Copa del Rey 2026-2027 draw today: time, teams and first-round format

The 2026-2027 Copa del Rey gets underway on Monday, October 5 with the draw for the first round, scheduled for 1:00 PM. That draw pairs 112 of the 116 clubs taking part in the competition, whose opening 56 matches will be played on October 28. The road to the trophy ends on April 24, 2027 at La Cartuja stadium in Seville.

The four teams missing from this first stage are the ones set to play the Spanish Super Cup in February: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad. They will enter the competition directly in the round of 32, once the tournament is already well underway.

• The first-round draw takes place today at 1:00 PM, with 56 matches scheduled for October 28.
• 112 teams are involved, while Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético and Real Sociedad join in the round of 32 due to the Spanish Super Cup.
• The final will be played on April 24, 2027 at La Cartuja stadium in Seville.
• The RFEF groups clubs by geographic proximity and, whenever possible, pairs lower-division teams against higher-division opponents.
• Matches are played at the lower-tier side's ground; if both teams are in the same tier, the first ball drawn decides the venue.

Which teams enter the Copa del Rey first round

The first pot features 16 La Liga teams, 21 from the Segunda División, 11 from Primera Federación and a large group of lower-tier clubs. In total there are 25 representatives from Segunda Federación and 13 from Tercera Federación, joined by the sides that advanced from the preliminary round of the competition. Two of those preliminary spots are still unresolved, with the ties between Atlético Unión Güímar and Sporting de Hortaleza, as well as AE Prat against San Rafael, postponed due to the away team's travel issues.

Among the top-flight clubs already preparing for their opening match are Villarreal, Betis, Celta de Vigo, Getafe, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Espanyol, Athletic Club, Sevilla, Alavés, Elche, Levante, Osasuna, Mallorca, Girona and Oviedo. The Segunda División list includes Racing de Santander, Deportivo de La Coruña, Almería, Málaga, Las Palmas, Castellón, Burgos, Eibar, Córdoba, Sporting de Gijón, Ceuta, Albacete, Andorra, Granada, Leganés, Valladolid, Cádiz, Mirandés, Huesca, Cultural Leonesa and Zaragoza.

How the geographic draw works: four zones for 56 matches

The Federation organises the draw into four geographic proximity groups, which reduces travel distances in a round that often sets the tone for the tournament. This structure makes regional pairings more coherent and ensures that the home-field advantage goes, in most cases, to the more modest side.

Group 1: Castilla y León and Asturias

The first block includes Celta de Vigo, Racing de Santander, Deportivo de La Coruña, Oviedo, Burgos, Sporting de Gijón and Valladolid from the top two tiers. Primera Federación is represented by Mirandés, Cultural Leonesa, Zamora, Ponferradina, Pontevedra and Unionistas de Salamanca, alongside Ourense. The group is completed by Numancia, Coruxo, Gimnástica Segoviana, Real Ávila, Arosa, Llanera, Gimnástica de Torrelavega, Atlético Tordesillas, Covadonga, Laredo and Guijuelo.

Group 2: Catalonia and the Basque Country

The second block brings together clubs from the northeast. Espanyol, Athletic Club, Alavés and Osasuna headline the top-division presence, with Girona, Eibar, Andorra and Sabadell in lower tiers. Primera Federación clubs include Huesca, Zaragoza, Europa, Barakaldo, Real Unión, Logroñés and Sant Andreu, while Utebo, Tudelano, Amorebieta, Reus, Portugalete, Manresa, Peña Sport, Calamocha, Varea, Pamplona and Cuarte complete the list.

Group 3: Valencian Community, Balearic Islands and part of Andalusia

The third group focuses on clubs from the Mediterranean coast and southern Spain. Villarreal, Valencia, Elche, Levante and Málaga are the highest-level teams, joined by Mallorca, Almería, Castellón, Ceuta, Albacete, Granada and Eldense. The territorial lineup is completed by Cartagena, Antequera, Águilas, Jaén, Atlético Baleares, Poblense, Alcoyano, Minera, Conquense, Castellonense, Mijas-Laguna, Cieza, Puertollano, Manacor and Tarancón.

Group 4: Community of Madrid, western Andalusia, Extremadura and Canary Islands

The fourth regional block features Betis, Getafe, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla from La Liga. Las Palmas, Córdoba, Leganés, Cádiz and Tenerife represent the Segunda División. Primera Federación clubs include Extremadura, Rayo Majadahonda and Coria, while Xerez, SS de los Reyes, Alcalá, Ciudad de Lucena, Atlético Paso, Don Benito, Badajoz and Trival Valderas de Alcorcón close out this zone.

Full Copa del Rey calendar: from the first round to the La Cartuja final

The first round will be played on October 28, with the 56 winners advancing to the second round. Two more matchdays are scheduled for December, including the round of 32, where the four clubs involved in the Spanish Super Cup will enter. The round of 16 and quarter-finals will be played in January, while the semi-finals will be played over two legs: the first in February and the return in March. The grand final is set for April 24 at La Cartuja stadium in Seville.

The 2026-2027 Copa del Rey champion will be crowned on April 24 at La Cartuja stadium, the usual venue for the tournament's recent finals.

Frequently asked questions about the Copa del Rey 2026-2027 draw