La Liga Season Start Postponed for Top Clubs
The opening matches for Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga have been postponed due to the participation of numerous players from these clubs in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The tournament's semifinals feature France against Spain and England against Argentina, leading to scheduling adjustments for the Spanish league.
Key Players in World Cup Semifinals
Among the notable players from Barcelona participating in the World Cup semifinals are Spain's Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, alongside England's Anthony Gordon. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's team includes France's Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, as well as England's Jude Bellingham, who has been instrumental in England's journey through the tournament.
The World Cup semifinals are set to be thrilling encounters, with France and Spain meeting first, followed by the clash between England and Argentina.
Schedule Changes for Barcelona and Real Madrid
The La Liga season was initially set to commence on the weekend of August 15-16. Defending champions Barcelona were scheduled to host Athletic Bilbao to begin their title defence. However, with the revised schedule, Barcelona will now start their season against Elche on August 23, with the match against Bilbao rescheduled for August 27.
Real Madrid were also affected by the changes. Their match against Real Sociedad, originally slated for the opening weekend, has been moved to August 26. Consequently, Jose Mourinho's second tenure as Madrid's manager will begin with an away game at Espanyol on August 22.
Atletico Madrid's Schedule Remains Unchanged
In contrast, Atletico Madrid will proceed with their initial schedule. The Argentinian duo Julian Alvarez and Nahuel Molina are set to play in their opening match against Malaga on August 19 as planned.
Source: Original Article
