The 2026/27 La Liga season is set to begin with Barcelona looking to extend their recent dominance while Real Madrid attempt to reclaim their place at the top of Spanish football under returning manager José Mourinho.

Barcelona have won the previous two league titles and will be targeting a third straight championship. Real Madrid, meanwhile, enter the campaign without a major trophy for two seasons and have made significant changes to their squad.

The two Spanish giants will not feature during the opening round because their players were heavily involved in the latter stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

When Does La Liga 2026/27 Start?

The new La Liga campaign begins on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The opening round is spread across several days, with matches also taking place on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

The first-round fixtures are:

• Alavés vs Getafe – August 15, 17:30 GMT
• Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano – August 15, 19:30 GMT
• Racing Santander vs Villarreal – August 16, 15:00 GMT
• Espanyol vs Levante – August 16, 17:00 GMT
• Celta Vigo vs Osasuna – August 16, 19:30 GMT
• Deportivo vs Elche – August 17, 19:00 GMT
• Atlético Madrid vs Málaga – August 19, 19:00 GMT

Barcelona and Real Madrid will enter the competition later than the other title contenders.

Why Are Barcelona and Real Madrid Starting Late?

La Liga postponed the opening fixtures involving Barcelona and Real Madrid because of the number of players from both clubs who represented their countries deep into the 2026 World Cup.

Barcelona had eight players involved with Spain's World Cup-winning squad, including Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.

Real Madrid also had several important players involved in the tournament. Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni helped France reach the semi-finals, while Jude Bellingham featured for England.

The additional rest period is intended to give those players more time to recover following the international tournament.

When Will Barcelona Play Their First Match?

Barcelona's title defence begins on August 23, when they travel to face Elche.

The Catalan club will attempt to build on consecutive league triumphs and potentially secure a third straight La Liga title.

Young star Lamine Yamal will be one of the central figures in Barcelona's campaign after his influential role for club and country.

When Will Real Madrid Play Their First Match?

Real Madrid begin their league campaign on August 22 away against Espanyol.

The fixture will mark the beginning of a new era under José Mourinho, who has returned to the Santiago Bernabéu for a second spell.

Mourinho previously managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013 and now faces the challenge of restoring the club to the top of Spanish football.

Barcelona Enter as Title Favourites

Barcelona are widely regarded as the leading contenders for the championship.

According to projections cited by the source, the Opta supercomputer gives Barcelona a 45.6% chance of winning the title.

A third consecutive championship would take Barcelona to 30 La Liga titles and give them their first three-peat since the Pep Guardiola era between 2008 and 2011.

Real Madrid are next in the projections with a 31% chance of winning the league.

Other Title Contenders

Atlético Madrid are ranked third among the favourites despite finishing fourth last season without a trophy.

Their projected title probability is 8.6%.

They are followed by:

• Villarreal – 3.3%
• Real Betis – 2.1%

The figures underline the expected dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the championship race.

Real Madrid Make Major Transfer Moves

Madrid have been particularly active in the transfer market.

Their incoming players include:

• Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan
• Marc Cucurella from Chelsea
• Ibrahima Konaté as a free agent after leaving Liverpool
• Bernardo Silva on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City
• Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig

The signing of Diomande reportedly represented a club-record fee for the teenage winger.

The additions give Mourinho several new options as he attempts to rebuild Madrid into title contenders.

Barcelona Also Add Attacking Quality

Barcelona have strengthened their attacking options with two notable additions.

Anthony Gordon has joined from Newcastle United, while versatile forward Karim Adeyemi has arrived from Borussia Dortmund.

Both players provide additional attacking depth as Barcelona attempt to balance their title defence with their European ambitions.

Who Could Be Relegated?

The relegation battle could also be particularly competitive.

According to the projections cited in the source, newly promoted Deportivo have the highest probability of relegation at 29.2%.

Elche follow at 28.4%, while Sevilla are given a 27.7% probability.

Sevilla's position is particularly notable after the club spent the previous two seasons involved in relegation battles.

What to Expect From La Liga 2026/27

The new season carries several major storylines.

Barcelona are chasing a historic third consecutive title, while Real Madrid have entrusted Mourinho with the task of restoring their dominance.

Atletico Madrid will also hope to challenge the two giants, while clubs such as Villarreal and Real Betis look to disrupt the established hierarchy.

The arrival of several high-profile players adds another layer of intrigue to a season that could produce another dramatic Spanish title race.

Key Takeaways

• The 2026/27 La Liga season begins on August 15.
• Barcelona are defending back-to-back league titles.
• Barcelona's first match is away against Elche on August 23.
• Real Madrid begin against Espanyol on August 22.
• José Mourinho has returned as Real Madrid manager.
• Barcelona are the leading title favourites according to the cited Opta projections.
• Real Madrid have made several major additions during the transfer window.
• Atlético Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis are among the other projected contenders.
• Deportivo, Elche and Sevilla are among the leading relegation candidates.

SportsLigue