Copa del Rey topic's main category Category:Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanish football, organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
The competition was founded in 1903, thus making it the oldest Spanish football competition played at a national level. It is considered one of the most prestigious national cup trophies in the world. Copa del Rey winners qualify for the following season's UEFA Europa League. If they have already qualified for Europe through their league position, then the Europa League spot is given to the highest-placed team in the league who has not yet qualified (until 2014 this place was awarded to the Copa runners-up, unless they too had already qualified via the league).Barcelona is the most successful club in the competition, having won 31 Spanish Cup titles. Athletic Bilbao has the second-most titles, with 23, while Real Madrid is third, with 20. Real Madrid is also the most recent winner, having defeated Osasuna in the 2023 final held at the Estadio de La Cartuja.