Why Barcelona and Real Madrid Will Miss the Opening Round of the Spanish Championship

The 2026/27 La Liga season will begin with an unusual opening round featuring six matches in a unique format. However, reigning champions Barcelona and their long-standing rivals Real Madrid will not take part in the opening fixtures. According to The Athletic, this is due to a mandatory player-rest agreement, and four matches have been postponed until the end of August. This was reported by Goal.com.

The round will begin on Saturday evening with Deportivo Alavés facing Getafe. Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano, Racing Santander, Espanyol, Deportivo La Coruña and Atlético Madrid will also take the field according to the scheduled calendar. However, the absence of the major clubs is turning fans' attention to the other matches.

Mandatory rest agreement and schedule changes

This unusual opening week is the result of an agreement between La Liga and the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE). The deal requires a mandatory break for players whose national teams reached the World Cup semi-finals. La Liga had initially insisted on starting the season on August 15, unlike other major European leagues.

However, AFE opposed the plan to protect players' right to rest under the collective agreement. Spain's victory over Argentina and their title triumph on July 19 showed that Barcelona and Real Madrid's key players would need additional recovery time.

Club and player preparation

After a month of discussions, La Liga clubs unanimously decided to split the opening round. The Royal Spanish Football Federation approved the schedule on June 30, even though Real Madrid did not send representatives to any of the meetings. Following the summer international break, several key stars have only just joined their teams' training sessions.

In particular, Barcelona players Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsí resumed training only on Wednesday. A similar situation is unfolding in Madrid. Marc Cucurella missed the friendly against Deportivo, which ended in a 1–0 victory, alongside Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

This additional break and rest period will allow the Catalan club to prepare more thoroughly before beginning its title defence away to Elche on August 23. Meanwhile, José Mourinho, who has returned as Real Madrid head coach, will make his second-spell debut away to Espanyol on August 22.