Sabadell Awaits Copa del Rey First-Round Draw
The Centre d'Esports Sabadell will discover its potential first-round rival in the 2026–27 Copa del Rey this coming Monday, 5 October, when the draw is held at 13:00 in the Luis Aragonés Hall at La Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas. The event will determine all 56 ties in the opening round of Spain’s premier knockout football competition. According to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), 112 of the 116 participating teams will enter at this stage. The four clubs competing in the Supercopa de España, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad, are exempt from the first two rounds and will join in the round of 32.
Geographic Proximity Shapes Matchups
As in previous seasons, the draw will follow geographic proximity rules to minimise travel and encourage regional matchups. Teams are divided into zones, with lower-division clubs typically hosting those from higher divisions, provided their stadium meets RFEF standards. Sabadell, currently in Segunda División, is grouped in Zone 2 alongside fellow second-tier sides Girona, Eibar and Andorra. The Catalan club has a 75% chance of being drawn against a team from Tercera Federación, such as Cuarte, Pamplona or Varea. Alternatively, they could face a Segunda Federación side like Manresa, Reus, Utebo or Amorebieta.
Fixtures Scheduled for Late October
The first-round matches are set to take place between Tuesday 28 October and Thursday 30 October. For Sabadell, this falls between their league fixtures against Tenerife at home on Sunday 26 October and an away match at Albacete on Saturday 1 November. Logically, their Copa tie is expected to be played on either Wednesday 28 or Thursday 29 October.
"The draw respects competitive balance and regional fairness,"
the RFEF confirmed in its official announcement, noting that pairings prioritise clashes between clubs of different tiers while reducing long-distance travel for smaller clubs.
Ten Teams Still to Qualify
Ten spots in the first round remain unconfirmed, pending the outcome of preliminary ties among Regional-level clubs, which will now be contested over two legs instead of one. Additionally, four teams from the Copa Federación, including Ourense CF and Atlètic Lleida, will join the competition at this stage. One example already advancing is El Prat, which holds a strong advantage after defeating Sant Rafel 5–1 in the first leg of their qualifier. More details on the competition format and participating teams are available via the RFEF's official notice.
Reported by cesabadellfc.com, radiosabadell.fm, sport.es, portalcadista.com, leonoticias.com, rfef.es, fifaworldcupnews.com, sportaragon.com, OffsAIde, es.wikipedia.org, sabadell.cat, golsmedia.com, Ràdio Sabadell.
