Barcelona and Real Madrid Discover Their Copa del Rey Round of 16 Rivals

Barcelona and Real Madrid have been matched against Racing Santander and Albacete respectively, two clubs positioned at contrasting ends of Spain's second division.

Racing currently sits atop the Segunda División with genuine prospects of earning promotion to La Liga, while Albacete struggles near the relegation zone. Despite their different league positions, both lower-division sides will enjoy home advantage in these cup fixtures due to their status below their opponents in the football hierarchy.

Real Madrid and Barcelona clashed in the previous Copa del Rey final. This thrilling encounter from the 2024–25 season ultimately went to Hansi Flick's title-winning side. Pedri opened the scoring for the Catalans in the first half before strikes from Madrid's French duo Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni turned the match around for the capital side.

Ferran Torres leveled the score with an 84th-minute strike to send the game into extra time, before Jules Koundé secured victory just four minutes shy of a potential penalty shootout. The match concluded in chaotic scenes with Antonio Rüdiger spearheading complaints against the official by hurling his ice pack onto the field.

Atlético Madrid showed no displeasure this week following their draw against second-division Deportivo La Coruña, while fellow Spanish Super Cup participants Athletic Club were matched with Cultural Leonesa.

When Is the Copa del Rey Round of 16?

The Copa del Rey draw doesn't require much waiting time. Supporters only need to wait until the following week for the round of 16 matches to commence. Specific dates and kickoff schedules for the fixtures haven't been confirmed yet, but they're scheduled between Tuesday, Jan. 13—Thursday, Jan. 15.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will both see cup action the preceding week. The duo must first handle their Spanish Super Cup semifinal matches against Athletic Club and Atlético Madrid before a possible championship meeting this weekend.

Copa del Rey Round of 16 Draw in Full