La Liga: What to know ahead of new 2026-27 football season

What the report says

Al Jazeera says Spain’s La Liga begins its 2026-27 season on Saturday, August 15, with seven opening-round matches spread across several days. The league’s two biggest clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, are not in action in the first round because their starts were pushed back after many of their players were involved in the FIFA World Cup semifinals and final. Barcelona open away to Elche on August 23, while Real Madrid visit Espanyol on August 22.

The report says Barcelona are seeking a third straight league title after winning the previous two seasons, while Real Madrid are aiming to rebound after two campaigns without a major trophy. Al Jazeera notes that Real return with Jose Mourinho as manager, in his second spell at the club. Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Real Betis are also mentioned among the challengers, though the title race is expected to center again on Barcelona and Madrid.

Al Jazeera also highlighted offseason transfers. It reported that Real Madrid added Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva and teenage winger Yan Diomande, while Barcelona signed Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. The article included Opta-based preseason probabilities for the title and relegation battle, and said newly promoted Deportivo and Sevilla are among the sides facing the highest relegation risk.

The piece is useful context for the season because it explains the timing of the delayed starts, the main contenders, and some of the key squad changes likely to shape the campaign.