The first-round draw for the 2026-27 Copa del Rey will take place on Monday 5 October at 13:00 CEST, with 112 clubs waiting to discover who they will face at the start of the competition.
The draw will be held at the Luis Aragones auditorium at the Ciudad Deportiva de Las Rozas. In Spain, it will be available free of charge through the Spanish Football Federation’s official streaming platforms, while Teledeporte and RTVE Play will also provide open coverage.
SPORT is offering minute-by-minute updates, including the confirmed draw results.
A total of 116 clubs are involved in this season’s Copa del Rey. However, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid and Real Sociedad will not be included in Monday’s draw because their participation in the Spanish Super Cup gives them a place in the round of 32.
The 13:00 start will provide the first significant date in a Spanish football calendar that also features the league campaign and the season’s Clasico fixtures.
How the first-round draw works
The draw includes 16 teams from Primera Division and 22 from Segunda Division, as well as clubs representing lower categories of Spanish football.
It is not an entirely open draw. Lower-division sides are paired with teams from higher levels, while geographical proximity is also considered when the ties are arranged.
That format means the opening round will feature top-flight clubs travelling to face opponents from the lower divisions, with the pairings shaped by both sporting category and location rather than being decided solely by an unrestricted draw.
Real Racing are among the Primera Division clubs involved at this stage. Their inclusion reflects the broad range of divisions represented before the four teams affected by the Spanish Super Cup enter the tournament.
The 112 teams taking part in Monday’s draw therefore represent the competition’s initial field, rather than the complete list of clubs competing in the 2026-27 Copa del Rey.
When will the matches be played?
The first-round ties are scheduled to take place on 27, 28 and 29 October.
Monday’s draw will establish those opening fixtures several weeks before the matches are played. FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid and Real Sociedad will instead begin their Copa del Rey campaigns in the round of 32.
Their delayed entry leaves the first round to the 112 clubs in the draw, while the tournament’s four Spanish Super Cup participants wait to join the competition at the next stage.
