Barcelona head into the new Spanish football season as the two-time defending champions. The first 2026/27 La Liga fixtures are on 15 August, but the top clubs don’t start until many days later due to the World Cup.

José Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid adds an extra layer of intrigue to the Spanish top flight this year. Three historic clubs have also been promoted, and this guide will cover everything that an African bettor needs to know.

La Liga 2025/26 Season Recap

Final La Liga Table 25/26 (European qualifiers + relegated teams):

Pos Team Pts European spot Notes
1 Barcelona 94 UCL Champions (29th title, 2nd consecutive)
2 Real Madrid 86 UCL Trophyless season
3 Villarreal 72 UCL Back-to-back UCL qualification for the first time
4 Atlético Madrid 69 UCL Lowest points tally in a full season under Diego Simeone
5 Real Betis 60 UCL (EPS extra spot) Benefitted from Spain earning an extra UCL place
6 Celta Vigo 54 UEL Back-to-back UEL qualifiers
7 Getafe 51 UECL European qualifiers for only the fourth time
10 Real Sociedad 46 UEL Won Copa del Rey
18 Mallorca 42 — Relegated (5 seasons in the top flight)
19 Girona 41 — Relegated (4 seasons)
20 Real Oviedo 29 — Relegated (1 season)

Awards:

  • Pichichi (Top Scorer): Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) — 25 goals
  • Zamora Trophy: Joan García (Barcelona) — 21 goals conceded in 30 matches
  • La Liga African Player of the Season: Pape Gueye (Villarreal) — 38% vote share

Barcelona became the first team ever to win La Liga in El Clásico. Their 2-0 victory over Real Madrid sealed the title with three games to spare. They also finished as the La Liga top scorers with 95 goals.

For Los Blancos, the season was defined by uncertainty on and off the pitch. Xabi Alonso was sacked in January, while replacement Álvaro Arbeloa struggled to get the star-studded attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham to click.

What's New in La Liga 2026/27

Promoted & relegated:

In (promoted) Years absent How Out (relegated) Years in La Liga
Racing Santander 14 years Segunda champions Oviedo 1 season
Deportivo de La Coruña 8 years 2nd in Segunda Girona 4 seasons
Málaga 8 years Play-off winners Mallorca 5 seasons

Manager changes:

Club Out In Note
Real Madrid Álvaro Arbeloa José Mourinho "The Special One" returns to Madrid
Villarreal Marcelino Iñigo Pérez Successful Rayo boss moves to the Cerámica
Athletic Club Ernesto Valverde Edin Terzić Ex-Dortmund coach set for new challenge in Spain
Elche Eder Sarabia Martín Anselmi First La Liga job for the 41-year-old Argentine
Rayo Vallecano Iñigo Pérez Beñat San José Eibar coach makes the step up from the Segunda
Osasuna Alessio Lisci Luis Miguel Ramis Experienced boss gets top-flight chance

Key summer 2026 transfers:

Barcelona

  • Arrivals: Anthony Gordon (€80m from Newcastle)
  • Departures: Robert Lewandowski (Free transfer to Chicago Fire)

Real Madrid

  • Arrivals: Marc Cucurella (€55m from Chelsea), Denzel Dumfries (€20m from Inter), Bernardo Silva (Free transfer from Manchester City)
  • Departures: Fran García (€4m to Real Betis), Dani Carvajal (Released)

Villarreal

  • Arrivals: -
  • Departures: Dani Parejo (Released), Thomas Partey (Released)

Atlético Madrid

  • Arrivals: Morten Hjulmand (€40m from Sporting), Alejandro Grimaldo (€22m from Bayer Leverkusen)
  • Departures: Antoine Griezmann (Free transfer to Orlando City)

Real Betis

  • Arrivals: Facundo Bernal (€10.5m from Fluminense), Fran García (€4m from Real Madrid)
  • Departures: Sergi Altimira (€18.25m to Sporting), Cédric Bakambu (Released), Chimy Ávila (Released)

Real Sociedad

  • Arrivals: Kazunari Kita (€1.5m from Kyoto Sanga)
  • Departures: Brais Méndez (€6m to Columbus Crew), Aritz Elustondo (Released)

Away from the top clubs, there have been a number of deals involving African players. Ivorian centre-back Jean Ives Valou has joined Getafe on loan from Villarreal, while Senegal’s Nobel Mendy has completed a permanent switch to Rayo Vallecano from Real Betis.

Valencia have signed Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng and Senegal’s Arouna Sangante has joined Sevilla on a free transfer from Le Havre. Experienced Algerian defender Aïssa Mandi has also returned to La Liga with Levante.

As for the promoted clubs, Deportivo de La Coruña have made a real statement of intent by signing Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Marseille. He has netted 40 goals in 86 international appearances. The Galicians have spent around €26m in total, with Leo Román, Jonathan Asp Jensen and Bright Ede among their other additions.

By comparison, it has been a quiet summer for fellow new boys Málaga, although they have added Fernando Calero from Espanyol and Juan Cruz from Leganés. Racing Santander’s marquee signing is Sergio Canales, who has rejoined his hometown club 16 years after his departure.

There is still time for plenty more transfer activity, with the transfer window open until 1 September.

African players in La Liga 2026/27:

  • Pape Gueye (Villarreal, Senegal): reigning La Liga African Player of the Season.
  • Iñaki Williams (Athletic Club, Ghana): most consecutive La Liga appearances record holder.
  • Ademola Lookman (Atlético Madrid, Nigeria): Winger looking to kick on following a bright start to life in Spain.
  • Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Deportivo de La Coruña, Gabon): Veteran striker returns to La Liga following a positive 2022 spell at Barcelona.
  • Brahim Díaz (Real Madrid, Morocco): Attacker hoping to feature in Mourinho’s plans.

Key Dates for La Liga 2026/27

Date Event
15-19 Aug 2026 Season starts — Matchday 1
19/20 Sep 2026 Madrid derby: Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid (Metropolitano)
21 Sep – 8 Oct 2026 Extended international break (no league matches)
24/25 Oct 2026 El Clásico: Barcelona vs Real Madrid (Camp Nou)
9-19 Nov 2026 International break
22 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 Christmas break
22 Mar – 1 Apr 2027 International break
3/4 Apr 2027 Madrid derby: Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (Bernabéu)
8/9 May 2027 El Clásico: Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Bernabéu)
29/30 May 2027 Final matchday

The La Liga games for the opening three matchdays already have confirmed dates and kick-off times. While Alavés and Getafe meet in the first match of the new campaign on 15 August, Barcelona and Real Madrid don’t start until a week later due to the World Cup commitments of some players.

Los Blancos visit Espanyol on 22 August in their season opener, before hosting Real Sociedad on 26 August in Mourinho’s first home fixture of his second spell. The Portuguese coach boasted a 72% win rate during his initial stint in charge between 2010 and 2013.

Barcelona’s title defence commences away to Elche on 23 August. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid kick off against newly-promoted Málaga on 19 August.

La Liga 2026/27 Title Race — Who Will Win?

Barcelona have a young core group of players who will only continue to develop and grow together. After registering 16 goals and 11 assists in La Liga last term, Lamine Yamal will spearhead their challenge again.

Assuming Robert Lewandowski is successfully replaced with Julián Álvarez or another elite striker, the Catalans are a banker to win the title at odds of 1.73 with 22Bet.

In terms of raw individual talent, Real Madrid can still count on an excellent squad. However, a succession of coaches have failed to find attacking balance since Mbappé moved to the Spanish capital in 2024. Rumblings of dressing room fractures and the absence of a top ball-playing midfielder make Los Blancos a trap to win La Liga at 2.21.

Atlético Madrid can also challenge. They’ve already added Alejandro Grimaldo, who will offer creativity out wide and is sure to compete in the La Liga top assists rankings. However, they are still short on overall quality compared to their two main rivals. Diego Simeone’s side aren’t worth backing at odds of 15, having only featured in the La Liga winners list once in the last 10 years.

Villarreal are the most likely of the dark-horse contenders. They finished 3rd last season and have made a smart appointment by hiring Iñigo Pérez — watch them if their odds are above 100 on 22Bet.

Overall, our La Liga predictions point to another title for Barcelona, who have averaged 2.39 points per game across Hansi Flick’s two-year reign.

Team Bet Odds
Barcelona To win La Liga 1.73 (22Bet)
Real Madrid To win La Liga 2.21 (22Bet)
Atlético Madrid To win La Liga 15 (22Bet)
Villarreal To win La Liga Above 100 (22Bet)

Relegation Battle — Who Goes Down?

Historically, at least one team coming up from the Segunda División usually go down. La Liga today offers many financial advantages for established clubs. Only twice in the past 10 years have all three of the promoted sides survived.

This season, Málaga stand out as the team African bettors should back for relegation. They’ve had less time to prepare for the top flight following their play-off win and lack the resources needed to properly invest in the team. Having been reliant on free transfers and loans so far, the Andalusians are a banker for the drop.

By contrast, Deportivo de La Coruña have shown real ambition. Aside from the “big three” Spanish clubs, they are currently La Liga’s biggest spenders this summer. Racing Santander has also added quality in the shape of Canales and Juventus centre-back Facundo González.

Both Depor and Racing have a good chance of staying up. That’s because there are several other candidates for the drop. Sevilla are still dealing with financial problems and a proposed takeover fronted by former club captain Sergio Ramos has collapsed. A third straight relegation battle is expected. Elche will also be vulnerable following the departure of their successful coach Eder Sarabia.