Copa del Rey History: From 1903 to the 2026/27 Season

Real Sociedad lifted the trophy on 18 April 2026, beating Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties in front of 70,000 at La Cartuja after goalkeeper Unai Marrero saved two spot kicks. That final closed the 124th edition of Spain's oldest national competition, and Copa del Rey history is full of nights like it: a knockout format that has been producing upsets since 1903.

The 2026/27 edition gets under way this autumn, pulling in clubs from the sixth tier all the way up to La Liga. The structure is built for upsets, which is why a village team can end up hosting a European champion in November.

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A Cup Older Than La Liga Itself

The competition began in 1903, a quarter of a century before the Spanish league existed, with Athletic Bilbao winning the first edition. What started as a gathering of four regional sides grew into a national tournament during the 1920s, and its name, the King's Cup, reflects the tradition of Spain's monarch presenting the trophy after the final.

Few domestic cups carry the same weight in their country's football culture. The 1957 final between Barcelona and Espanyol remains one of the most storied city derbies ever played for the trophy, and the 2020 final was a first ever all-Basque showpiece between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, played behind closed doors in 2021 because of the pandemic.

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Who Actually Holds the Records

Barcelona lead the all-time list with 32 titles, the most recent coming in the 2025 final when they beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time in the first Clasico final since 2014. Athletic Bilbao sit second by their own count of 24, including the 2024 title that ended a 40-year trophy drought, while Real Madrid have 20, their latest arriving in 2023 against Osasuna.

The recent roll of honour shows how open the cup has become:

• 2022: Real Betis beat Valencia 5-4 on penalties
• 2023: Real Madrid beat Osasuna 2-1
• 2024: Athletic Bilbao beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties
• 2025: Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time
• 2026: Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties

Three of the last five finals have gone to a shootout. Whatever else changes in Spanish football, the final in Seville rarely finishes early.

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How the Copa del Rey Format Works

Around 125 clubs enter each season, from the sixth tier upwards, with reserve teams barred. Almost everything is decided in one match, and the draw is deliberately tilted so that smaller clubs host bigger ones. Drawn matches go to extra time and penalties at every stage.

• Preliminary round: sixth-tier qualifiers open the competition in the autumn
• First and second rounds: single ties, lowest-division sides drawn against La Liga clubs at home
• Round of 32: the four Supercopa de Espana participants enter here
• Round of 16 and quarter-finals: one-off ties, quarters onwards drawn without seeding
• Semi-finals: the only two-legged round, played across February and March
• Final: a single match at a neutral venue in April

What the 2026/27 Season Looks Like

The early rounds run through the autumn of 2026 and the giants join once the calendar clears the January Supercopa. The final returns to La Cartuja in Seville, which the Spanish federation has confirmed as host for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 finals. The stadium was expanded and converted from an athletics venue ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which is why the 2026 final drew 70,000, the biggest crowd of the modern Seville era.

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Why the Cup Still Matters Commercially

Winning it is not just silverware. The 2026/27 champions earn a place in the Europa League league phase the following season, and both finalists qualify for the four-team Supercopa de Espana, which brings its own revenue and a January trip to Saudi Arabia. Real Sociedad's 2026 win booked their return to European football by that exact route.

For supporters, the cup is also the cheapest realistic way to watch elite Spanish sides away from home, since early-round ties are hosted by smaller clubs in smaller grounds. Demand then flips sharply from the quarter-finals onwards, and final tickets in Seville are among the hardest to source in the Spanish calendar.

The Games That Defined the Trophy

Every era has its marker. The early decades belonged to Athletic Bilbao and Madrid FC, the Franco years saw the trophy renamed the Copa del Generalisimo, and the modern age has produced the 2012 final where Guardiola's Barcelona side won his last trophy at the club, plus Messi's solo goal against Athletic in 2015 that is still replayed before most finals.

The 2026 final added a new chapter of its own. Real Sociedad's fourth title came against Atletico Madrid, whose wait for the trophy now stretches back to 2013, and their 2021 win had been lifted in an empty stadium. This time 70,000 were inside La Cartuja, most of them behind the goal where Marrero made his two saves.