Cartagena chases historic Copa del Rey

Jimbee Cartagena Costa Cálida and Jaén Paraíso Interior advanced to the Copa del Rey futsal final on May 23, setting up a title match in Cáceres that will produce a new champion. Cartagena beat Viña Albali Valdepeñas 5-2 in the first semifinal, while Jaén came through against Barça in the second semifinal to book its place in Sunday’s decider. The Royal Spanish Football Federation, or RFEF, said the final would be played at 16:00 at the Multiusos venue in Cáceres and shown on Teledeporte. A Europa Press report said neither club has won the competition before. ### How did Cartagena and Jaén get here? The RFEF confirmed on April 22 that the Final Four would be held on May 23 and 24 in Cáceres, with Jimbee Cartagena facing Viña Albali Valdepeñas and Jaén Paraíso Interior meeting Barça in the semifinals. The federation said the Multiusos arena in Cáceres would stage all three matches and that Teledeporte would carry the competition. Saturday’s first semifinal ended with Jimbee Cartagena beating Valdepeñas 5-2, according to local reports from Cáceres. The second semifinal sent Jaén through after eliminating Barça, creating a final between two clubs still seeking their first Copa del Rey futsal title. ### Why is this final different from many previous editions? (rfef.es) Europa Press reported on May 23 that the final between Cartagena and Jaén would guarantee an “inédito” winner — a first-time champion in the tournament. That is the central fact of this year’s final: whichever side wins on May 24 will add its name to the Copa del Rey roll of honor for the first time. (horajaen.com) The four-team field in Cáceres included Barça, which the RFEF described as the only club in this year’s Final Four with a previous title pedigree in the competition. By Saturday night, Barça was out, leaving Cartagena and Jaén to contest a final without a past winner on either side. ### What does the matchup say about Cartagena’s rise? Jimbee Cartagena arrived in Cáceres as one of the four teams still alive in the XVI edition of the competition, and it reached the final by scoring five times against Valdepeñas. (europapress.es) The club’s place in the decider adds another high-profile appearance for a team that has become a regular contender in Spanish futsal’s latter stages. (rfef.es) Cáceres-based coverage before the tournament described the Final Four as bringing together four of the leading teams in the current Spanish futsal landscape, with Cartagena included among them. That framing came from local reporting ahead of the weekend rather than from the club itself, but it captured the status Cartagena carried into the event. (rfef.es) ### What is at stake for Jaén? Jaén Paraíso Interior entered the Final Four as the only team returning from the previous season’s final four, according to the RFEF. That gave Jaén a measure of continuity in this stage of the competition before it beat Barça to reach the final. Sunday’s match gives Jaén another chance to convert that repeated presence into a trophy. (elperiodicoextremadura.com) Europa Press said the winner between Jaén and Cartagena would become a new champion, putting Jaén one match from a title the club has not previously won. ### When and where is the final? The RFEF said the Copa del Rey futsal final would be played on Sunday, May 24, at 16:00 at the Pabellón Multiusos de Cáceres. (rfef.es) The federation also said Teledeporte would broadcast the match in full. Local and national listings on May 24 matched that schedule, naming Jimbee Cartagena and Jaén Paraíso Interior as the two finalists. The next concrete step is the title match itself in Cáceres, with one of the two clubs set to leave the arena as the 2026 Copa del Rey champion. (europapress.es) (elperiodicoextremadura.com) (rfef.es)