La Liga starts with four opening-round matches postponed

The 2026-27 La Liga season begins this weekend with a reduced opening programme. Four first-round matches were postponed because several clubs supplied players to the final stages of the World Cup.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will not play their original opening fixtures this weekend. Other clubs begin as scheduled. The first complete table will therefore contain teams with different numbers of matches.

Four matches moved from the first weekend

Real Madrid‘s home match against Real Sociedad moved to 26 August. Barcelona against Athletic Club also left the original weekend. Atletico Madrid against Malaga and Valencia against Real Betis were postponed as well. The changes give affected players more recovery time after the World Cup. Several squads returned from North America later than normal. Clubs then needed time for medical checks and pre-season preparation.

Postponement does not remove the fixtures from the competition. Each match receives a new date inside the domestic calendar. The points will count toward the same thirty-eight-match league season.

Other fixtures will open the season

Racing Santander host Villarreal during the opening round. Espanyol face Levante, while Celta Vigo meet Osasuna. Other available fixtures continue across the weekend after final scheduling checks. These clubs can establish early positions before the postponed teams begin. A temporary lead does not mean they have played the same number of matches.

The games-played column becomes important when reading the table.

Newly promoted teams receive immediate top-flight tests. Returning clubs also begin with home or away conditions set by the June draw. Their preparation was not changed by the same World Cup issue.

Real Madrid begin at home on 26 August

Real Madrid will host Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, 26 August. The club first plays Espanyol away on 22 August. Malaga then visit Madrid on 30 August. The revised sequence gives Real Madrid three league matches across nine days. Real Sociedad also adds the postponed trip between its other confirmed commitments.

The new date is confirmed on both the club and league fixture pages. It replaces earlier listings that placed the match on the opening weekend. Readers using old calendars need the revised schedule.

Some clubs will play fewer matches in August

Postponed fixtures create uneven games played across the division. One club may hold more points simply because it has completed an extra match. Goal difference can also look larger for the same reason. League positions become easier to compare after the delayed games are completed. Until then, points per match provide another simple reference. No club receives an advantage in total possible points. Three matches in a short period increase the value of squad depth. The revised calendar also leaves fewer travel and recovery days between fixtures. The late start follows an unusual summer.

The World Cup final took place in July and shortened the normal preparation period. Clubs with many international players felt the largest effect. The league used postponements to provide a minimum recovery window.

Other Spanish teams had a more conventional pre-season and can begin immediately. That difference will disappear as the postponed fixtures are played. Every club still faces the same opponents home and away. The opening weekend therefore starts the competition without completing its first round. Supporters need confirmed club and league schedules for exact dates. The first weeks will gradually bring the table back into line.

Postponement changes dates, not competition points

Each delayed match still offers three points to the winner and one point after a draw. The clubs keep their complete league schedules. They will temporarily have fewer completed matches than unaffected teams. The rearranged fixtures restore an equal total later in the season. Real Madrid‘s revised sequence includes the confirmed visit from Real Sociedad on 26 August. Other postponed games receive separate dates. Points and matches played belong together when comparing the uneven opening table. Supporters need the revised fixture listings. Original tickets and travel plans depend on each club’s instructions after a date changes. The league and home club provide the confirmed replacement details. Earlier calendar versions no longer match the revised competition schedule.

The affected clubs keep every league fixture despite starting with fewer completed matches. The delayed clubs keep their complete home-and-away schedules. They record their first result when the rearranged fixtures are played. The four delayed games remain part of the full league calendar. They will create separate matchdays once the revised dates are confirmed.