La Liga has officially won its dispute with the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE), with an arbitrator ruling that the 2026/27 season will begin on the weekend of 15-16 August.
The AFE had pushed for a later start date of 23 August due to the 2026 World Cup, which concludes on 19 July, arguing that players would not have sufficient time to rest and complete a proper pre-season.
The ruling also backs La Liga’s proposed second tier calendar, with the regular season ending on 6 June and the promotion play-offs taking place between 9 and 20 June.
However, not every top-flight club will necessarily begin on the opening weekend. La Liga has confirmed that teams heavily affected by players reaching the latter stages of the World Cup could have their first fixtures postponed until later in August.
The players’ union criticised the decision, claiming commercial interests had been prioritised over player welfare, while La Liga welcomed a ruling that provides certainty for the competition calendar.