The national cups have reached the stage where every mistake feels fatal. The giants from the top leagues are now rubbing shoulders with ambitious second- and third-tier sides, while the midsized nations are just beginning their knockout journeys. Last season’s champions are under pressure to defend their crowns, and more than one has already slipped.
With the nations continuing their busy cup schedules, the spotlight today falls on a wide sweep of countries – from Albania to the USA – where promotion hopefuls, relegation battlers and reigning champions all collide in winner-takes-all ties. Let’s tour the key action, nation by nation.
No fixtures this time, but the previous round reshaped the narrative. Football Club Tallinna Ariel, last season’s cup winners, edged FC Tip-Top 1–0 in a tactical duel where the holders’ compact 3-4-3 eventually created enough pressure for Kuulman to strike late. Runners-up JK LÕVID survived an epic battle with Black Mount FC, winning 2–1 after extra time in a match full of outstanding individual ratings and relentless attacking. Estonia’s elite have proved their resilience; the next team that draws them knows it will need near-perfect football to advance.
Virslīga contenders FC Uno host 2. līga side Micron FC in a classic top-tier vs lower-league tie. With FC Veltins and Admirals FC having dominated last season’s final, Uno know that dropping their guard here would kill any hope of breaking that duopoly later in the competition.
The title picture has already shifted: last season’s champions F.C.PRETOR and finalists FC Bistrita – Severin both fell in Round 3, victims of PETROLUL 67 and Petrolul Ploiesti F.C. respectively. That shock double exit has blown the competition wide open.
Round 5 is massive in both size and significance. Divizia A clubs like FC 23 Mai Onesti, FC BEAUTY OF PAIN, VITEZISTII4S™, Navigator, East Strike and Abatorul Slobozia all face lower-division challengers, from Z’Inq and Bucovina Șerbăuți to Tamuz and CF Rapid. Divizia B sides FC Dinamo București., Steaua Red Wings, FC U. CRAIOVA, Vagoane Caracal and AFC Ripensia Iasi test ambitious Divizia C opponents (C A Independiente, FC Unirea, FC BARCELONA, CFM Cugir 1939 and more). Around them, an extraordinary number of Divizia C and D ties – from C.T.S.–Spartac to Black Viper’Sibiu–FC OȚELUL GALAȚI – guarantees that local rivalries and promotion dreams will collide all across Romania this round.
Only one tie, but a big one: Superliga rivals DREAM F.C and FC Ballkani collide in a pure top-flight clash. With Stratiots holding the trophy, both contenders know this is the kind of early knockout test that shapes a full Albanian season.
The glamour tie comes from the Premiership: Ooza Looza against Merlin Magic XI, a side that reached last season’s semi-finals. Championship outfit Ghetto Squad get their shot at top-flight opposition away to Rougemont Rovers. Blackburn Rovers Football Club–Croydon Rangers and Backa Topola–Corvette pit ambitious second-tier teams against League One challengers, ensuring a round with both prestige and genuine upset danger.
Hibernia, last season’s beaten finalists, host Hartstown United in a Premier Division vs Championship clash loaded with expectation; the cup is their quickest route back to silverware. Irish Knights–Myaella Fc flips the script, with a second-tier side welcoming top-flight visitors. B LANCHESTER UTD™ vs Cowdenbeath AFC and RENFORD REJECTS vs An Cumann Peile Bóihéamach complete a round where ambitious Championship clubs will fancy their chances of knocking the Premier elite off balance.
Holders GialloRossi Wilkowice face Ekstraklasa rivals Grumpy Hunters in a blockbuster tie that could easily be a final. NaprzódPoGorzałe vs Dzik Marcinkowice brings another top-flight showdown with league implications. The round is packed: Stal Mielec visit fourth-tier Blokersi Różaniec Pierwszy, FC Polski Klub head to Tornado Cmolas, and WUJEK TEAM™ host dangerous FC Stoczniowiec. At lower levels, Desperadoss United–Southampton FC™, FC KukośBT–FC Ajax Obory, Bocian Zgorzała–Dukla ND and a string of III/IV Liga clashes (from FC Lubliniec–NEVERWINS to Gobliny–Odra T22) create a maze of potential upsets. It’s one of Europe’s fullest and most unpredictable cup boards this round.
The fourth round of the Serbian Cup gives us a very different picture compared to the previous ones.
This time, there are many more matches between active teams, which means managers can no longer freely rotate their lineups and “rest” key players as they did in earlier rounds.
Managers now face a serious dilemma: field their strongest team and risk fatigue for league matches, or try to advance in the Cup with a mixed lineup.
Knowing how unpredictable the Cup can be, it will be interesting to see who truly cares about fighting for the trophy, and who will sacrifice this competition in favor of league ambitions.
We’re slowly entering the stage where it becomes clear who has squad depth, who has form, and who has the wisdom to choose the right moment to push for the next round.
Who will advance, and who will say goodbye to the Cup? We’ll find out soon.
Sporting regards!
Check out the most interesting matches below!
Četvrto kolo Kupa Srbije donosi nam znatno drugačiju sliku nego prethodna.
Ovoga puta ima mnogo više aktivnih duela, što znači da timovi više ne mogu bezbrižno da rotiraju sastave i “čuvaju” igrače kao u ranijim rundama.
Menadžeri su sada pred ozbiljnom odlukom, gurati najjači tim i rizikovati umor za prvenstvo, ili pokušati da prođu dalje u kupu sa kombinovanim sastavom.
Kada se zna da Kup ume da donese iznenađenja, biće zanimljivo videti kome je zaista stalo do borbe za trofej, a ko će žrtvovati ovo takmičenje zbog ligaških ambicija.
Polako ulazimo u fazu gde se vidi ko ima širinu rostera, ko ima formu, a ko ima mudrost da izabere pravi trenutak za napad na sledeće kolo.
Ko će proći, a ko će se oprostiti od Kupa, saznaćemo uskoro.
The Turkish cup delivers a packed, high-stakes card. Trabzonspor and KuzeyEfee FK meet in a TFF Süper Lig showdown that could shape the upper bracket. Fenerbahçe SK. host aşağıakın in another elite-level clash, while Sarıgöl Gençlerbirliği welcome lower-tier Sakarya FC in a classic potential upset.
Further down, Galatasaray FK–Ejder 3200, Sinematografik Ataklar–Çankırıspor and Efsane.1925–Mirzan GS highlight a fierce second-tier presence. Last season’s finalists AKINCILAR-1453 stay in the hunt against AslanGS, while konyagücü, Bold Pilot, Manyasspor, Pâyidar and others contest finely balanced TFF 3. Lig matchups. With so many Süper Lig and 2. Lig sides colliding so early, Turkey may be the round where the bracket truly explodes.
Premier Liga side Carolina RailHawks FC, heavily beaten by BH Dragons last season, now carry the top-flight banner at home to Prva Liga visitors Plavi. Belfast warriors against FK Leotar Trebinje keeps the second-tier rivalry alive, with both knowing a quarterfinal spot would transform their season.
All eyes are on Fight United Elite, last season’s beaten finalists, as they visit ambitious Druga HNL side Kardio FC in a test of their ability to bounce back. FC Gorri Ussi Winnetou hosting Treca HNL team Augustin gives the third tier a shot at a famous scalp. FK Rudar Kakanj–F.C. Real Madrid and White Eagles–Galija Trešnjevka bring solid second-tier duels, promising a Croatian round full of competitive, tightly matched football.
Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart welcome Regionalliga visitors Cream Puffs FC, a tie that will reveal whether Stuttgart can emulate last season’s dominant runs from FC St. Pauli and Elegant Elephants. For the third-tier underdogs, taking a top-flight scalp here would instantly become a club-defining result.
Slovenia serves up one of the busiest boards of the entire week. Prva SNL contenders Borussia Dortmund, FC Soccer Academy Red Bull, Inter Miami CF, Alkosi i drogeraši, Olimpija 1911, NK Jesihdorf and F.C.Barcelona. all appear against lower-division opposition, ranging from ambitious Tretja SNL sides to regional league battlers.
Borussia Dortmund hosting NK Gančani 73 and FC Soccer Academy Red Bull facing Manchester United FC headline the top-flight clashes, while NK Besna Glista–Alkosi i drogeraši is a dangerous Druga SNL vs Prva SNL matchup for the champions’ rivals. Across dozens of ties – from Real Moste C.F.–VEL 14 FC to Gosenice–leke – the big question is how many favourites will stumble on awkward pitches against fired-up local teams. With Grosuplje Dreamteam watching from the bracket they dominated last season, the chase to dethrone them truly kicks into gear.
The title defenders FC Goldstar face a tricky away assignment at Stvv64, testing whether last season’s extra-time resilience still holds under pressure. Fellow Eerste Klasse sides SC Betekom and Fc Bijou provide a second marquee matchup, with both eyeing a rare deep cup push. Esperanza Pelt’s trip to YPRES FC is a classic 2de Klasse vs top-flight clash and potential upset watch. Lower-league mozoase hosting Globeshotters adds a romantic underdog storyline to an already loaded Belgian round.
Lambavík Bóltfelag head to Eintracht Brunsviger in a 1. Division vs Superligaen tie that could tilt either way. With memories still fresh of Insomniac FC and Borsholm-Skibstrup IF’s epic final, the Dane cup continues to offer smaller clubs a chance to test themselves against the elite.
The spotlight falls on Ligue 1 side Gunny FC at home to National 3 visitors La Squadra Azzurra, a classic “big vs dreamer” pairing. A.S.Monaco hosting SID LYONNAIS is a prestige tie between an ambitious lower-league club and a top-flight contender. Mikanissa–OMforEVER offers a genuine Ligue 2 vs Ligue 1 test, while FC Vampyre–Dadasport and Biscottes SG–Montpellier Herault Sporting Club give National 3 outfits a shot at making headlines. With last season’s winners Fc Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines watching from a distance, the French bracket feels wide open.
Serie A’s Ghemon Team face a potentially awkward home tie against Classica Lanusei, who were heavily beaten in last year’s quarterfinal but remain dangerous on their day. The rest of the card is a pure Serie B affair: FC Umana Reyer–Atletico Reginella, Montreal–apollo70, MoVeN’torZ FC–RealKuntakinte2022 and AC Asti–Real Cambo all offer balanced contests. With Navigli UTD and Il Circolino having set last season’s high standard, the chase for a new challenger starts here.
Two Druga liga clubs face defining nights: FK Irisi take on Borussia Dortmund in a pure second-tier contest, while Big Boys host Prva liga side S.V. Werder Bremen with upset dreams. After San Stefano FC’s narrow title win last season, the Montenegrin cup again looks ripe for surprises.
Eredivisie clubs face a mixed bag of challenges. Lazio Berkel and FCTWENTE76 both host Hoofdklasse visitors (Brachtster Doys and Jyväskylän Jalkapalloklubi respectively) in matches where early complacency could be punished. SC Pink welcome strong Eerste Divisie side FC De Vriesjes in one of the round’s most balanced clashes. Lower-tier hopefuls Sawatdee Khrap and Ridgesister FC test Sweet Megg and AZ ALKMAAR FC, while Vitesse–FC Utrecht is a heavyweight second-division duel. With holders Abel United already safely in the hat, the chase pack must respond.
Cup holders FC Saense host Carcavelos in a high-profile Liga de honra showdown; everyone wants to see if last season’s magic is repeatable. Superliga side Vale Pisão welcome Mafamude FC from the 3ª liga, while Santa Cruz FC–Sá FC and CDAlapria–Sport Lisboa e Benfica give lower-division teams a crack at big-name opposition. Vitoria de Setubal–OLIMPIC ..PORTALEGRE, Castendo Futebol Clube–Colinas FC, União R J Fernão Ferro–Academia Amaral SuperSport and a trio of 3ª-league duels (Associaçao Lobos d Oeiras–Cortiças, Águias da Rocha–Os Belenenses, VBLOCK FC–Red Eagles F.C.) ensure drama across all tiers. CCTaipas–The Rough Devils adds a pure under-league fight for relevance.
Only one fixture, but it’s pure Primera Division: Portela host Celtic de Mostoles FC in a tie loaded with league pride. With champions Espongis and finalists Brian Boitano’s setting last season’s standard, both sides know that a strong cup run might be their best route into the domestic elite conversation.
Rutger Boll Klubb, last season’s finalists, take on fellow Allsvenskan side IFK Hägersten in a heavyweight early-round clash. With Norrlandsfotboll FC having edged them to the trophy, Rutger are desperate to show they remain Sweden’s primary cup force. Hägersten, meanwhile, see this as the perfect chance to topple a recent finalist and announce themselves as serious contenders.
Cup holders MPAlger dive back into the spotlight with a dangerous visit to Regionale side Numidian Stars, a classic “big gun away to lower-league” trap. Super D2 sides Ouchène Irougueln–Raed Chabab Kouba and BEJAIA FOOTBALL CLUB–U.S.M.Belouizdad ’26 offer promotion-race subplots transferred to the cup stage. Mouloudia Club Oran hosting Sheva should give the Premiere division fans another benchmark of how far the second tier has closed the gap since MPAlger’s dominant run last season.
The champions are back in the firing line: racing club travel to Primera B side Internazionale San Isidro, the team they beat twice en route to last season’s title. It’s a high-risk, high-memory reunion. In the other tie, Primera division duo El Golfito FC and Celeste Jrs. meet in a straight top-flight contest, the kind of balanced pairing that often produces the round’s tightest finish.
Last time in Copa do Brasil...
The fourth round of the Copa do Brasil gave us very few surprises, and the vast majority of title favorites exercised their favoritism and remain alive in the dream of lifting the most democratic trophy in the country. The upsets of the round, then, fell upon the dinos: Vasco Ribeiro was defeated by Mykonos Grecco, while Black Griffins fell to Pavel. Otherwise, we can highlight Geny's historic victory with three goals in the final minutes, the end of Gigante Vasco Brasília's feel good story, eliminated by Rato, and Campinas finally winning again against Futleria. The standout is São Luís Roots' victory, applying a severe 4-1 that put Galo Doido in crisis.
The fifth round will be the last involving bots. That is: we only have matches between active teams and matches of teams against inactive ones. For the sixth phase of the competition, we'll only have matches between active teams. And this might be the toughest round in recent times.
That's because we have a dozen great matches. And there's something for everyone: matches between active members of the community, potential upsets, stories of rising teams, former champions on the field, and even a match between two of the giants of Brazilian Dugout.
Of course we're talking about Piraloku vs. Campinas, two of the four biggest teams in Brazil, counting both incarnations of the Campinas team - a match that hasn't happened since T46. Historically, advantage to Pira: in 53 matches, there have been 28 victories for Piraloku against 16 for Campinas. There are ten titles on the field, six for Pira against four for Campinas. The problem is that neither has been champion since the arrival of the new generation in T40. It won't be this time for the loser.
Leader and undefeated in B2, Araras Vermelhas is establishing itself as an exponent of the next generation - and why not a future CB team? Well, let's see how the Avian Tricolor will perform against one of today's giants: Araras hosts none other than the powerful Guará, a market shark and seasoned presence in the elite in recent seasons. Another CB team facing a tough match is Flecha, in crisis after losing 3-0 to Geny. The team from Torres visits Pavel (who already eliminated a dino in the last round).
Match of titans for Na Canela vs. Descolado. Current leader of the Campeonato Brasileiro, Na Canela is living a dream phase and starting to imagine breaking Udian hegemony in Série A. Who has experience breaking that kind of hegemony is precisely Descolado, national two-time champion who broke a sequence of four Botafogo titles back in T40. Currently, however, Descolado is in crisis in the third division. Chance to show the shirt still has weight?
Speaking of CB, the 'secadores' will have a party. We have no less than six matches in the CB Team vs. potential upset format. Moços has the easiest task: hosts Iron Shins. Udi, after escaping Athletico Praiano, visits Star Five. The evil Vinter has had some good results lately in the Cup, but faces powerful Bangu. Bento, coming from a CB defeat, faces Cachoeirinha, Candal will have the chance to eliminate Consermon, and finally, Bit faces Millennials, in an old C3 rivalry - a match that already happened in the Copa in T46, with Bit's victory.
Marotos and Rosário are perfect parallels: both reached Série B with modest squads and managed to stay only using South American players. One will fall by the wayside. Worth noting that Marotos' form is much better (and the restructuring led by beggar Pedro Rosário doesn't seem to have borne fruit so far). Molotov and The Walking Dead are also B veterans - with one victory each in their tally. They'll have the chance to break the tie.
Cajueiro is in surprisingly good form in B2, being one of the few teams still undefeated this season. But if anyone knows Dugout secrets and how to break a defense, it's Edu Tramontina, the Brazilian dev. Just ask lucky Raylan Piekny. After beating a dino that can't get out of the third division, Mykonos will face a son of Capelo who can't get out of the third division: 3Kings and its excellent squad.
Atletic Rock and Douradina have a match between teams in great form. Jeff Rock is the leader of C4, while Douradina leads C7. Promise of a great match at Arena Lobo Guará. Quietly, Galácticos do Tsunami keeps advancing. Well: it will have the chance to now defeat Niterói and star Jandson Mangabeira. Advantage to Niterói. Another mysterious team still alive is Baile de Munique, holder of the DO-BR belt. Chance for Rato to take it to C6 - but we know "Wesley" is addicted to defending his belt.
Two D teams have the opportunity to make noise in the Copa. Municipal has restructured and now has one of the youngest squads in Brazil. Sol has already done the same process, and its young squad has already done enough to guarantee a Copa do Brasil championship. Both face each other at Piche e Maia this Tuesday (09). As for Ferreira, relegated after a conspiracy in C6 last season, went all-in for the Copa do Brasil and wants to keep advancing. They face EC Sírio, ninth in C2 after a very bad start.
Ceará appeared with great promise, with good community participation and an organized team. So far they haven't done much. They face Quebra Perna, always there in its fifth place in C8. Meanwhile, the leader of C8, the veteran Cirandinha, visits none other than Trem Fantasma/América de Natal. But we know Cirandinha has a habit of choking against sons of Capelo. And Trem already has a rival if he conquers the dino: Breno Paracambi has promised that 'his time will come', a direct threat to the leader of Grupo Trem. The issue is that Paracambi will have go through the traditional FC Skip before anything else.
We close the preview with a match between wealthy teams that are better at their budget than on the field: Celta vs. Piratas. In the past, advantage to the dino: both faced each other in the 3rd round of the Copa last season, with a crushing 6-2 victory for Celta de Vigo.
Two all-Championship clashes headline the American schedule. TeamScout face SmarTeam in a rematch laced with quarterfinal memories from last season, while Galaxy LA host FC Dallas in a tie that feels more like a playoff six-pointer than a cup game. With NY Cosmos and mexico city currently out of the spotlight, the path is clear for a new contender to launch a serious title charge.
