.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
Barcelona and Real Madrid are ready to do battle for La Liga glory once again.
Barca stormed to glory under Hansi Flick last term as Madrid's season fell apart following Xabi Alonso's mid-season departure.
Madrid president Florentino Perez has turned to old ally Jose Mourinho, who is back at the Santiago Bernabeu for a second spell in charge.
Some things never seem to change, though, and Diego Simeone is back for his 15th full season in charge of Atletico Madrid.
Here's all you need to know about when a league with some of the biggest stars in the world – not to mention a host of Spain's World Cup-winning heroes – returns for 2026/27.
When does La Liga season start?
La Liga begins on Saturday, August 15 with Alaves' home match against Getafe, but the start to the league calendar is staggered this season.
Teams who had players progress to the semifinals of the World Cup were given the option to postpone their matchday one fixtures. All clubs took up this offer, with the exception of Celta Vigo, who face Osasuna on Sunday, August 16 despite Borja Iglesias' involvement in Spain's triumph in North America.
The changes mean Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all had their first matches pushed back.
Atletico's scheduled matchweek one game at home to Malaga will now take place on Wednesday, August 19.
Valencia vs Real Betis, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad, and Barcelona vs Athletic Club were all originally scheduled for the opening weekend but will now take place as midweek games from August 25 to 27. Those teams will now play their first games of the season on matchweek two, across the weekend of August 22-23.
La Liga 2026/27 matchweek one schedule
| Date | Match | Kickoff time (ET) |
| Saturday, August 15 | Alaves vs. Getafe | 1:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, August 15 | Sevilla vs. Rayo Vallecano | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, August 16 | Racing vs. Villarreal | 11:00 a.m. |
| Sunday, August 16 | Espanyol vs. Levante | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, August 16 | Celta vs. Osasuna | 3:30 p.m. |
| Monday, August 17 | Deportivo vs. Elche | 3:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday. August 19 | Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga* | 3:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, August 25 | Valencia vs. Real Betis* | 3:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, August 26 | Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad* | 3:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, August 27 | Barcelona vs. Athletic Club* | 3:00 p.m. |
*Fixture rearranged from the opening weekend due to World Cup commitments.
El Clasico dates in 2026/27
Barcelona are scheduled to welcome Real Madrid to Camp Nou for the first Clasico of the season on Sunday, October 25.
The return at the Santiago Bernabeu is slated for Sunday, May 9.
Kickoff times are not confirmed and the games could be moved to other days on the weekend in question for television coverage.
Both teams will compete in the 2027 Supercopa de Espana in February 2027 and could meet in the final, while they could also face one another in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
When does La Liga season finish?
The final round of La Liga fixtures is scheduled for Sunday, May 30.
In recent seasons, La Liga has followed the lead of the Premier League by having all final weekend matches kick off simultaneously.
In 2025/26, this meant all games starting on the final Sunday at 7 p.m. CEST (1 p.m. ET).
Is there a winter break in La Liga?
La Liga will pause over the Christmas period, with no matches scheduled from December 22 to January 2.
English (US)