The 2026/27 Copa del Rey first-round draw will take place on Monday, bringing 56 clubs into the competition as Spain’s domestic cup begins to take shape. Sixteen La Liga sides are included at this stage, while the teams due to contest the Spanish Super Cup in Istanbul in February will enter later.
What the night decided
There is no tie to settle yet, but the draw will set the first European-style test of the Spanish season’s knockout calendar: smaller clubs will be paired with opponents from higher divisions whenever the format allows.
Geography will also be central to the draw. The 56 participating sides have been divided into four pots according to regional proximity, designed to keep first-round journeys manageable while preserving the possibility of lower-league clubs receiving major opponents.
The 16 clubs from Spain’s top flight join the opening round, but the Super Cup participants are excluded for now because of their February commitments in Istanbul.
The next round
Monday’s draw will determine the first-round match-ups, with the competition structure prioritising home-country proximity and division-based pairings wherever possible.
