2026/27 La Liga Season Start Dates and Opening Weekend Schedule

The new La Liga season kicks off on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with Alaves hosting Getafe. This year, the league's start is staggered due to some teams having players involved in the World Cup semifinals.

Teams whose players reached the late stages of the World Cup were allowed to delay their first fixtures. Every club accepted this option except for Celta Vigo, who will face Osasuna on Sunday, August 16, despite Borja Iglesias playing a part in Spain’s World Cup victory in North America.

This means the opening matches for Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid have been pushed back. For example, Atletico’s home game against Malaga has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 19.

La Liga 2026/27 Matchweek One Fixtures and Kickoff Times (ET)

• Saturday, August 15: Alaves vs. Getafe at 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 15: Sevilla vs. Rayo Vallecano at 3:30 p.m.
• Sunday, August 16: Racing vs. Villarreal at 11:00 a.m.
• Sunday, August 16: Espanyol vs. Levante at 1:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 16: Celta vs. Osasuna at 3:30 p.m.
• Monday, August 17: Deportivo vs. Elche at 3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 19: Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga at 3:00 p.m. (rescheduled from opening weekend)
• Tuesday, August 25: Valencia vs. Real Betis at 3:00 p.m. (rescheduled)
• Wednesday, August 26: Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad at 3:00 p.m. (rescheduled)
• Thursday, August 27: Barcelona vs. Athletic Club at 3:00 p.m. (rescheduled)

Matches marked with an asterisk are rearranged from the opening weekend to accommodate World Cup commitments.

El Clasico Dates for 2026/27

Barcelona will host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, for the first Clasico of the season. The return fixture at Santiago Bernabeu is set for Sunday, May 9, 2027.

Kickoff times for these matches are yet to be confirmed and could shift within the weekend depending on TV scheduling. Both clubs will also meet in the 2027 Supercopa de Espana in February, and may face off in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds or Copa del Rey.

End of Season and Winter Break

The final round of fixtures is scheduled for Sunday, May 30, 2027. Following a pattern similar to the Premier League, all final day matches will kick off simultaneously. For the 2025/26 season, that meant a 7 p.m. CEST (1 p.m. ET) start for every game on the last Sunday.

La Liga will pause during the Christmas period, with no matches set between December 22 and January 2.