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feb 17 2026The knockout tournament returns to Valencia for the first time in over two decades in an edition that invites reflection on the past and dreams of greatness. The Roig Arena could mark a turning point!
Valencia is once again embracing the Copa del Rey spirit after a long 23-year absence as host city. During this time, the basketball world and the city itself have reinvented themselves, acquiring an appearance quite different from what they offered in that 2003 edition.
When the last Copa del Rey was held in the capital of the Turia region, the three-point line was half a meter closer to the basket at 6.25 meters; FIBA windows did not exist; Unicaja, the reigning Copa champion, still had no national titles on its resume; UCAM Murcia played in the LEB Oro league; and La Laguna Tenerife still had several years remaining in LEB II.
From a more institutional perspective, the Oceanogràfic had just opened its doors at the City of Arts and Sciences; the Association of Basketball Clubs was about to present a new corporate logo, which it would change again in 2019; and the crown jewel was still missing—one of the major attractions of the upcoming 2026 Copa del Rey: the Roig Arena.
Anticipation surrounding the arena is at its peak. With state-of-the-art facilities in Europe and a capacity to host more than 15,000 spectators for basketball games, the brand-new Valencia fortress opens the possibility of this edition setting one of the highest attendance figures in a Copa matchup.
Only two arenas have reached these numbers. The Palau Sant Jordi recorded 15,128 spectators in the Classic final of 2012, while the record to beat is the 15,465 that packed the Buesa Arena during the thrilling 2017 semifinal between Baskonia and Real Madrid.
That encounter did not disappoint, as it was decided in overtime in favor of the white team (99-103) thanks to a tremendous performance by a young Luka Dončić. At just 17 years old, the Slovenian point guard stood out with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against several players who will be present at Valencia 2026. We're talking about Hanga, Laprovittola, Shengelia, and Llull.
Sergio Llull himself is currently just a step away from becoming the player with the most minutes played in Copa del Rey final phases. He has accumulated a total of 967 minutes spread across 17 appearances, which means he could be the first to reach the 1,000-minute mark. For now, the all-time leader is Felipe Reyes (976), followed closely by Juan Carlos Navarro (973). Likewise, although this challenge is more difficult, the shooting guard from Mahón (461) would become the all-time leading scorer in final phases if he scores 31 more points to surpass Jordi Villacampa (491).
Copa del Rey History in Valencia
The first title decided in the Valencian Community was the 1973 Copa, when the tournament had a quite different system than today. It was not played in a single venue, but rather the matchups were home-and-away starting from the Round of 16, and then the final was played in a neutral territory. The chosen location was the La Salle Sports Complex in Paterna, where Real Madrid and Estudiantes faced off in the most lopsided Copa final. The whites prevailed 126-87 after a perfect 22/22 performance from the free-throw line, with 32 points from Clifford Luyk and 30 from Wayne Brabender.
The first edition held in Valencia city was in 1999. The orange team had won the championship the previous year and wanted to take advantage of their home crowd's support to advance far in the tournament, but they stumbled in the quarterfinals in the most painful way.
After dominating throughout, Pamesa Valencia lost a game in which they led 57-55 against Caja San Fernando with just ten seconds remaining. What happened? Andre Turner scored from the free-throw line, intentionally missed the second free throw, and after the rebound favored the Seville team, he finished with a layup (57-58). Caja San Fernando advanced to the final, where they fell to TAU Cerámica of Sergio Scariolo.
Shortly after, in 2003, the Fuente de San Luis once again hosted the Copa del Rey, precisely in the edition where the host curse resurfaced. TAU Cerámica, which had been crowned at home the previous year, eliminated Pamesa Valencia of Paco Olmos and then lost the championship game against Barcelona in overtime (78-84) before a more dominant-than-ever Roberto Dueñas. The 2.21-meter center collected 18 points, 17 rebounds (a final record), two blocks, and 30 efficiency rating points.
The Host Curse, Put to the Test Once More
Now 24 years have passed since the last time a home team managed to lift the Copa del Rey championship trophy. In fact, this has only happened in 2 of the 33 final phases in which a team has served as host. The first to achieve it was CAI Zaragoza in 1984, and as we've noted, the last to do so was TAU Cerámica in 2002.
