Real Madrid and Barcelona have both qualified for the Copa del Rey Round of 16, but fans will have to wait longer for a potential El Clasico.
Teams will have to wait until January 7, 2026, to find out who they will be playing in the Round of 16.
How Barcelona and Real Madrid Did in the Copa del Rey Round of 32
On Tuesday night, Hansi Flick’s Barca came away with a 2-0 victory away at Guadalajara. While the hosts ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts, they did not make it easy for the Spanish champions.
The Blaugrana struggled to break the minnows down. It ultimately took a heavily deflected header from Andreas Christensen to break the deadlock before Marcus Rashford cemented the win with a late strike.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, barely scraped through to the Round of 16. They won 3-2 against CF Talavera away from home, courtesy of a match-winning performance from Kylian Mbappe.
Kylian Mbappé making this ball boy’s day pic.twitter.com/dCpfplnKet
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 17, 2025
Scoring a brace, Mbappe closed in on Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, and also played a key role in Madrid’s other goal.
The narrow win did not do Xabi Alonso any favours, as the Spaniard finds himself under intense scrutiny in the Spanish capital.
Why Fans Have to Wait for El Clasico in Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey rules ensure that Real Madrid and Barcelona will not face each other in the Round of 16 this season.
According to the updated rulebook, the four teams participating in next month’s Supercopa de Espana cannot draw each other before the quarter-finals. They are placed in separate pots for the Round of 32 and Round of 16, which ensures drawing lower-ranked opponents.
This season, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao have qualified for the Supercopa de Espana. So, these four teams will not face each other or even another team from LaLiga in the pre-quarterfinals.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid have already qualified for the Round of 16, while Athletic Bilbao will have to beat Ourense to book their place.
Teams Barcelona and Real Madrid Can Draw in Copa del Rey Round of 16
According to the updated Copa del Rey rules, Real Madrid and Barcelona are guaranteed to face a lower-ranked team in the next round.
Took 77 minutes for the breakthrough but Barcelona defeat third-division Guadalajara 2-0 in the Copa del Rey round of 32 pic.twitter.com/4xDAHazrga
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 16, 2025
If Burgos (vs Getafe), Real Murcia (vs Real Betis), Ourense (vs Athletic Bilbao), and Granda (vs Rayo Vallecano) qualify, here are the possible opponents for Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Round of 16:
- Deportivo La Coruna (Segunda Division)
- Cultural Leonesa (Segunda Division)
- Racing Santander (Segunda Division)
- Albacete (Segunda Division)
- Burgos* (Segunda Division)
- Real Murcia* (Primera Federacion Group 2)
- Ourense* (Primera Federaci0n Group 1)
- Granada* (Segunda Division)
*yet to play
With a favourable draw guaranteed, the two biggest teams in Spain are expected to reach the quarter-finals. From then on, all gloves are off.
