The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has officially selected Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea to serve as the head referee for the much-anticipated Copa del Rey final, which will see football giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid face off. This highly awaited match is scheduled to take place on April 26, 2025, at La Cartuja Stadium, located in the city of Seville.
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, affiliated with the Basque Committee, has been officiating matches in Spain’s top football division, La Liga, since 2015. In 2018, he was also included on FIFA’s prestigious list of international referees, allowing him to officiate matches on the global stage. His resume includes three previous high-profile Clásico encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid — among them, the first leg of the 2017 Supercopa de España and two additional Clásico matches in 2023. Despite this extensive experience, this upcoming match will mark his debut appearance as the referee in a Copa del Rey final, making it a significant milestone in his career.
Handling the duties of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be Pablo González Fuertes. He has been officiating at the top level of Spanish football since 2017 and has presided over more than 150 matches during that time. Nevertheless, his appointment to the VAR role for such a major event has sparked some debate. Critics, including former referee Eduardo Iturralde González, have voiced concerns about González Fuertes’s limited experience specifically with VAR technology. Some have questioned the wisdom of assigning such a critical position to someone approaching retirement, arguing that it could undermine the level of responsibility if a controversial or game-changing decision is made during the final.
As excitement builds among fans and players alike, attention will not only be directed at the athletes on the field but also at the performance and decisions of the officiating team. Their ability to manage the intensity of this fierce rivalry, uphold fairness, and make accurate calls under pressure will play a crucial role in the overall integrity and outcome of this high-stakes encounter.
