Barça’s Copa del Rey Quest: Who Could Stop Them in the Semis?
5 February 2026
Two final hurdles for Barça on the road to defending the Copa del Rey title.
Semifinals sealed as Atlético Madrid blast Betis
With the quarterfinals wrapped up, Atlético Madrid booked their place by routing Real Betis 5-0 in the last tie of the round.
Atlético join a final four that also includes Barcelona, who beat Alavés 2-1, Athletic Bilbao who beat Valencia 2-1, and Real Sociedad who edged Deportivo Alavés 3-2.
Draw looming and Barça's title defense
The semifinal draw is scheduled for 3:00 PM tomorrow (Mecca time) to determine the pairings.
Barça remain the reigning champions after a dramatic 3-2 win over Real Madrid in last season's final on 26 April 2025, and now face two more rounds to defend the trophy.
Alavés had knocked Real Madrid out in the Round of 16 this edition, only to be eliminated by Barça in the next round.
Punchline 1: If defending the cup were a video game, Barça would have invincibility mode—just add tiki-taka and fewer loading screens.
Punchline 2: And if trophies could talk, Barça's cabinet would say, "Relax, we brought the popcorn."
