Real Madrid and Barcelona learn their Copa del Rey last-16 opponents

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Gazeta Esportiva.com

·7 January 2026

Real Madrid and Barcelona learn their Copa del Rey last-16 opponents

A draw held this Wednesday (7th) determined the matchups for the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid and Barcelona will face second division clubs.

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Barcelona

The Catalan team qualified for the Round of 16 after defeating Guadalajara, from the third division, by a score of 2-0. The goals in the match were scored by Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford.

Now, in the Round of 16, Barcelona faces Racing Club de Santander, leaders of the second division, who qualified after surprisingly eliminating Villarreal by a score of 2-1. Both goals for the team were scored by the Spanish striker, Juan Carlos Arana, 25 years old.

The match is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th, at the El Sardinero stadium, in Santander (Spain).

Real Madrid

The Merengue club reached this stage of the competition after overcoming FC Talavera, also from the third division, by a score of 3-2. Real’s goals were scored by Mbappé (2x) and Manuel (own goal), while Nahuel Arroyo and Gonzalo Di Renzo scored for the opponent.

In the Round of 16, the Madrid giant faces modest Albacete, 17th place in the second division, who drew 2-2 and eliminated Celta de Vigo on penalties, after Celta missed all three of their attempts. Former Real Madrid defender Jesús Vallejo played a decisive role in his team’s qualification, scoring the equalizer in the 93rd minute of regulation and converting one of the penalties that sent Albacete to the Round of 16.

The teams face each other on Wednesday, January 14th, at the Carlos Belmonte stadium, in Albacete (Spain).

Current Champion

Barcelona won the 2024/25 Copa del Rey, overcoming Real Madrid in the final in an epic match, decided in extra time by a score of 3-2, with French full-back Koundé scoring the title-winning goal in the 116th minute.

In addition to being the current champions, the culés can also boast of being the team with the most trophies in this competition. In total, there are 32 titles, 8 more than the second-placed team on this list, Athletic Bilbao, with 24. Real Madrid appears only in third place on this list with 20 titles.