Here are two reasons to be cheerful: 1) The 2026-27 season of LaLiga begins on Saturday, and 2) you can still stream every single match, in English and Spanish, all season long with ESPN.
But a look through the opening round of fixtures reveals a few big names notable by their absence. That’s because defending champions Barcelona and fellow giants Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid do not begin their seasons until next week.
ESPN writers Alex Kirkland and Sam Marsden explain what’s behind the delayed entry of LaLiga’s big three, and why there are plenty of other intriguing teams and storylines to start following this weekend.
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– Clásico kit clash: Barcelona, Real Madrid release new 2026-27 third jerseys
Why aren’t LaLiga’s big three clubs playing yet?
The new LaLiga season kicks off this weekend, although it does so without any of the big three in action — Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have all been given extra time to prepare.
The explanation is simple: clubs who had players in the semifinal or beyond at the FIFA World Cup were given an extended break.
Seven Spanish sides were represented across the four semifinals, although four of them were due to face each other in the opening weekend — champions Barça vs. Athletic Club, and Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad — meaning the disruption to the fixture calendar is not quite what it might have been. The other three affected teams are Atlético, Real Betis and Celta Vigo.
Celta Vigo did not request the postponement of their opener against Osasuna. Their veteran striker, Borja Iglesias, only appeared as a substitute in the final two two minutes of Spain‘s 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16.
The other six clubs all appealed to the agreement struck by the Spanish Players’ Union (AFE) with LaLiga, which stipulated that teams that had any representation in the semifinals were entitled to delay their games to allow their players an adequate amount of time off between seasons. — Sam Marsden
How will this affect them?
Atlético don’t have long to wait. They host Málaga at the Metropolitano on Wednesday, meaning their 2026-27 opener is delayed by only a few days, with minimal impact on their planning.
As for Barcelona and Real Madrid, they face the somewhat bizarre situation of starting the season on Matchday 2. Barça visit Elche on Aug. 23, the day after Madrid travel to Espanyol. They will then complete their postponed Matchday 1 duties in midweek, with Madrid playing Real Sociedad on Aug. 26, and Barça hosting Athletic Club on Aug. 27.
The extra time allows Madrid to squeeze in one final preseason friendly, at Schalke this Sunday, while Barça have two more friendly fixtures to play, visiting Basel and then hosting Al Ahly in the traditional Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou.
There has been little debate about, or pushback on, the schedule. Perhaps its biggest impact is from a global marketing point of view. Let’s be honest: It’s more difficult to get fans around the world excited about LaLiga being back, and counting down the days until the start of the season, if there’s no Barcelona and no Real Madrid — no Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé — when it gets going. But we’ll do our best. — Alex Kirkland
Which club will crash the top four?
It’s worth pointing out: Atlético Madrid didn’t finish third last season. Villarreal did, ending the campaign three points clear of Diego Simeone’s side, which were distracted by its UEFA Champions League run.
Villarreal have had a change of manager since — Marcelino left after a contract dispute and has been replaced by arguably the best young coach in Spain, Iñigo Pérez, formerly of Rayo Vallecano. They look best placed for another top-four finish in 2026-27, probably playing more exciting football than they did under Marcelino. The only question is in goal, where Luiz Júnior is far from reliable.
Otherwise, you’re looking at Real Betis, who’ve added left back Fran García to an already talented squad. They will be hoping creative fulcrum Isco can stay fit alongside Pablo Fornals in midfield. Or, there’s Celta Vigo, whose young squad full of homegrown academy products continues to improve, and who’ve signed one of the best midfielders in LaLiga last season in Aleix Febas. — Kirkland
Can Valencia, Sevilla shed ‘crisis club’ tags?
Since finishing fourth in 2019, Valencia — who won two LaLiga titles and reached back-to-back Champions League finals in the early 2000s — have become more accustomed to battling relegation than fighting for Europe. There is little hope that will change any time soon, although given how clustered the middle of the table was last season, it won’t take much to improve on a 12th-place finish.
But the atmosphere is not promising. Following a lack of investment in the squad, supporters remain irate with owner Peter Lim, while coach Carlos Corberán was whistled during a preseason friendly defeat to Newcastle United last week.
Despite that, Valencia might not be LaLiga’s biggest crisis club. Sevilla — whose star signing this summer is Scottish striker Robbie Ure from Swedish club IK Sirius for €6 million — are third favorites to go down, along with Deportivo La Coruña and Elche, according to Opta Supercomputer projections. The seven-time Europa League winners have finished 12th, 14th, 17th and 13th over the past four years. Coach Luis García has a big job on his hands to stop the slide. — Marsden
What on earth is going on at Rayo Vallecano?
Before we get to how Rayo will cope with losing Iñigo Pérez, or how they’ll get on away at Sevilla on Saturday, there’s a more basic question to discuss: Where will they be playing their home games this season?
Madrid’s regional government has deemed Rayo’s crumbling, unique Vallecas stadium — which it leases to the club — unfit to host matches until major works are undertaken to meet health and safety standards, and so Rayo are currently homeless. Leganés confirmed Monday that their Butarque stadium is ready to host Rayo’s first home game of the season, next Thursday against Alavés, but it’s not a long-term solution.
On the pitch — wherever that pitch is — Rayo must adapt to life without Pérez. They have hired the well-travelled Beñat San José, most recently at Eibar, to replace him. There have been no significant additions to the squad, but there have been some major exits. Flying fullback Pep Chavarría has joined Chelsea, and Nobel Mendy became Rayo’s most lucrative departure when he signed for newly-promoted Premier League side Hull City.
When you take into account the stadium situation, a new manager, and a weakened squad, it’s time to worry about Rayo. — Kirkland
Matarazzo ready for full season at Real Sociedad
Life in Spain could not have started any better for Pellegrino Matarazzo last season. The New Jersey-born coach kicked off his reign as Real Sociedad boss with a six-game unbeaten league run, including a win over champions Barcelona. He then led the club to Copa del Rey glory in April, beating Atlético in the final to become the first U.S.-born coach to win a trophy in Europe’s “big five” leagues.
It was perhaps only normal that after winning a trophy, and with little to play for in the league, La Real‘s form then dipped. But after not winning any of their last eight games, Matarazzo has his work cut out to ensure that trend doesn’t continue.
La Real have the quality to compete in the top half of the table. Spain’s World Cup star Mikel Oyarzabal is complemented in attack by Ander Barrenetxea, Takefusa Kubo and Gonçalo Guedes, but the squad is perhaps a little short. There has been little movement in the transfer market this summer, either, so there will be a big emphasis on Matarazzo’s coaching — Marsden
After historic highs and lows, Málaga return
Málaga could easily have gone out of business in the past few years. Catastrophic financial mismanagement, and subsequent legal disputes, saw them go from a top-four LaLiga finish and the Champions League quarterfinals to relegation in only five seasons between 2013 and 2018. Their lowest ebb came in 2023, when they dropped into the third tier.
But despite all that, they’ve always been a big club with a great stadium, La Rosaleda, and a large, passionate fanbase. Now, finally, they’re back, after finishing fourth in the second division last season, and winning promotion via the playoffs.
There was so much to love about the best Málaga sides of this century — think Isco, Santi Cazorla and Joaquin on the same team — and there’s also a lot to like about the current incarnation. They have a squad made up of young Spanish talent — look out for forward Chupete, and winger David Larrubia — and a coach, Juan Funes, who knows the club inside out, having spent five years in charge of the reserves.
It might not be as box office a formula as the old Málaga, but it’s certainly more sustainable. — Kirkland
Depor are back, and Aubameyang too
The past decade has been a slog for former champions Deportivo La Coruña. After relegation from LaLiga in 2018, they slumped into the third tier of Spanish football in 2020. It took them four years to return to the Segunda División , and now they are back in the top flight after a nine-season absence. With Depor having won the title in 1999-2000, it means all nine previous winners of LaLiga are now back in the top flight together this season.
Depor also come bearing a familiar face. Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined from Marseille. Aubameyang returns to Spain for a second spell after netting 13 goals in 24 appearances for Barça in 2022.
The Galician side also house former Arsenal youngster Charlie Patino, although it’s star player Yeremay Hernández who will have to deliver if coach Antonio Hidalgo’s side are to defy the odds and avoid the drop — they’re the favorites to go down, according to Opta Supercomputer projections. — Marsden
