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SportsAtlético Madrid moves first LaLiga matchday to August 19 to avoid congested schedule
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Atlético Madrid has decided to play its first LaLiga matchday on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, instead of postponing it like Real Madrid and Barcelona. The decision, driven by sporting reasons, allows the club to avoid playing three matches in a single week from August 23 to 30. The league schedule was conditioned by the World Cup semifinals and finals, which delayed the start for teams with international players. While Real Madrid and Barcelona will play their first match on August 26, Atlético will face Málaga on August 19, then Villarreal on August 22-23, freeing up the following week. The article notes that Celta de Vigo made a similar choice to start on time. The scheduling aims to manage player rest and avoid heat-related issues in Madrid.
Source report
Updated: July 14, 2026 — 12:49 CEST
By Patricia Cazón Editor, AS
About the Author
Patricia Cazón Trapote was born in Zotes del Páramo, León, in 1980. She holds a degree in Journalism from the Pontifical University of Salamanca and a Master's from El País. She worked at El Diario de León and El País Semanal before joining AS in 2004. An Atlético chronicler since 2016, she is the author of four books and a panelist on El Golazo de Gol and Estudio Estadio.
The schedule for the start of the LaLiga season has taken shape, conditioned by the semifinals and final of the World Cup and the presence of internationals from teams such as Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, which delay their start in the competition.
None of these three clubs will play on the weekend of August 15–16, when LaLiga is set to begin. However, while Real Madrid and Barcelona have opted to postpone their first matchday by a week — to Wednesday, August 26 — Atlético has chosen to play earlier, on Wednesday, August 19, for sporting reasons.
In practice, Atlético advances its league start by only three days. The second matchday, scheduled for August 22–23, will feature all LaLiga teams, including Atlético, Madrid, and Barcelona. This means Atlético will play Atlético vs. Málaga just four days before Atlético vs. Villarreal (scheduled for 5:00 PM, a time that may change if weather conditions or heat in Madrid prevent play). This arrangement leaves the following week free for the rojiblancos.
Celta has chosen a similar approach. The club will not delay its league start due to Borja Iglesias' participation with Spain in the World Cup and will begin as scheduled on Sunday, August 16.
Atlético 26–27 Kicked Off
From the sporting bodies of the rojiblanco club, this option is considered preferable to playing three games in one week — from August 23 to 30 — which is what will happen with Real Madrid and Barcelona. By choosing the second formula — postponing the first matchday to Wednesday the 26th — those clubs will face three consecutive games with barely any rest.
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