Barcelona and Real Madrid to Debut in Mallorca and Against Osasuna; El Clásico Matches Scheduled for October and May

La Liga 2025-26 has its roadmap set. Just over a month after the championship that unexpectedly restored Barcelona's dominance concluded, the 20 top-tier teams now know the path they will tread over more than nine months of thrilling competition, 38 matchdays, and 380 games.

The 95th edition of Spain's Primera División will take place between August 17 and May 24, featuring three midweek matchdays and a Christmas break after the matches on Sunday, December 21, resuming on the weekend of January 4, 2026. Additionally, it will once again be punctuated by the classic five FIFA international windows in September, October, and November this year for World Cup qualifiers, in March 2026 for potential playoffs or friendlies, and finally, after the league's epilogue, in June 2026, before the major national team tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The second iteration of Hansi Flick's Barcelona, the reigning league champions, will begin their title defense away in Mallorca. This was one of the many conditions of the draw, as the Catalan club requested to play their first three matches away from Camp Nou to maximize the timeline for the stadium's renovations and return home with the greatest assurances possible, two seasons later. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid will debut in a championship that should serve as redemption against Osasuna in Chamartín, while Atlético will kick off against Espanyol in Cornellà.

The most anticipated matches worldwide, the El Clásico encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid, will take place on matchday 10, the weekend of October 26 at Santiago Bernabéu - coincidentally the same date as last season - and on matchday 35, the weekend of May 10, at Camp Nou, which will once again host a high-stakes rivalry match between the two titans of Spanish football in La Liga, more than two years after the last one, held on March 19, 2023, with a Barcelona victory (2-1).

The always thrilling Madrid derbies, those electrifying matches that split the capital into two footballing halves, also capture attention. Real Madrid will host their city rivals on matchday 29, March 22, at Santiago Bernabéu. Meanwhile, Atlético will play host at the Metropolitano cauldron on matchday 7, September 28. Real Madrid will again host their city rivals on matchday 29, March 22, at Santiago Bernabéu.

Barcelona and Atlético close the first half of the season with a high-flying encounter at Camp Nou (January 11) and meet on Atlético's turf on matchday 30 (April 5). The always special Seville derbies will take place on matchday 14 (November 30) at Sánchez-Pizjuán and on matchday 26 (March 1) at Villamarín. Meanwhile, the major Basque derbies will occur on matchday 11 (November 2) at Anoeta and on matchday 22 (February 1) at San Mamés.

La Liga will draw its curtain on the weekend of May 24, with matches between Valencia and Barcelona at Mestalla, Real Madrid and Athletic at Bernabéu, or Atlético's visit to Villarreal, which could decide the championship's fate.

Additionally, the Copa del Rey will incorporate proximity criteria for its first two rounds, while the four participants of the Spanish Super Cup (between Wednesday, January 7, and Sunday, January 11, 2026, in Saudi Arabia) will join the knockout tournament in the round of 32 (December 16-18). The final is set for April 25, 2026.

For the seventh consecutive season, the calendar format is a free asymmetric model, introduced in the 2019-20 season. Therefore, there will be no identical matchdays to optimize compatibility between national, European, and international competitions, as well as to maximize stadium attendance and television audiences.

Regarding the technical procedure of the draw, as in recent years with league competition calendars based on regularity, it did not resort to the drawing of balls, a characteristic method in other competitions like the Champions League or the Copa del Rey. Instead, a computerized calendar generation was chosen, where software simulates up to 99,999 possible combinations based on a series of logistical, sporting, television, or security criteria. Finally, during a public event of extensive production thanks to official speeches and presentations, the five-digit number was drawn that determined the final combination among all the possibilities.