Copa del Rey: fans, tickets, ball
The Copa del Rey final between Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad is almost sold out as more than 26,000 Real Sociedad supporters plan the 916 km trip to Sevilla, and the official match ball—named “Horizonte”—will make its debut in the final. Real Sociedad’s strong form in 2026, described as the third-best team of the year since Pellegrino Matarazzo arrived, helps explain the intense interest and near sell‑out. (onefootball.com, marca.com, mundodeportivo.com)
More than 26,000 Real Sociedad supporters are preparing to cross 916 kilometers to Seville for a single match, and that surge has pushed the Copa del Rey final to the edge of a sellout before kickoff on April 18 at La Cartuja. (onefootball.com, rfef.es) The Royal Spanish Football Federation said it would allocate more than 52,000 tickets, about 80 percent of the stadium, to Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad, which helps explain why every extra bus, train seat, and hotel room to Seville suddenly matters. (rfef.es, sport.es) La Cartuja is not a neighborhood ground but Seville’s big-event stadium, and the final is scheduled there for Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 21:00 local time. The trip from San Sebastián to Seville is basically the length of Spain, which turns support into a logistics operation as much as a football trip. (estadiolacartuja.es, onefootball.com) The rush is not random. Since Pellegrino Matarazzo took over around the turn of the year, Real Sociedad have collected 24 points in league play in 2026, a return that placed them among Spain’s best sides over that stretch. (mundodeportivo.com, estadiodeportivo.com) That form changed the mood around the club. A team that looked ordinary in late 2025 is now being described in the Spanish press as the third-best side of 2026, which makes a cup final feel less like a day out and more like a real chance at a trophy. (mundodeportivo.com, marca.com) The match will also introduce a new ball called Horizonte, unveiled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation and Adidas on April 9 and reserved for the Copa del Rey final before wider use in federation competitions. (rfef.es, marca.com) Horizonte is designed as a one-off final detail, the way some finals get a special patch or a custom stage. The federation says the ball includes the year 1976 printed 12 times, a nod to the first year the trophy was contested under its current design and the now-familiar Copa del Rey name. (rfef.es, marca.com) So the final has turned into three stories at once: a near-capacity stadium, a cross-country movement of Real Sociedad fans, and a team arriving in its hottest run of the year under a new coach. By the time Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad walk out in Seville, even the ball will be making its debut. (rfef.es, onefootball.com, rfef.es)
