Real Madrid La Liga opener to be postponed with key stars poised to play World Cup semi finals

Real Madrid La Liga opener to be postponed with key stars poised to play World Cup semi finals Real Madrid will have to wait a little longer before kicking off their 2026/27 La Liga campaign. The Athletic reports that the Spanish top flight has agreed to delay the club’s opening fixture because of the ongoing impact of the FIFA World Cup. The new La Liga season is still scheduled to kick off during the weekend of August 14 and 15.  However, Madrid’s home clash against Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu will no longer be part of the opening round. The fixture will instead be played later in August, allowing players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup enough time to recover and prepare for the new season. The decision comes after Spain’s footballers’ union (AFE) raised concerns about players competing deep into the World Cup not receiving the required period of rest before returning to club duty.  With the tournament concluding on July 19, several players would otherwise have been expected to report almost immediately for pre-season training. To address the issue, La Liga clubs unanimously agreed to spread the opening round of fixtures across different dates.  Most matches will still be played on the opening weekend, while a small number, including Madrid’s, will be moved to a midweek slot between the second and third rounds of the campaign. La Liga president Javier Tebas confirmed that the arrangement ensures all players receive three weeks of rest after their final World Cup appearance.  They will also get another three weeks of preparation before returning to competitive action. “The AFE collective agreement will be fulfilled for all players,” Tebas said. “All players will get three weeks of rest, from their last game at the World Cup, and three weeks of preparation.  “We can divide the first gameweek into six games until August 14 and another three or four midweek (later) in August, between gameweek two and three.” Madrid are affected because several of their key players are still involved in the World Cup.  Depending on the outcome of Morocco’s quarter-final blockbuster with France, the likes of Brahim Diaz, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Ibrahima Konate could remain in the tournament until the closing stages. Meanwhile, the revised schedule will now see Jose Mourinho mark his Madrid return with an away trip to Espanyol on the weekend of August 22 and 23.