Russian football Cup

Publication date: 31 Aug 2022

About the Russian Cup

The Russian Cup is an annual competition for Russian football clubs.

Not only professional football clubs have the right to participate in the Russian Cup, so do amateur clubs representing winners of regional competitions of the third and fourth divisions, which have passed the certification of the Professional Football League.

The winner of the Cup faces the champion of Russia in a Super Cup match and also receives the right to play in the Europa League.

The Russian Cup is also held for women’s national teams.

Since 1991, the Russian Cup has been held (at that time, it was the Soviet Cup). Until 2006, the tournament was managed by the Association of Women’s Football of Russia. Since 2006, overall control of the Championship and the Russian Cup is carried out by the Russian Football Union (RFS).

Official RFS website

2024/2025 Russian Cup (football)

The Russian Football Cup 2024/2025 is one of the main national tournaments, which is held under the auspices of the Russian Football Union (RFU). This tournament is held annually and allows not only the clubs of the Russian Premier League (RPL), but also teams from the lower divisions to compete for the prestigious trophy. The winner of the Russian Cup gets the right to play in the UEFA Europa League next season, which makes the tournament important not only from the point of view of domestic competition, but also international representation.

The Russian Cup system includes a group stage and playoff stages. Both professional and amateur teams take part in the tournament, which makes it especially unpredictable.

Participants and favorites

The 2024/2025 Russian Cup is attended by clubs from the RPL, First and Second Leagues, as well as some teams that have passed the regional selection. The main favorites of the tournament are traditionally the top clubs of the Russian Premier League, such as:

• Zenit (Saint Petersburg) is the current champion of Russia and one of the main contenders for victory.
• Spartak (Moscow) is the record holder for the number of titles won, always aiming for trophies.
• Lokomotiv (Moscow) is an experienced cup fighter, having won the tournament more than once.
• CSKA (Moscow) is the winner of many national trophies and a strong contender for victory.
• Krasnodar and Dynamo Moscow are clubs that regularly demonstrate a high level of play.
  However, the Russian Cup is known for its sensations – often teams from lower divisions knock out famous opponents from the fight, which makes the tournament even more spectacular.

Where is it held?

The matches of the 2024/2025 Russian Cup are held at various stadiums throughout the country. Clubs play at their arenas until the final stage of the tournament. The final match of the Russian Cup is traditionally held on a neutral field, and in recent years the RFU has chosen different stadiums to host the decisive game. For example, the finals were held at such arenas as:

• Luzhniki (Moscow)
• Gazprom Arena (Saint Petersburg)
• Yekaterinburg Arena (Yekaterinburg)
• Ak Bars Arena (Kazan)
  The official venue for the 2025 Russian Cup final will be announced later, but it will most likely be one of the country’s major stadiums.

History of the Russian Cup

The Russian Cup has been held since 1992. FC Torpedo Moscow became the first club to win the trophy of the Russian Cup. FC Lokomotiv Moscow is the most titled club in the history of the tournament. The Russian Cup is a passing prize. The winner is awarded its replica. There are two cases in which the original trophy is awarded:

1.     If the club is a five-time tournament winner;
2.     If the club has won three tournaments in a row.

From the 2021-2022 season, BETCITY has become the main sponsor of the Russian Cup. With the new sponsor, there have been changes to the fees for participants in the tournament. The BETCITY winner of the Russian Cup will receive 40,000,000 roubles. It is also possible to watch the matches on YouTube or in the BETCITY app.

Interesting facts

• The first Russian Cup was held in 1992 after the collapse of the USSR. The winner was Moscow Spartak.
• CSKA has the largest number of victories in the Russian Cup – the team has won the trophy 13 times.
• The cup path can be long – teams from the lower leagues begin the tournament long before the RPL clubs enter.
• Unexpected winners – in different years, not only the giants of Russian football have become winners, but also less famous clubs, such as Tosno (2018) and Rostov (2014).

Results of the previous Russian Cup seasons

2025/2026 Russian Cup

The 2025/2026 Russian Cup will start in the summer of 2025, shortly after the end of the current tournament. The tournament format will most likely remain unchanged, but minor adjustments to the match system are possible.

Keep an eye on the dates of football tournaments and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.