Copa del Rey Final 2025-26

The Copa del Rey is Spain's oldest football competition — a knockout cup tournament that has produced some of the most dramatic moments in the history of Spanish football. Unlike the league, the cup allows smaller clubs to compete against the giants, and the format occasionally produces giant-killings that reverberate across the country.

The final, typically held at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville, is one of the great occasions in European domestic football. The neutral venue allows both sets of supporters to fill the stadium — creating a partisan split unlike most domestic finals where one club's supporters have the advantage. La Cartuja's 70,000 capacity ensures the atmosphere is overwhelming from the first minute.

Real Madrid and Barcelona dominate the all-time Copa del Rey records — Madrid with 20 titles, Barça with 31. But Athletic Club Bilbao — who famously only field players from the Basque Country — have had remarkable cup runs in recent years, including a Copa del Rey win that brought the city of Bilbao to a standstill. Their tradition of overperforming in knockouts makes them perpetually dangerous opponents for the giants.

A Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona is the pinnacle of Spanish football's calendar — a Clasico with a trophy on the line, in a neutral city, with 70,000 fans creating one of the most intense atmospheres in European football. If these two sides meet in the 2026 final, it will be unmissable.