The draw for the Round of 32 of the King's Cup of Spain for the 2025/2026 season, held today, featured four standout matchups. In these ties, Spanish football giants will face lower-division clubs, promising great excitement. The four main fixtures are: Guadalajara vs. Barcelona, Talavera de la Reina vs. Real Madrid, Atlético Baleares vs. Atlético Madrid, and Ourense vs. Athletic Bilbao. The 'Big Four' participants in the Spanish Super Cup—Barcelona (the defending champion), Real Madrid (last year's runner-up), Atlético Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao—joined the 28 teams that successfully progressed past the second round last week. All ties will be played as single matches, scheduled between Tuesday, December 16, and Thursday, December 18. Guadalajara, a club threatened with relegation from the third division, will host Barcelona, the 32-time trophy winner, at their stadium. Guadalajara advanced to this stage after eliminating Casereno and AD Ceuta. Real Madrid is set to visit Talavera de la Reina's 'El Prado' stadium for their first cup match, a historic encounter that is the first-ever between the two teams in this competition. Talavera, currently in the relegation zone of the third division, secured their place after eliminating Rayo Majadahonda and historic Malaga. The tournament will also see a historic tie between Atlético Baleares and Atlético Madrid at the Balearic Stadium in Palma de Mallorca. Atlético Baleares is the only remaining team from the second division, entering the tie with high confidence after recently knocking out Espanyol. Ourense, which has already proven its worth by eliminating two Primera teams, Real Oviedo and Girona, will host Athletic Bilbao, the 2024 Cup champion and a record 24-time trophy winner. The draw, conducted by former German star Bernd Schuster, resulted in only one all-Premier League tie: Deportivo Alaves vs. Sevilla, while Real Betis faces third-division opponent Real Murcia.
