The 2026–27 Copa del Rey first-round draw takes place on Monday, October 5, at 13:00 peninsular time (12:00 in the Canary Islands) inside the Luis Aragonés auditorium at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, Madrid, as reported by abc.es. A total of 112 teams across seven tiers of Spanish football will learn their opponents for the single-leg ties scheduled for October 27, 28, and 29.
Teams in the Hat and Four Notable Absences
While 116 clubs are registered for this edition of the tournament, 112 enter the fray in this opening round, according to democrat.es. Four clubs are absent from Monday’s ceremony: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, and the defending champions Real Sociedad. As noted by mundodeportivo.com, these four sides are exempt from the opening two rounds because they compete in the Supercopa de España, which has moved to February and will be hosted in Turkey.
The remaining 16 clubs from LaLiga EA Sports join teams from LaLiga Hypermotion, Primera Federación, Segunda Federación, Tercera Federación, four qualifiers from the Copa Federación, and ten regional sides that advanced through preliminary knockout rounds. Regional participants include Salamanca CF UDS, Sestao River, CDA Navalcarnero, and Recreativo, alongside historic lower-tier clubs such as Numancia, Pontevedra, Unionistas, Real Jaén, and Badajoz, per democrat.es reporting.
RFEF divides teams into geographic pots
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has divided the 112 participating teams into four distinct geographic pots to minimize travel burdens and encourage regional matchups, as detailed by abc.es. The format pairs lower-category clubs directly against higher-division opponents in 55 of the 56 ties, ensuring that modest outfits host professional visitors at their home grounds.
Among the Primera División sides, Celta de Vigo, Racing de Santander, and Deportivo de La Coruña land in Group 1; Espanyol, Athletic Club, Deportivo Alavés, and Osasuna feature in Group 2; Villarreal, Valencia, Elche, Levante, and Málaga comprise Group 3; and Real Betis, Getafe, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla head into Group 4, according to democrat.es. The only exception to the lower-versus-higher tier rule occurs within Group 3, where Cartagena, Antequera, Águilas, and Real Jaén could be drawn against one another; in such same-division pairings, the home team is decided strictly by the order in which the balls are drawn.
https://x.com/rfef/status/2105701547971674623
Fans can watch draw ceremony live
The draw ceremony is scheduled to run for at least one hour at the RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas. Football fans wishing to follow the pairings in real time can watch live television coverage on Teledeporte and RTVE Play, with broadcasts beginning ahead of the 13:00 start time, as outlined by democrat.es. Free online streaming is also available via the official RFEF website and the federation’s official YouTube channel, alongside Movistar Plus coverage in Spain.
First round matches take place in October
When and where will the first-round matches be played?
The 56 ties of the opening round are scheduled to take place on October 27, 28, and 29. All matches are single-leg encounters played at the home stadium of the lower-division club, featuring extra time and penalty shootouts if scores remain level.
Which clubs secured their spots via the Copa Federación?
Four teams earned their entry into the tournament through the Copa Federación: Salamanca CF UDS, Sestao River, CDA Navalcarnero, and Recreativo, joining ten regional qualifiers in the opening round.
Worth a look
