The Copa del Rey: 20-time champions Real Madrid are out, second division side Albacete are voted in.

A poor start to 2026: lost the Spanish Super Cup, and now eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

The year 2026 has not started well for Real Madrid. The team has suffered two humiliating defeats in just one week. Last Sunday, the Spanish football club Real Madrid was defeated by their arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, and now the team has been knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16 after losing to Albacete, a team from the second division league. This is Albacete’s first-ever victory against Real Madrid.

The club changed the coach, but the result remained the same.

After the defeat against Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid’s head coach Xabi Alonso was removed from his position, but the result remained the same even after the arrival of the new manager, Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa relied on players from the B team for this match. Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, and Jude Bellingham were rested for this game.

Jefté Betancor is the hero of this match

Jefte Betancor was the hero of Albacete’s victory, scoring two goals. Javi Villar had given Albacete the lead in the 42nd minute, but Real Madrid equalized through a goal from Franco Mastantuono. Jefte then scored in the 82nd minute to put his team 2-1 ahead, and then added another goal in injury time to secure a 3-2 victory for Albacete,and with that, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

There were other Copa del Rey matches.

In other Copa del Rey matches, Real Betis defeated Eibar 2-1 and Alaves beat Rayo Vallecano 2-0 to secure their places in the quarterfinals. Now all eyes will be on the reigning champions, Barcelona.

Africa Cup of Nations: Senegal defeats Egypt to reach the final.

Sadio Mané shattered Salah’s dream: Thanks to a goal scored by Sadio Mané in the 78th minute, Senegal defeated seven-time champions Egypt 1-0 to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final. All eyes were on Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah in this match. Mané dashed Salah’s hopes of winning the title for the eighth time. The Senegalese team has reached the final for the fourth time, where they will face Nigeria on Sunday. Nigeria secured their place in the final for the ninth time after defeating Morocco 4-2 in a thrilling penalty shootout in the other semi-final. Nigeria has won the title three times so far.

Carabao Cup: Arsenal extends its lead over Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s mistakes cost Chelsea dearly, as Arsenal secured a 3-2 victory in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, taking a one-goal advantage. Ben White scored for Arsenal in the seventh minute, Victor Gyökeres in the 49th, and Martin Zubimendi in the 71st. Garnacho scored both goals for Chelsea in the 57th and 83rd minutes, keeping his team in the tie.

Where can I watch Copa del Rey final in India?

Football fans can watch all the action from the Copa del Rey on FanCode’s mobile app (Android, iOS, TV), TV app available on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Jio STB, Samsung TV, and www.fancode.com.

How many Copas del Rey has Madrid won?

Barcelona is the most successful club in the competition, having won 32 titles. Athletic Bilbao has the second-most wins with 24, while Real Madrid is third with 20. Barcelona is also the most recent winner, having defeated rivals Real Madrid in the 2025 final held at the Estadio de La Cartuja.