La Liga to reschedule half of opening round matches in new season. What’s the reason?

The start of the 2026/27 season in Spain's La Liga will feature an unusual format. Due to several players taking part in the final stages of the World Cup, as many as five matches from the opening round will be postponed to a later date, according to AS.

This decision was made in advance through an agreement between La Liga and the clubs. The teams supported the option to kick off the season on the originally planned date — August 15 — on the condition that clubs with players competing in the latter stages of the World Cup would be allowed to delay their opening fixtures. This gives those players at least three weeks of vacation and an additional three weeks for a full preseason training camp.

Among the matches almost certain to be postponed are Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad, Barcelona vs. Athletic, and Celta vs. Osasuna. All these teams have players who represented Spain at the World Cup, where the national team reached the tournament semifinals.

• Read also: Who will reach the World Cup semi-finals? Prediction: Argentina vs Switzerland – July 12, 2026

Another match to be played later is Atlético vs. Málaga. The fate of one more fixture depends on the result of the World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland. If Argentina advance to the semifinals, Valencia vs. Betis will also be postponed due to Giovani Lo Celso’s involvement.