The eagerly awaited Copa del Rey draw for the round of 32 will be held on Tuesday, December 9 at 13:00 (Spanish peninsular time) at the Ciudad del Fútbol headquarters in Las Rozas. With 32 qualified teams from five different categories, this round will mark the entry of the four clubs competing in the Spanish Super Cup: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club.
The event can be followed live on Movistar Plus, Teledeporte and the official channels of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which will offer full coverage of the event.
Qualified teams and format of the crossings
The draw will involve 32 teams, organized in conditional draws to ensure that the lower-ranked clubs will play as home teams against the First Division teams. This rule is maintained to preserve the competitive spirit and give prominence to the lesser teams.
Five categories will be represented:
- First Division (17 teams): FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club, Osasuna, Mallorca, Alavés, Getafe, Levante, Real Sociedad, Betis, Elche, Villarreal, Rayo Vallecano, Sevilla, Celta and Valencia.
- Second Division (9 teams): Huesca, Cultural Leonesa, Racing de Santander, Sporting de Gijón, Eibar, Albacete, Deportivo de La Coruña, Burgos and Granada.
- First RFEF (5 teams): Guadalajara, Eldense, Talavera de la Reina, Real Murcia and Ourense.
- Second RFEF (1 team): Atlético Baleares.
The format is maintained as a single match, with the matches being played on the field of the lower division club, which adds a component of epic and uncertainty that characterizes this phase of the competition.
Atlético Baleares, the last survivor of Segunda RFEF
One of the great attractions of the draw will be to know the opponent of Atlético Baleares, the only representative of the Second RFEF that has managed to reach this round after eliminating Espanyol. By regulation, the Balearic team will be paired with one of the big four: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético or Athletic.
This guarantees a duel of maximum expectation, both for the local fans and for the general public, who will find in this match an example of the unpredictable nature that defines the Copa del Rey.
Schedule: when are the round of 16 matches played?
The knockout rounds corresponding to the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey will be played between December 16 and 18, spread over three matchdays that will close the Copa del Rey calendar for the year 2025.
During these days, an intense soccer calendar is expected, with matches that will combine the presence of the big favorites with the overcoming stories of lower-budget clubs, many of which play in non-professional divisions.
Drawing rules and conditions
The draw will follow the usual guidelines of the competition. The teams of lower categories will be paired first with those of higher rank, always maintaining the home condition for the lower division team.
In addition, there will be geographic and security constraints that could influence the pairing of certain teams, according to the organization. This includes preventing two clubs from the same city from playing at home on the same day, as well as other operational considerations.
Expectation for the crossings and the road to the round of 16
Tuesday’s Copa del Rey draw will mark a turning point in the 2025 edition of the tournament, as the pairings will directly condition the future of the clubs in the competition. For the lower-ranked teams, it is a unique opportunity to face the giants of Spanish soccer, while for the Primera Liga clubs it is the first serious test before the decisive phase.
With the Spanish Super Cup on the horizon and an increasingly compressed calendar, the clubs will try to resolve their ties efficiently, without being overconfident against opponents who, on many occasions, turn these duels into true feats.
The Copa del Rey maintains its ability to surprise, and Tuesday’s draw will be the first step in a round that, as every year, promises excitement, surprises and memorable matches.
