Copa del Rey: Dates, format, prize money, history & more

Founded in 1903, Copa del Rey is the oldest football competition in Spain.

Copa del Rey was Spain's football national championship until Campeonato de Liga (now recognised as La Liga) was founded in 1928 and the knockout competition remains a pivotal part of the Spanish football calendar.

Here is everything you need to know about Copa del Rey.

Copa del Rey 2024/25 dates

• Preliminary round: 9 October 2024
• First round: 29-30-31 October 2024
• Second round: 4 December 2024
• Round of 32: 4-5 January 2025
• Round of 16: 15 January 2025
• Quarter-finals: 5 February 2025
• Semi-finals: 26 February-2 April 2025
• Final: 26 April 2025

Copa del Rey format

In total, 120 teams enter the Copa del Rey, going all the way down to the regional leagues in the sixth tier.

10 fixtures take place in the preliminary round, with the 10 triumphant teams advancing to the first round stage where La Liga and Segunda Division teams enter the competition.

The Copa del Rey is seeded, meaning the teams from the lowest divisions are drawn against top-flight opponents. Local seeding also applies, meaning the matches are played at the home stadium of the team in the lower division.

All ties take place over one leg until the semi-finals, where a two-legged tie determines who will advance to the final.

Copa del Rey prize money

Not only is the victor of the Copa del Rey awarded a berth in the UEFA Europa League for the subsequent season, but the winner of the competition receives $2.1million in prize money.

The runners-up receive an estimated $1.1m, while the defeated semi-finalists can expect to pocket in excess of $500k.

Copa del Rey history

Since the inaugural edition of the competition in 1903, Barcelona are the most successful club in Copa del Rey history with 31 titles.

The first two years of the Copa del Rey saw Athletic Club triumph before Real Madrid were victorious in four consecutive seasons between 1905 and 1908.

As many as 16 clubs have lifted the Copa del Rey trophy.

Telmo Zarra of Athletic Club is the record goalscorer in the competition, having scored 81 goals between 1939 and 1957.

Five players have won the trophy seven times, of which three represented Barcelona in the 21st century: Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi.