The Copa stages its final dance of the year

With fewer than ten days remaining before the start of the Christmas festivities, the Copa del Rey MAPFRE returns to centre stage with its third round: the Round of 32. The 32 clubs still alive in Spanish football’s most historic competition will face off over the course of three days, across venues throughout the country.

Teams from four different tiers — LaLiga EA Sports (17), LaLiga Hypermotion (9), Primera Federación Versus e-Learning (5) and one from Segunda Federación, CD Atlético Baleares — will compete for a place in the next round, as they look to progress to the quarter-finals of the knockout tournament.

This round will also mark the debut of the four clubs set to contest the Supercopa de España during the first half of January in Jeddah. FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club, all previously exempt, will travel to Guadalajara, Talavera de la Reina, Palma de Mallorca and Ourense respectively, joining the nationwide celebration that accompanies the Copa del Rey MAPFRE in every corner of Spain.

Ipurua and Riazor will host the opening matches of the round on Tuesday 16 December at 19:00 CET, with three further fixtures scheduled for 21:00. Wednesday will feature the bulk of the action, with seven matches split across two kick-off windows. On Thursday 18 December, a further three ties will be played, bringing the week of Copa action to a close at 21:00 at the Enrique Roca de Murcia, where the home side will face Real Betis Balompié.

The tie between Granada CF and Rayo Vallecano, which will complete the Round of 32, is scheduled for Tuesday 6 January, Epiphany Day, kicking off at 19:00 at the Nuevo Los Cármenes in Granada.

Before the year draws to a close, the Copa del Rey MAPFRE returns with a total of fifteen matches which, as a festive gift, will fill more than thirty Spanish cities with excitement, passion and goals.

FIXTURES | COPA DEL REY MAPFRE | ROUND OF 32 | 2025/26 SEASON

Foto: @ReusFCR