The tournament was attended by 138 teams from the main categories of Spanish football.
The tournament began on 10 September 1980 and ended on 18 June 1981 with the final, held in Vicente Calderón Stadium in Madrid, in which the FC Barcelona was crowned for the nineteenth time in their history, after beating Sporting de Gijón 3–1.
The defending champions, Real Madrid CF, were defeated 4–3 (on aggregate score) by Sporting de Gijón on their way to reach their first final.
Results of matches played: 19 November / 3 December Bye: Real Madrid CF.
Bye: Deportivo Alavés, Athletic Bilbao, Levante UD, FC Barcelona, Granada CF, Castilla CF, Atlético de Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, UD Salamanca, Sporting de Gijón, Real Sociedad, Sevilla FC, Real Madrid CF.