2025-26 Copa Del Rey round of 16 fixture: Here are Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s opponents in the pre-quarters
Barcelona will face a challenging away match against Racing Santander, while Madrid are set to meet struggling Albacete in the Copa Del Rey 2025-26 round of 16.
Last Updated: 07.27 PM, Jan 07, 2026
The path to Spanish cup glory has been cleared for the nation’s elite, as the Round of 16 draw for the 2025–26 Copa del Rey was finalized on Wednesday. In a stroke of luck for the organizers and fans of a potential "Clásico" finale, La Liga’s heavyweights, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, have been kept on opposite sides of the bracket, successfully sidestepping each other at this crucial stage. The draw has instead paired the two giants with opponents from the Segunda División, though their challenges look vastly different on paper.
Racing at the top, Albacete at the bottom
Defending champions FC Barcelona have been handed a tricky away trip to Racing Santander. Racing is currently enjoying a fairy-tale season, sitting at the summit of the second tier and looking like a virtual certainty for promotion back to the top flight.
In contrast, Real Madrid will travel to face Albacete, a team currently mired in a desperate battle against relegation. Despite the vast difference in league standings, both lower-tier clubs will benefit from the competition's "giant-killing" format, which grants the lower-seeded team the luxury of hosting the single-leg tie.
Remembering the "farce" of 2025
The draw inevitably brings back memories of the explosive 2024–25 Copa del Rey final. In one of the most heated matches in recent history, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona secured the trophy in a match that eventually descended into chaos.
After Pedri gave the Catalans an early lead, Real Madrid’s French duo of Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni appeared to have turned the tide.
However, an 84th-minute equalizer from Ferran Torres forced the game into extra time, where Jules Koundé struck a dramatic winner just four minutes before a penalty shootout.
The match is perhaps best remembered for the "furious farce" at the final whistle. Antonio Rüdiger, incensed by the officiating, famously led a protest by hurling his ice pack onto the pitch, a moment that sparked a wave of disciplinary action and red cards for Lucas Vázquez and Jude Bellingham.
The full road to the quarter-finals
While the eyes of the world remain on the big two, other Super Cup contenders have also learned their fate. Atlético de Madrid will travel to the historic Riazor to face Deportivo La Coruña, while Athletic Club is set to meet Cultural Leonesa.
Schedule and kick-off
Fans won’t have to wait long for the action to resume. The Round of 16 fixtures are scheduled to take place next week, between Tuesday, Jan. 13, and Thursday, Jan. 15.
However, both Barcelona and Real Madrid have a more immediate hurdle to clear. Both clubs are currently in Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup, with semi-finals against Athletic Club and Atlético Madrid looming. Depending on those results, they could face each other in a Super Cup final this Sunday before immediately shifting their focus back to the domestic cup grind.