La Liga 2026-27 begins this Saturday without its three most likely title challengers. Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid all have their opening fixtures deferred to later this month, with World Cup commitments pushing back the calendar for clubs with players returning from the summer tournament.
That means Saturday’s opening matches, Alavés vs Getafe, Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano, are competitive, watchable football, but not the fixtures that will define what happens between now and May. The shape of the title race takes its first real form when the big three begin in the final weeks of August.
That title race, though, already has clear contours. And this is a season worth following closely.
Barcelona: The Case for Three in a Row
Barcelona are the defending La Liga champions, having won back-to-back titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26. For a club that has often been described as cyclical in its success, two consecutive titles reflects a settled squad, a coherent style, and the kind of depth that makes them competitive in every game.
Their summer reinforces that depth rather than replacing it. Anthony Gordon joins from England, bringing directness and pace to a forward line that already contains Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres. Karim Adeyemi adds further quality to what is already an exceptional group of attacking options.
The case for Barcelona: they have the best squad, built on a settled foundation, with additions that make them harder to beat rather than just more exciting to watch. Three consecutive La Liga titles have been achieved by very few clubs in the modern era. Barcelona are positioned to attempt it.
Real Madrid: Mourinho, Returning
Real Madrid have spent two seasons without a major trophy. That is not a crisis for a club of Madrid’s resources, but it is a context that shaped the decision to bring José Mourinho back as manager this summer. Mourinho managed Madrid previously. He knows the demands of the role, the expectations of the Bernabéu, and what a trophy at this club means to its supporters.
His transfer activity in the summer reveals a defensive priority: Denzel Dumfries arrives from Inter Milan to add quality at right-back, Marc Cucurella joins from Chelsea to provide a competitive left-back option, and Ibrahima Konate joins as a free agent after leaving Liverpool to strengthen the centre-back position. Three defensive signings from high-quality clubs suggest Mourinho’s opening thesis is clear: make Madrid hard to beat, and let the attacking talent already at the club do what it does.
If Mourinho’s defensive structure settles quickly, and if Madrid’s attacking players stay available and in form, this could be a very different Madrid side to the one that has gone two years without lifting a trophy.
Atletico Madrid: The Third Option
Atletico Madrid’s summer has been active. Alejandro Grimaldo arrives from Bayer Leverkusen to add pace and set-piece threat on the left. Morten Hjulmand joins from Sporting CP to add solidity in central midfield. Lee Kang-in completes his move from Paris Saint-Germain, bringing creativity to a team that has historically been more functional than expressive in their attacking play.
Atletico remain the third team in most pre-season forecasts, but they have been the third team before and found themselves first in May. The additions of Grimaldo and Hjulmand suggest a squad that is more complete than last season’s.
The Opening Weekend
Saturday’s MD1 fixtures don’t carry title weight, but they matter to the clubs involved. Alavés vs Getafe and Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano open the 2026-27 season, with the standings starting to take shape before Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico arrive later this month.
Points dropped in September by the title contenders against clubs who started the season well are the most expensive of any campaign. The clubs playing this weekend know that.
What to Watch For
The first El Clásico of the season, Barcelona vs Real Madrid, is the fixture that will tell you the most about the title race before October. With Mourinho on one touchline and Barcelona chasing their third consecutive title, it carries enormous weight. The outcome of that match, and the form each club carries into it, will define the season’s narrative far more than any opening weekend result.
Until then, Saturday at the Estadio de Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz opens the 2026-27 campaign.
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