Cup Live Scores, Fixtures, Results and Statistics

Cup is Slovenia’s national men’s knockout competition, widely known as the Slovenian Cup and currently branded Pokal Pivovarna Union for sponsorship purposes. Organised by the Football Association of Slovenia (NZS), it is the country’s premier domestic cup and the principal knockout counterpart to the Slovenian PrvaLiga. Its single-elimination structure gives clubs from the professional game and regional football a route to the national trophy and, typically, UEFA Europa Conference League qualification.

Identity and history

The competition was established in 1991, following Slovenia’s independence, and forms part of the modern national football system administered by the NZS. Its purpose is broader than deciding a cup champion: it connects the different levels of Slovenian football in one national tournament. Top-flight sides compete alongside clubs from lower divisions and regional leagues, creating the possibility of high-profile giant-killing results as well as decisive fixtures between established professional teams.

The Slovenian Cup is separate from the PrvaLiga, which is a league championship decided over a season of scheduled fixtures. It is also distinct from the Supercup, a single match associated with the previous season’s leading domestic honours. The cup instead uses a progressive knockout bracket, where each tie eliminates one team and brings the winner closer to the final.

Entry and access

Eligibility is linked to affiliation with the NZS. Clubs from the PrvaLiga and the Slovenian second tier are part of the national competition, while teams from lower divisions generally reach it through regional qualifying routes. These preliminary stages are organised through Slovenia’s intercommunal football associations, commonly known as MNZ. Regional clubs therefore have a defined path into the national bracket rather than relying on an invitation.

The entry point can differ according to a club’s level and sporting commitments. Lower-league teams may begin in regional or preliminary rounds, while leading clubs enter at a later stage. Slovenian clubs representing the country in UEFA competitions typically receive a bye and join the cup in a later round, often the second round. This arrangement helps manage the size of the draw and reduces pressure on teams with European schedules.

Knockout format

The tournament is played as a single-elimination competition from its opening stages through to the final. A major restructuring introduced for the 2022–23 season expanded the first round to as many as 120 teams. The precise number of participants can vary by edition, but the broad progression normally runs through preliminary rounds, the first round, second round, round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

Recent editions have generally used unseeded draws rather than relying on traditional seeding. The regulations also support smaller clubs when teams from different divisions are paired: up to the round of 32, the lower-ranked club is normally awarded home advantage. This rule can bring top-flight football to regional grounds while giving the underdog a practical competitive benefit.

Every round is decided over one match. Unlike some major cup competitions that use two-legged semi-finals, the Slovenian Cup’s semi-finals and final are also single fixtures. The format keeps the tournament direct and ensures that one result, rather than an aggregate score across several weeks, determines who advances.

Match rules and calendar

Matches use the standard Laws of the Game, with knockout tie-break procedures applied when necessary. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time. A draw after 120 minutes is settled by a penalty shoot-out. These rules mean that a cup tie can be decided through sustained extra-time pressure or the specialist demands of penalties rather than by a replay.

The competition follows Slovenia’s autumn-to-spring football calendar. Regional qualifying matches and early national rounds are generally played from late summer into autumn, while the later stages are usually scheduled during the spring. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final typically lead into the conclusion of the domestic season, with the final normally taking place in May. Exact dates and venues are determined for each edition by the NZS.

Trophy and European stakes

Winning the cup delivers one of Slovenian football’s major domestic honours and can form half of a league-and-cup Double. The champion also normally earns Slovenia’s place in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying rounds, generally beginning in the second qualifying round. If the cup winner has already secured European qualification through its league position, the available place is typically reassigned according to the applicable UEFA and domestic competition rules.

The cup’s historical honours list is led by NK Maribor, the competition’s most successful club. That record reflects the importance of the tournament to Slovenia’s leading sides, but the competition’s identity rests equally on its open access and the opportunity it gives clubs outside the top flight. For supporters, the Cup combines a national trophy, a possible European route and the unpredictable character that makes knockout football distinctive.