The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 Copa del Rey, to be held this Monday at 13:00, will determine which of five lower-category teams Málaga CF will face. The Andalusian side, currently 20th in La Liga with just one point from three games, is the only top-flight representative in Group 3 and will play away from home in the single-leg tie on 28 October.

The event will take place in the Salón Luis Aragonés at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, Madrid. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has distributed the 112 participating clubs into four geographical groups. Málaga CF shares its zone with other Primera sides like Valencia, Villarreal, Levante and Elche, but its status as the highest-ranked team in the pot means it will be paired with a more modest opponent.

The five possible opponents

The five teams Málaga CF could draw are CD Manacor and CD Tarancón (both from the Tercera RFEF), UD Pinatar (Preferente Murcia), Sporting de Alcázar (Preferente Castilla-La Mancha) and Tavernes de la Valldigna (Liga Comunidad Valenciana). This means potential trips to Mallorca, Cuenca, Murcia, Ciudad Real or the Valencia province. According to competition rules, the lower-division team will host if their facilities meet minimum standards.

The Málaga CF team, which arrives on a five-match unbeaten run across all competitions, will seek a positive cup start to offset their difficult league beginning. The draw will be conducted via a random selection process within each geographical group, forming 56 ties in total. The four Supercopa de España participants, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad, are exempt until the round of 16.

Context and other local teams

This edition also features two other Málaga CF-based clubs: Antequera CF from Primera RFEF and CP Mijas-Las Lagunas from Segunda RFEF. Málaga CF returns to the Copa del Rey as a top-flight side, following their last participation in the 2024/25 season which ended with a first-round exit to Estepona. VAR will not be used until the round of 16 and card suspensions will apply after three yellows or one direct red.

Fans can check the full season schedule on our fixtures page and the current state of the squad in the squad section. The Copa del Rey first-round match is scheduled for Wednesday 28 October.

Background and full detail: Sport.es