Shock news: An Arabic channel will air Real Madrid and Barcelona Copa del Rey clashes
13 January 2026
Open Arabic Channel Secures Copa del Rey Broadcast for Real Madrid and Barcelona
Ibrahim Fayeq, a presenter on MBC, confirmed on Tuesday that the network has secured the rights to broadcast Real Madrid and Barcelona's Copa del Rey Round of 16 matches.
Fayeq announced on X that MBC MASR 2 will carry both fixtures.
Real Madrid will face Albacete on Wednesday, in the first match under new coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over after Xabi Alonso's departure following a Saudi Super Cup defeat to Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Barcelona, buoyed by their Saudi Super Cup triumph, will meet Racing Santander on Thursday in the King’s Cup last 16.
Barcelona had progressed to the round of 16 after defeating Guadalajara 2-0, while Real Madrid reached this stage with a 3-2 victory over Talavera.
Punchline 1: If football rights grew on trees, we’d need a bigger server to harvest them.
Punchline 2: And if the whistle starts charging, we’ll call it Extra Time Global Pay-Per-View.
