The 2026-27 LaLiga season began this weekend with five games played until Monday, although the start of the Spanish championship was marked by the absence of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. The three clubs received an additional break after the 2026 World Cup due to the participation of players from their squads in the final stages of the tournament.
The calendar of the first day was thus conditioned by an agreement between LaLiga and the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), which allowed clubs with players present in the World Cup semi-finals to postpone their respective matches to guarantee an adequate rest period between seasons.
The measure affected six teams. Seven Spanish clubs were represented in the four World Cup semi-finals, but four of them had to face each other on the opening day: Barcelona against Athletic Club and Real Madrid against Real Sociedad. Atlético, Real Betis and Celta de Vigo were the other teams involved in the situation.
The big ones will debut next week
Atlético de Madrid will be the first of the big three to take action. The red and white team will host Málaga at the Metropolitan stadium on Wednesday, August 19, just a few days after the official start of the championship.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to wait even longer. Both will begin their participation in LaLiga during the second day: Real Madrid will visit Espanyol on Saturday, August 22, while Barcelona will play against Elche as a visitor on Sunday the 23rd.
The matches that both had pending from the first date were placed during the week. Madrid will face Real Sociedad on August 26, while Barcelona will host Athletic Club the following day.
The extra rest also changed the preparation of both teams. Real Madrid will be able to play a final preseason friendly against Schalke 04 this Sunday. Barcelona, for its part, still has two games scheduled before officially starting its campaign: a visit to Basel and the match against Al Ahly corresponding to the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Camp Nou.
Celta de Vigo had a different situation. The club decided not to request the postponement of its opening match against Osasuna. Borja Iglesias, one of the Spanish players involved, only participated during the last two minutes of Spain's 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
However, the match that was to be played in Balaídos was later moved to Thursday, August 27 due to an illness that affected the stadium's grass.
While the three main clubs in Spain wait to debut, the first day began without them, but it has already left its first results. Alavés defeated Getafe 3-0 and Sevilla beat Rayo 2-1.
On Sunday, Racing and Villarreal drew 2-2, while Espanyol began the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Levante. On Monday, Deportivo and Elche tied 1-1.
The absence of Barcelona and Real Madrid is also a particularity for the beginning of the competition from an international point of view, since the return of LaLiga does not initially have some of its main figures and teams. The situation, however, responds to the special calendar established after the World Cup and not to a permanent modification of the competition.
