Yesterday 13:51

The Spanish Football Federation postponed all matches in the Copa del Rey following the railway accident that left at least 30 people dead

Gabriel Dumitrache

28 October 2026, 13:51

Sport

Mutsu Kawamori / AFLO / Profimedia

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The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) postponed all 24 matches scheduled for Wednesday, in the first round of the Spanish Cup, as a sign of respect for the victims of a serious railway accident in Toledo province. The decision was announced on the same day that two high-speed trains collided near the town of Urda, approximately 130 kilometers south of Madrid.

According to regional authorities in Castilla-La Mancha, at least 30 people died, while dozens more were injured. The exact number of injured passengers was not immediately available.

“As a sign of respect and solidarity with all the victims of the tragic railway accident,” the RFEF decided to suspend the matches scheduled for that afternoon and evening. The federation stated that the new schedule for the matches would be announced later.

The postponement does not affect Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, which will enter the competition at a later stage of the Spanish Cup. Authorities continue emergency response and assessment operations concerning the accident’s consequences, while the investigation is expected to establish the circumstances of the collision.

Context: The railway accident in Toledo was treated as a major tragedy, with interventions ongoing and references to a previous incident on the same line

Before announcing the postponement of the competitions, the Spanish authorities continued search, rescue and first-aid operations after the collision between two high-speed trains that occurred shortly after 9:00 on the line connecting Madrid to Andalusia. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his agenda and said he was in contact with the Transport Minister and the leadership of the Castilla-La Mancha region, while some sources also considered possible human error following the failure of the main signaling system, with the investigation still ongoing.

The incident came just nine months after another fatal accident on the same line, which left 46 people dead, and Romania said it was in contact with the Spanish authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, the ministry announced that, up to that point, there was no information indicating Romanian citizens among the victims and that the consular missions were prepared to provide assistance if requests arose.