CE Alaior will attempt to become Menorca’s first representative in the Copa del Rey for more than 26 years after winning the island’s section of the Balearics Cup.
The first competitive matches of the 2026/27 season came in the competition, with the four highest ranked teams from last season’s Menorca Honor Division (aside from CD Migjorn, who have been promoted to Tercera RFEF), taking part in a straight knockout.
Alaior defeated Ferreries 1-0 in the semi-finals, with Sporting Mahon defeating UD Mahon 2-1 thanks to a brace from Kevin Rosillo, the top scorer in the division last season.
The two teams from tonight’s game.
📸 @FFIB_oficial pic.twitter.com/rIXK75bs89
— Menorca Football (@MenorcaFootball) August 29, 2026
That meant Alaior hosted Sporting Mahon at Los Pinos in the final, and won 2-0, to progress to the Final Four, which is being held at the Cide school facilities in Palma de Mallorca, a few kilometres away from the home of RCD Mallorca.
Final Four skewed in favour of Mallorcan teams
The Final Four will be held in Mallorca this weekend, with Alaior pitted against CF Soller in Saturday’s semi-finals (12.30pm). Should they win that match, they will have to return to Mallorca on Sunday to face the winner of the other semi-final between Ferriolense and CF Sant Rafel of Ibiza (5pm kick-off).
Should Alaior win Sunday’s final, they will then take part in this season’s Copa del Rey.
However, build up to the game has been marred by controversy, after Alaior took aim at the FFIB for the system being biased in favour of teams from Mallorca.
It all stems from the fact that should Alaior win their game on Saturday, they would have to travel back to Menorca, and then fly back to Mallorca again on Sunday morning.
Alaior, rightly, claimed that the FFIB should have organised accommodation for them to stay on the island.
In a letter to the governing body, Alaior claimed there is a “clear comparative disadvantage suffered by clubs from the smaller islands compared to those from Mallorca” and “our squad is subjected to a disproportionate logistical and physical burden that breaks the equality of conditions of the competition, in addition to the economic aggravation that we must assume.” (translated)
The club were therefore proposing that there would be financial and logistical support to enable them to stay in Mallorca on Saturday evening.
Their pleas have fallen on deaf ears though, with FFIB rejecting their request. The Ibiza team, CF Sant Rafel, are also experiencing the same challenges.
Should Alaior win their two matches, they will then participate in the preliminary round of the Copa del Rey, which was won last season by Real Sociedad.
The Balearics were represented last season by Mallorca’s Sant Jordi, who won through to the first round where they were beaten 5-0 by La Liga side Osasuna.
The last Menorcan side to compete in the Copa del Rey was Sporting Mahones back in 2009/10.
