Spain's title win has caused scheduling chaos: the first round of the new La Liga season's 10 matches are spread across 7 different dates and 3 different weeks.
According to El Mundo, Spain's back-to-back World Cup victories have greatly benefited Spanish football in many ways. The report points out that the performance of Spanish Football Federation President Rusan has dispelled Gianni Infantino's doubts about holding the 2030 World Cup final in Madrid; Spain's victory over Argentina at the Metropolitan Life Stadium in New York has also solidified Luis de la Fuente's position, securing a contract extension until the next World Cup, and propelling Spain to number one in the world rankings.
The second star adds luster to Spanish football and its league as a whole. While La Liga lags behind the Premier League in resources and budget, it leads in competitive performance. The prestige of winning the championship benefits the league, clubs, players, and coaches, attracts more international attention, and serves as an effective export platform. These are undeniable gains.
However, the national team's success has disrupted the start of the new La Liga season. The world's best players are now enjoying their well-deserved holidays and will not return to their clubs until the end of pre-season preparations. This is a consequence of the tight schedule.
The 2026-27 La Liga season is scheduled to begin in mid-August, but the first round of matches has been disrupted like never before: 10 matches will be played on 7 different dates and 3 different weeks. This Sudoku-like schedule is due to the fact that clubs with players participating in the World Cup finals can apply to postpone the start of the league. The first round of matches will begin on August 15th and continue until August 27th, with the second round interspersed throughout. Some teams, such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, will play the second round before the first.
This scheduling has angered La Liga president Javier Tebas. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday, he criticized Gianni Infantino without reservation. "FIFA arranges everything arbitrarily, for their own benefit, not for football. If they need a 27-minute break, they do it. The water break is a joke. We have water breaks in La Liga too, but only when it's hot. The stadiums in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta have air conditioning, and I still have to wear a sweater in the stands. That's a joke, an advertising break. Then there was the Balogun incident," Tebas said.
“Now they want to host a World Cup with 64 teams. Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry is not just about the World Cup. The World Cup is certainly the most important event, but not everything revolves around it. It is the country's league that supports the sport,” Tebas continued.
The La Liga president warned: "They are destroying the football industry, which creates tens of thousands of jobs, for a 40-day tournament in which only a small number of players can participate."
Against this backdrop, the 2026-27 La Liga season will kick off on Saturday, August 15th, with two matches: Alavés vs. Getafe (7:30 PM) and Sevilla vs. Rayo Vallecano (9:30 PM). Sunday, August 16th: Racing Santander vs. Villarreal (5 PM), Espanyol vs. Celta Vigo (7 PM), Celta Vigo vs. Osasuna (9:30 PM). Monday, August 17th: Deportivo La Coruña vs. Elche (9 PM). Wednesday, August 19th: Atlético Madrid vs. Malaga (9 PM). Tuesday, August 25th: Valencia vs. Real Betis (9 PM). Wednesday, August 26th: Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad (9 PM). Thursday, August 27th: Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao (9 PM).
To complicate matters further, the second round will be interspersed with the first round, scheduled between August 20th and 24th. It's simply dizzying.
