La Liga could be forced to reschedule up to six matches from the opening round of the 2026/27 season because of the FIFA World Cup, according to Diario Sport.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the opening round is scheduled for August 14–16, while the World Cup final will be played on July 19. Under recommendations from Spain's players' union, footballers who participate in the tournament must receive three weeks of rest followed by three weeks of pre-season preparation before returning to club action.
The report adds that a match should be postponed even if only one player from either club is affected by the World Cup schedule.
At present, four fixtures are expected to be rescheduled: Barcelona vs Athletic Club, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid vs Malaga, and Celta Vigo vs Osasuna.
Following the remaining World Cup quarter-finals, two additional matches could also require new dates: Valencia vs Real Betis and Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano.
According to the report, La Liga president Javier Tebas did not anticipate that so many players from Spanish clubs would still be involved at the semi-final stage of the World Cup when the domestic fixture list was drawn up.
The expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup has significantly compressed the calendar, creating scheduling challenges for several major European leagues as clubs prepare for the start of the new season.
