LaLiga is back, but Spain's two biggest clubs won't be joining the party this weekend. Real Madrid and Barcelona are both absent from the opening round of fixtures — and the reason comes down to a ruling from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The RFEF granted clubs with a significant number of players involved in the World Cup semi-finals or final the right to postpone their matchday 1 games. Both Madrid and Barça met that threshold and took the option, pushing their openers back to the final week of August.
When do they actually play?
Here's where it gets slightly confusing. Both clubs will play their matchday 2 fixtures before their rescheduled matchday 1 games — meaning they open their seasons out of sequence.
- Real Madrid vs Espanyol — Saturday 22 August (matchday 2)
- Barcelona vs Elche — Sunday 23 August (matchday 2)
- Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad — Wednesday 26 August at the Bernabéu (matchday 1)
- Barcelona vs Athletic Club — Thursday 27 August at Spotify Camp Nou (matchday 1)
So the first competitive league action for either club this season comes against Espanyol and Elche respectively — two newly promoted sides who will fancy their chances of making a statement against distracted, rotation-heavy squads.
What this means for the opening weekend
Without Madrid and Barcelona, this weekend belongs to everyone else. Racing, Deportivo, and Málaga return to the top flight with a nostalgic edge. Sevilla host Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, a fixture with genuine edge given both clubs' recent turbulence. Villarreal, now under young manager Iñigo Pérez, face Racing on Sunday in one of the more intriguing tactical matchups of the round.
For those tracking early-season form and value in the market, the absence of the big two actually sharpens the picture elsewhere. Teams like Villarreal and Rayo could build early momentum — and points at this stage count just as much in May as they do in August.
Madrid and Barcelona will get going soon enough. But this opening weekend is a reminder that LaLiga doesn't wait for anyone.
