The draw for the round of 16 of the Spanish King's Cup for the 2025-2026 season, which was held recently, resulted in different paths for the major clubs, as luck smiled on the two giants of Spanish football, Barcelona and Real Madrid, placing them in matches that seem theoretically manageable, while other clubs await difficult challenges in the quest for the prestigious domestic title.
Easy matches for the big boys and avoiding surprises
The draw pitted Barcelona, the reigning champions and record holders for the most titles, against Racing Santander, while arch-rivals Real Madrid will face Albacete Balompié. Both Racing and Albacete play in the Spanish second division, giving the two giants a strong chance of progressing to the quarterfinals, provided they avoid the usual cup upsets that have so often knocked out the big clubs in the early stages.
Full Round of 16 fixtures
The draw results revealed the following matches, which promise great excitement across various Spanish stadiums:
- Deportivo La Coruña vs Atlético Madrid
- Racing Santander vs Barcelona
- Cultural Leonesa vs Athletic Bilbao
- Albacete Balompié vs Real Madrid
- Burgos vs. Valencia
- Real Betis vs Elche
- Real Sociedad vs Osasuna
- Deportivo Alavés vs Rayo Vallecano
A long history and a struggle for leadership
The Copa del Rey holds special significance as the oldest football competition in Spain, and it has always been a fiercely contested arena for rivalry between clubs. FC Barcelona reigns supreme as the "King of Cups," topping the list of most successful clubs with 32 titles – a record that reflects the Catalan club's historical dominance of the competition.
In contrast, Athletic Bilbao comes in second place with 24 titles, and is the team that considers the cup its favorite tournament historically, while Real Madrid comes in third place with 20 titles, and the Royal Club seeks to reduce the gap with its eternal rival and increase its tally of domestic titles.
Encounters with a touch of nostalgia
One of the most notable outcomes of the draw is the clash between Atlético Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña. This match evokes memories of La Liga's golden era, when Deportivo was one of Spain's giants at the turn of the millennium. Despite the contrasting fortunes of the two teams today, playing at the Riaz stadium always presents a formidable challenge for visiting teams, making this one of the most anticipated matches of this round.
The draw also features a strong match between Real Sociedad and Osasuna, a meeting between two teams from the first division (La Liga), which guarantees high competitiveness and fierce competition until the last minutes, as each side seeks to take advantage of this opportunity to go far in the tournament, which grants the winner a ticket to European competitions.
