{"id":14301,"date":"2025-04-03T05:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T03:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weisetech.dev\/fc-barcelona-noticias\/en\/barca-facing-its-first-major-final-without-lionel-messi-in-the-copa-rey_311928_102\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T06:08:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T04:08:00","slug":"barca-facing-its-first-major-final-without-lionel-messi-in-the-copa-rey_311928_102","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fcbarcelonanoticias.com\/en\/fc-barcelona\/barca-facing-its-first-major-final-without-lionel-messi-in-the-copa-rey_311928_102.html","title":{"rendered":"Bar\u00e7a, facing its first major final without Lionel Messi in the Copa del Rey"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Cl\u00e1sico<\/a> on April 26 between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid<\/a> in the grand final of the Copa del Rey will be historic, not only for being another episode in the most important rivalry in football but also because it marks a milestone for the cul\u00e9s. This final, which will take place in La Cartuja, will be the first in the competition for the azulgrana team without Lionel Messi<\/strong> since his departure in 2021.<\/p> After 17 seasons (2004-2005 to 2020-2021) in which the Argentine star led the team to 31 finals (10 of them in the Cup)<\/strong>, the Catalans face this clash as a turning point in their ‘post-Messi’ era, which so far has seen 4 finals played, all in the Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a.<\/p> With the ’10’ on the field, Bar\u00e7a won 7 cup titles and lost only 3 finals<\/strong>, a 70% success rate that reflects their dominance in the tournament. From their first final in 2009 (4-1 against Athletic Club) to the last in 2021 (4-0 against the same rival), Messi scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists in 810 minutes of play across these 9 matches, being decisive at every step.<\/p> In those 10 finals, Bar\u00e7a scored 27 goals (2.7 per match), with Messi<\/strong> as the core of the teams managed by Pep Guardiola<\/strong>, Luis Enrique<\/strong>, Ernesto Valverde<\/strong>, and Ronald Koeman<\/strong>. Their last Cup, in 2021, was a recital: 4-0 against Athletic Club with a stunning long-range goal and another opportunistic one, bringing an end to a golden era. Since then, the tournament has been elusive for Bar\u00e7a<\/strong>… until now.<\/p> After Messi’s departure, Barcelona has played 3 official finals between 2021 and April 2025, all in the Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a, with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. However, none of these have been in the Copa del Rey or in prestigious competitions like the Champions League, making the final on April 26 a historic moment: the first major ‘post-Messi’ final<\/strong>.<\/p> In 270 minutes of finals (3 matches), Bar\u00e7a has scored 9 goals (3 per match), far from the 2.43 with Messi. The absence of finals in the Copa del Rey or Europe highlights the difficulty of the transition: eliminations in the quarter-finals or semi-finals have been the norm. Until this 2025, when Hansi Flick’s unstoppable machine broke the barrier<\/strong>.<\/p> The last Copa del Rey final that Bar\u00e7a played without Lionel Messi in their ranks took place in the 1997-1998 season<\/strong>. In that match, the cul\u00e9s, led by Louis van Gaal, defeated Mallorca in an intense game. The Bermellones took an early lead with a goal from Stankovi\u0107 in the 6th minute, but Rivaldo equalized in the 20\u2019 with a shot from outside the area.<\/p> After 120 goalless minutes (including extra time), the final was decided in a penalty shootout. Blaugrana goalkeeper Ruud Hesp would prove heroic, saving Eskurza’s last shot, giving Barcelona its 24th Copa del Rey title.<\/p> Now, almost 30 years later, Bar\u00e7a <\/strong>will return to the decisive duel of their favorite competition without the best player to have worn the azulgrana shirt in their team, but with a squad full of young stars, top-tier veterans, and a rising legend like Lamine Yamal<\/strong> aiming to conquer their 32nd Cup title against their eternal rival. The stage is set for a night that promises to be historic.<\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After nearly three decades, Barcelona will once again compete in a Copa del Rey final without Messi in their ranks. With the Argentine, they won 7 cup trophies. The Cl\u00e1sico on April 26 between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in the grand final of the Copa del Rey will be historic, not only for being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":358,"featured_media":14302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_nextfly_llmd_date_locked":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[53,58],"class_list":["post-14301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fc-barcelona","tag-el-clasico","tag-fc-barcelona-vs-atletico-madrid-latest-match-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe cup finals with Messi: an epic review<\/h2>
Without Messi: 3 finals, none in the cup… until 2025<\/h2>
Bar\u00e7a played its last Cup final without Messi almost three decades ago<\/h2>