currently sitting at the top of LaLiga with 49 points, the Blaugrana are riding a powerful eight-game winning streak across all competitions. Their momentum is further bolstered by a 2-0 victory over rivals Espanyol in the recent Catalan derby.
In contrast, Athletic Club have struggled for consistency this season. Ernesto Valverde’s men occupy 8th place in the league with 24 points and have faced difficulties finding the back of the net. However, Los Leones have a history of playing the “giant killer” in this competition, and they will look to surprise Barcelona today.
What happens if Barcelona win vs Athletic Club?
If Barcelona manage to defeat Athletic Club, Hansi Flick’s team will secure a ticket to the 2026 Spanish Super Cup final, where they will face on Sunday, January 11, the winner of the match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Therefore, both Barcelona and Athletic Club will field their strongest lineups to try and win this game.
Lamine Yamal of Barcelona. (Getty Images)
What happens if Barcelona and Athletic Club tie?
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The Real Federación Española de Fútbol has decided to keep the rule introduced in the previous edition, which eliminated extra time. This means that a tie in regulation time will send the match directly to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
What happens if Barcelona lose vs Athletic Club?
In the event that Ernesto Valverde’s side manages to pull off an upset and eliminate Barcelona, then Athletic Club will be the ones to advance to the final on Sunday, January 11, where they will face either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid.
