Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 12:19
The round of 16 of the Copa del Rey will experience authentic classic duels of Spanish football. Racing de Santander-Barcelona and Deportivo de La Coruña-Atlético de Madrid will be the two great games in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey after the draw held this Wednesday at the Las Rozas Football City. Real Madrid, for its part, will visit Carlos Belmonte in Albacete to face the team of its former Jesús Vallejo, and Athletic will play in León against Cultural.
The star pairing will be the one between Racing de Santander and Barcelona in El Sardinero. The two leaders of First and Second faced each other in a match with an old flavor, but which has only been played once in the Copa del Rey. It was in February 1989 when both teams met, also in the round of 16, and the Barça team made it to the quarterfinals after winning the first leg (0-1) and the second leg (3-2).
The last time these teams met was in the League, in the 2011-12 season, also in Santander. Then, the match ended with a Barça victory thanks to two goals from Messi after assists from Cesc Fábregas (0-2). Racing already eliminated a Champions club like Villarreal in the round of 32.
Riazor and Carlos Belmonte
Atlético will play against Deportivo again in the Copa del Rey more than 20 years later to visit Antonio Hidalgo’s team in Riazor. Semifinalists in the last two editions, the colchoneros want to once again lift a trophy that they have not won since 2013. Deportivo, who are champions of the competition on two occasions, have already eliminated a First Division team like Mallorca this year.
The duel between Deportivistas and Atlético will be a match with a Primera flavor and that in the KO tournament has been played six times. Four draws and two red-and-white victories that always qualified the Madrid team.
For its part, Real Madrid will play at the Carlos Belmonte in Albacete a match that has never occurred in the Copa del Rey. Xabi Alonso’s team beat Talavera in the round of 32 by winning at El Prado and will now have another clash against a team from the same Community, which was already Celta’s executioner in the round of 32. The team from La Mancha will play in the round of 16 for the fifth time. The last time he played in this tie was in 2011-12, when Athletic eliminated him.
No defined dates
The four teams that are in Saudi Arabia to compete in the Super Cup were in a single pot to be lucky enough to be one of the five teams remaining in the Second Division in the competition. Once the rival is known, the four teams will have to wait for their participation in Jeddah to be resolved to find out when they will have to face their rivals.
The matches corresponding to the round of 16 tie of the Copa del Rey will be played next week, specifically on January 13, 14 and 15 in a single match, a format that will be maintained in the quarterfinals. The novelty of this new round is the incorporation of the VAR.
This is how the round of 16 of the Cup remains
Deportivo de la Coruña – Atlético de Madrid
Racing of Santander – Barcelona
Cultural Leonesa – Athletic
Albacete – Real Madrid
Burgos – Valencia
Betis – Elche
Real Sociedad – Osasuna
Alavés – Rayo Vallecano
Worth a look
