La Liga 2026/27 Season Kickoff Dates and Key Fixtures
The new La Liga season kicks off on Saturday, August 15, starting with Alaves hosting Getafe. This year, the league has a staggered start due to World Cup commitments affecting several teams.
Clubs with players who reached the World Cup semifinals were allowed to postpone their opening fixtures. Every team accepted except Celta Vigo, which will face Osasuna on Sunday, August 16 despite Borja Iglesias' role in Spain’s World Cup win.
This adjustment means that heavyweights like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid will start their campaigns later than usual.
Rescheduled Match Details
Atletico Madrid's opening game against Malaga will take place on Wednesday, August 19.
Matches initially planned for the first weekend between Valencia vs Real Betis, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad, and Barcelona vs Athletic Club have been moved to midweek slots from August 25 to 27. These clubs will begin their season during matchweek two on the weekend of August 22-23.
Matchweek One Schedule
- Date: Saturday, August 15 - Alaves vs. Getafe at 1:30 p.m. ET
- Date: Saturday, August 15 - Sevilla vs. Rayo Vallecano at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Date: Sunday, August 16 - Racing vs. Villarreal at 11:00 a.m. ET
- Date: Sunday, August 16 - Espanyol vs. Levante at 1:00 p.m. ET
- Date: Sunday, August 16 - Celta vs. Osasuna at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Date: Monday, August 17 - Deportivo vs. Elche at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Date: Wednesday, August 19 - Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga* at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Date: Tuesday, August 25 - Valencia vs. Real Betis* at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Date: Wednesday, August 26 - Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad* at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Date: Thursday, August 27 - Barcelona vs. Athletic Club* at 3:00 p.m. ET
*Matches rescheduled from opening weekend due to World Cup player involvement.
El Clasico Dates for 2026/27
The first El Clasico is set for Sunday, October 25 at Camp Nou, with Real Madrid hosting the return leg on Sunday, May 9 at Santiago Bernabeu. Kickoff times might shift to optimize TV schedules.
Besides league clashes, both Barcelona and Real Madrid will compete in the 2027 Supercopa de España in February and could meet in the final. They may also face each other during the UEFA Champions League knockout stages or Copa del Rey.
Season Conclusion and Winter Break
The last day of the La Liga season falls on Sunday, May 30. Similar to the Premier League, all final matches will start simultaneously to maintain fairness, with kickoffs at 7 p.m. CEST (1 p.m. ET) in 2025/26 as a reference.
There is a winter pause in the schedule between December 22 and January 2, when no matches are played.
