FC Barcelona closed the first title of the 2025/26 season with a flourish by winning the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), where it defeated eternal rival Real Madrid 3-2 in a vibrant final played on January 11, 2026. Raphinha’s double and Robert Lewandowski’s decisive goal sealed a victory that not only extended the culé’s dominance in the recent Clásicos, but also returned the hope to a fans who already dream of repeating the Spanish treble of the previous campaign.

But beyond the trophy lifted by Hansi Flick and his captains at the King Abdullah Sports City, the real protagonist in the following hours was Joan Laporta. The Blaugrana president, faithful to his direct and close style with the squad, fulfilled a promise made in the middle of the flight back to Barcelona after the final.

During the celebration on the plane, surrounded by players, staff and managers, Laporta announced an extraordinary bonus for winning the title, a bonus that was not stipulated in the contracts – unlike LaLiga, Copa del Rey or Champions League – and which became the highest in the club’s history for a Super Cup.

According to internal sources at the club and confirmations from close media outlets such as Mundo Deportivo and SPORT, the individual bonus for each first team player is around 150,000 euros gross, a figure that far exceeds those delivered in previous editions and leaves even the big European clubs speechless.

To contextualize: in the Super Cup won in 2025 under Xavi Hernández (5-2 victory against Madrid), the premium was significantly lower; Now, with the economic impact of the title, the euphoria over Flick’s project and the need to keep motivation high in an ambitious season, Laporta decided to go big.

The total amount distributed among the main squad, coaching staff and staff close to the first team far exceeds one million euros, although the bulk falls on the footballers. Key players such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fermín López or the recently incorporated Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji will receive this financial injection which, added to the incentives for individual and collective objectives already agreed upon, represents a brutal stimulus to continue competing at the highest level.

Laporta justified the decision in several subsequent interviews. In RAC1 and El Món, the president highlighted that “we are a big family” and that gestures like this strengthen the union of the locker room. «The players deserve it. They have played with hunger, with identity and they have beaten a Madrid that never gives up. This award is a recognition of the effort and mentality that Hansi has implemented,” he stated.

Club sources explain that the promise was sealed on the plane, where the captains – led by Lewandowski and Ter Stegen – asked to formalize the “plane bonus”, a culé tradition in unexpected titles or titles with high emotional impact. Laporta, euphoric after the hug with Flick in the box and the medal presentation, did not hesitate: «Done. “You are going to have it, and the biggest one we have ever given for a Super Cup.”

This economic movement comes at a delicate moment for the Blaugrana finances, still recovering from years of debt and activated levers. However, the club has improved its situation thanks to income from sponsorships, the partially reopened Spotify Camp Nou box office and the distribution of the RFEF Super Cup, which in 2026 distributed a record fund of 21.3 million euros (compared to 19 million in 2025). The champion took an extra 2 million plus the fixed amount for participation, which made it easier to assume this bonus without compromising financial fair play.

The news has generated mixed reactions in Europe. In England, where bonuses for minor titles are more modest, managers of clubs such as Manchester City and Liverpool were surprised by the generosity. In Germany, Flick’s former teammates at Bayern recalled that similar bonuses were given for Bundesligas or Champions Leagues, not for Super Cups. In Spain, Real Madrid—which received nearly 1.5 million for being runners-up—saw how its eternal rival once again marked its territory not only on the pitch, but also in internal management.

For the players, the impact is double: economic and motivational. Raphinha, named MVP of the final and scorer of two key goals, celebrated on social media with a post that included the trophy and a money emoji: “Hard work + family = titles and rewards.” Lamine Yamal, the young phenomenon, will receive his first big bonus as a professional, an incentive to continue growing. Even the youth players who participated in the call – such as Dro Fernández or Tommy Márques – could see a proportional version, reinforcing Laporta’s youth system policy.

Hansi Flick, architect of the success, appreciated the gesture at a press conference: «Joan knows how to motivate. “This unites the group more and helps us look at the Champions League and LaLiga with ambition.” The German coach, who has already won everything with Bayern, understands that at Barça minor titles like the Super Cup serve as a springboard for bigger goals.

Laporta, for his part, sent a clear message to the fans and the competition: Barça not only wants to win, they want to do it with greatness. Fulfilling this promise is not just a payment; It is an investment in loyalty, morale and project. While the players receive the bonus in the next payrolls —predictably in February or March—, the club looks to the future: Champions League round of 16, fight for LaLiga and Copa del Rey. With a motivated squad and a president who keeps his promise, 2026 culé promises to be historic.

The bonus for the 2026 Super Cup is already legendary in the history of FC Barcelona: the largest ever paid for this title, a gesture that shows that, at the Camp Nou, titles are celebrated on the field… and also in the bank account.