The draw for the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa del Rey took place on Monday evening, resulting in a number of exciting matchups, the most notable of which will be Albacete against Barcelona.
Albacete, playing in the second division, eliminated Real Madrid in the round of 16 in one of the biggest upsets of this year’s competition, defeating them 3-2 in Álvaro Arbeloa’s first match as manager of the Royal Club, replacing the sacked Xabi Alonso.
The draw was not kind to Albacete after their achievement, pitting them against Barcelona, who also struggled in the round of 16 before finally securing a 2-1 victory over Racing. The match will be played at the Carlos Belmont Stadium.
The most anticipated match will be between Atlético Madrid and Real Betis, along with another exciting encounter between Valencia and Athletic Bilbao. The final quarter-final will see Deportivo Alavés take on Real Sociedad.
The quarter-final matches are scheduled to take place between February 3rd and 5th.
Barcelona are the current holders of the Copa del Rey title, having defeated Real Madrid 3-2 in last year’s final. The Catalan club holds the record for most Copa del Rey titles with 32, while Athletic Bilbao is second with 24.
