One night, sixteen ties
The Round of 32 is the Copa’s great leveller. On December 16, 2026, sixteen single-leg ties are played on the same night across Spain. This edition is the 2026-27 tournament, Spain’s premier football cup, and this round is where the La Liga and Supercopa clubs come in.
The format favours the underdog. The lower-division club hosts, so a top side plays a small municipal ground instead of its own 40,000-plus stadium. A tie level after 90 minutes goes to extra time and then penalties. Nobody gets a second leg.
Where Seville fits in
Seville’s two big clubs normally play this round away. Sevilla FC’s Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Nervión and Real Betis’s Benito Villamarín in Heliópolis usually stay dark on Round of 32 night, because the home slot goes to the smaller club.
Supporters who want to see their team often travel to wherever the RFEF draw sends them. Large away groups from both clubs follow the team to:
- Andalusian towns, which can be done as a day trip by car or regional train
- Grounds further away in Spain, often by coach organised through the peñas (supporters’ clubs)
- The local bar back home, where the match is shown on TV
The city stays central to the Copa all the same. The Estadio de La Cartuja, on the Isla de la Cartuja across the Guadalquivir, has hosted several recent finals, including those of 2024 and 2025.
Tickets and how the round works
The host club sells the tickets, not a single national platform. Clubs usually split sales between their own members (socios) and the public, and give the visiting club a share of seats for its fans. Prices and seating plans are set by each host and posted on its official website and at the stadium taquilla (box office).
Small grounds have little room. A third-tier stadium may hold a few thousand people, so a visit from a famous club is the biggest match of that club’s season. Kickoff times are spread through the evening and set by the RFEF and the broadcasters.
Matchday at a small-town ground
This is local football, not a stadium-tour experience. On matchday, fans usually:
- Gather in bars near the ground for a caña and tapas before kickoff. The pre-match crowd is part of the night.
- Reach the stadium well before kickoff, because small stadiums have few turnstiles and the queues back up.
- Carry ID, since away sections at Spanish grounds often check documents along with tickets.
- Dress for December. Many lower-division grounds have open terraces, and inland Andalusian nights are cold.
- Keep to their own end. Away fans are kept in their own section, and Seville colours in the home end draw unwelcome attention.
Seated areas usually stay seated, while the home club’s ultras stand behind one goal. Watching the match back in Seville is just as much of a ritual. Bars around Nervión and Heliópolis fill up with club scarves on match night, and on cup nights a TV showing football matters more than the food.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Copa del Rey Round of 32?
It is played on December 16, 2026, as part of the 2026-27 Copa del Rey. All sixteen ties are single matches decided on the night, with extra time and penalties if needed.
Is there a Round of 32 match in Seville?
Not usually. The lower-division club in each tie hosts, so Sevilla FC and Real Betis, as La Liga sides, normally play away. Their stadiums, the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and the Benito Villamarín, typically have no match that night.
Where are Round of 32 tickets sold?
Each host club sells its own tickets, usually through its official website and stadium box office. Visiting fans normally get their seats through their own club's allocation.
How do Seville fans watch away cup ties?
Many travel with the peñas (supporters' clubs) by coach, or by car and train when the tie is in Andalusia. Others watch in bars around Nervión and Heliópolis, the areas around the two club stadiums.
Where is the Copa del Rey final played?
Seville's Estadio de La Cartuja has hosted several recent finals, including 2024 and 2025. It sits on the Isla de la Cartuja, across the Guadalquivir from the old town.
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