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The Classic played on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the final of the Spanish Super Cup 2026, will remain etched in the fans’ memories as one of the most intense and dramatic in recent years.
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FC Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2, winning its 16th title in this competition – a historical record – and achieving two consecutive championships for the first time in 15 years.
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However, beyond the result and the goals, what really shook the world of football was the post-match statement by Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid coach, who with unusual sincerity praised a culé player in an exceptional way.
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In the press conference after the match, Alonso did not hide his admiration: “We have played against Atlético de Madrid and even against Liverpool, but my team had never faced a player with a ‘magic’ like that of that Barça player.
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He didn’t score any goals, but it was the only one that really surprised me in yesterday’s game.” Although the coach did not say the name explicitly in all the reports, the consensus among analysts, teammates and the media clearly points to Pedri González.
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The young Canarian midfielder, with his vision of the game, control of tempo and ability to dismantle pressure without needing to score a goal, was the true conductor of the Blaugrana triumph.
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The match began with Barcelona dominating in possession, but with Real Madrid well planted in a low block, betting on quick transitions led by Vinícius Júnior and the young Gonzalo García. In the first minutes, the match was tactical and had few clear chances.
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However, in the 31st minute, after a great combination between Lamine Yamal and Pedri, Raphinha opened the scoring with a cross shot from the angle after receiving a millimeter pass from the Canary Islands. It was the first warning of what was to come.
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The end of the first half was pure vertigo. In stoppage time, Vinícius Júnior equalized with a great individual goal after dribbling past two defenders (1-1). Just two minutes later, Robert Lewandowski restored Barça’s lead with a header from Pedri’s center (2-1).
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The break came with the Blaugranas ahead, but Madrid had shown teeth.
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In the second half, Real Madrid came out with more intensity. In the 55th minute, Gonzalo García – the young youth player who made his debut as a starter in a Clásico – tied again (2-2) after a great team play.
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It seemed that the game was heading towards extra time or penalties, but then came the decisive moment. In the 68th minute, Raphinha, when he slipped on the shot, saw his shot bounce off Raúl Asencio and enter Thibaut Courtois’ goal (3-2).
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A fortunate goal, but one that reflected the culé’s persistence.
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The last minutes were heart-stopping. Kylian Mbappé came on in the 76th minute after recovering from a knee injury, but could not change the course. Frenkie de Jong saw a direct red card in stoppage time for a professional foul on Mbappé, leaving Barça with ten.
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Joan García made a heroic double save in added time, and Barcelona resisted the Madrid siege to lift the trophy.
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Pedri was the great invisible architect. He completed more than 90% of passes, recovered key balls in the creation zone, generated constant numerical superiority and assisted on the second goal.
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His “magic” lay in reading the game, in deciding the pace without fanfare, in making the team play more comfortable even under pressure.
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Xabi Alonso, who has led Madrid with a firm hand since his arrival, recognized that no other rival—neither Atlético in intense derbies nor Liverpool in European duels—had generated as much difficulty in decision-making as Pedri in this match.
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The white coach, despite the defeat, highlighted the competitiveness of his team: “We were a lively team, we fought until the end, we created danger… but today a player disarmed us with his intelligence and quality without needing to score.”
Alonso also praised Vinícius, author of a great goal and the most unbalanced of his, and Gonzalo García, who at 21 years and 293 days became the youngest Spaniard to score as a starter in a Clásico since Marco Asensio in 2017.
For Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, this title represents a brutal boost in a season where they lead LaLiga with four points ahead of Madrid. Raphinha, with a double, was the scoring hero, but Pedri received the praise of the entire locker room.
Lewandowski contributed a goal and presence, Lamine Yamal overflowed on the right and the defense, despite the goal against and the expulsion, held on in order.
The 2026 Jeddah Classic will be remembered for many things: the drama of the goals in first-half stoppage time, Madrid’s partial comeback, the lucky goal that decided it, the red card for De Jong and the late entry of Mbappé.
But above all, because of the words of Xabi Alonso, which elevated Pedri to the category of undisputed “magician.” In an increasingly physical and vertical football, subtlety, pause and vision continue to be lethal weapons. And Pedri has them all.
Barcelona starts 2026 with a trophy in the showcase and morale through the roof. Real Madrid, for its part, must lick its wounds and prepare for revenge in LaLiga and in possible future matches.
Because if this El Clásico shows anything, it is that the rivalry is still more alive than ever, and that a single player can tip the balance with pure magic.
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