La Liga Opening Weekend: Schedule Changes and Player Engagements

La Liga returns this weekend with a slightly different format. Six matches are scheduled during the first matchday, but Barcelona and Real Madrid, the league’s most prominent clubs, will not be playing. Here’s why.

Match Schedule for the Opening Weekend

The first game features Deportivo Alaves against Getafe on Saturday at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK, 1.30pm ET). Later that evening, Sevilla will host Rayo Vallecano. Racing Santander is set for a La Liga comeback on Sunday when Villarreal visits their El Sardinero stadium. Espanyol faces Levante on the same day. Two clubs returning to the league, Deportivo La Coruna, will play against Elche on Monday. Atletico Madrid and Malaga, the second-division play-off winners, will meet on Wednesday.

Racing Santander made an emotional return to La Liga.

Four matches have been postponed to late August due to an agreement between La Liga and Spain’s players’ union, AFE, providing a mandatory break for players whose national teams reached the World Cup semi-finals. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella won’t play until the season’s second weekend due to Spain’s victory against Argentina on July 19.

Barcelona and Real Madrid’s Season Start

As La Liga champions, Barcelona’s defense begins at Elche on Sunday, August 23, offering eight Barcelona players in Spain’s World Cup-winning team extended recovery time. Jose Mourinho, beginning his second stint as Madrid manager, will preside over his first game against Espanyol on Saturday, August 22.

The fixtures initially scheduled for Barcelona and Real Madrid will now occur at the end of August. Barcelona faces Athletic Club on Thursday, August 27, at Camp Nou, whereas Madrid will play Real Sociedad on Wednesday, August 26, at Bernabeu.

Barcelona contributed eight players to Spain’s World Cup-winning squad.

World Cup Impact on La Liga

Some top players involved in the World Cup have only recently resumed training. Yamal, Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Pau Cubarsi returned to Barcelona’s training on Wednesday. In Madrid, Cucurella was absent from a friendly win against Deportivo La Coruna. Likewise, World Cup semi-finalists from England and France, including Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Aurelien Tchouameni, were not present, given their involvement in the third-place play-off before the final.

Agreement Details

La Liga intended to commence the 2025-26 season on August 15, despite other top European leagues beginning later. The Premier League starts on August 21, while Germany’s Bundesliga begins on August 28. AFE opposed the mid-August opening, arguing it denied players necessary rest and pre-season time per the collective bargaining agreement.

A proposal to divide the opening gameweek was accepted by La Liga club delegates on June 9. The season calendar was ratified at the Spanish football federation’s annual assembly on June 30, though Madrid did not send representatives. Clubs with players reaching the World Cup semi-finals could delay their opening matches by 10 days.

This staggered approach results in La Liga fixtures nearly every day from August 15 to 31. Such widespread scheduling aids in night-time kick-offs required for health and safety amid high temperatures in many Spanish cities.

Atletico Madrid’s Scenario

Atletico Madrid had the most players participating in the World Cup final; four with Spain and five with Argentina. Despite La Liga offering Atletico a rescheduled opening game against Malaga, concerts by The Weeknd at their Metropolitano stadium limited options.

Consequently, Atletico will host Malaga on Wednesday. Participation by World Cup winners, including Llorente and Baena, remains uncertain as they resumed training only a week before the club season begins.

Argentina player Alvarez’s situation is undecided, as transfer discussions with Barcelona continue. Atletico claims he is not for sale.

Implications for Other Clubs

Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso, part of Argentina’s World Cup squad, led to Betis’ match at Valencia being rescheduled to Tuesday, August 25. Despite Celta Vigo’s Borja Iglesias being with Spain, Vigo was prepared to kick off against Osasuna.

However, a turf disease at Vigo’s Estadio Balaidos made the pitch unusable, leading to La Liga moving this game to Thursday, August 27.