Friday, August 14. The ball rolls again. One of the best leagues in the world returns. LALIGA EA SPORTS and LALIGA HYPERMOTION are back. The best football is back and with it the players who, this summer, have starred in one of the best football spectacles in the history of this sport.
With a new star on the chest of the Spain shirt, Spanish professional football is more fashionable than ever. And it's no wonder. 17 of the 26 National Team players play in LALIGA and the vast majority have been trained in the youth teams of Spanish clubs. La Masía, La Fábrica, La Academia, la Cantera Grogueta or Lezama are just some schools from which several of the world champions have come.
17 LALIGA players who have brought a new star to Spain and who this season promise a lot of spectacle on the field. Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Éric García, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Pedri and Joan García return to the ranks of FC Barcelona. Also returning to Atlético de Madrid are Álex Baena, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill and the newcomer Álex Grimaldo; At Athletic Club we will once again enjoy Unai Simón between the sticks and Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams; Real Sociedad will continue to have Mikel Oyarzábal; Real Madrid with the recently signed Marc Cucurella and Celta, with Borja Iglesias.
But not only Spain had big names from LALIGA. Spain's rival in the heart-stopping final on July 19 also had an important representation of players who are a fundamental part of some Spanish teams. Up to six of his players are currently active in Atlético de Madrid (Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nico González and Julián Álvarez; while Rodrigo De Paul played in LALIGA ES SPORT until last year) who are joined by Giovani Lo Celso at Real Betis.
A month after the World Cup ended, 25 of the footballers who played in the final return to LALIGA so that we can enjoy their game again. LALIGA EA SPORTS promises excitement and no wonder. 38 days to see many world champions and runners-up.
The return of three historic players to LALIGA EA SPORTS
Beyond the pools for the title, fights for permanence or qualifications for Europe, this season will be marked by the return to LALIGA EA SPORTS of three historical figures of Spanish professional football: Málaga CF, R. Racing Club and RC Deportivo. The three have gone through what they say is one of the toughest leagues, LALIGA HYPERMOTION, and now they return to the highest category of Spanish football.
These promotions bring one of the most anticipated derbies on the football scene back to the forefront: Galician ELDERBI. RC Deportivo returns nine years after its last year in LALIGA EA SPORTS, the 2017/18 season, when the blue and white team was relegated after finishing in 18th position. After a long road, as its fans remembered in the last game of last season against UD Las Palmas, the A Coruña club is once again rubbing shoulders with the greats and recovering one of the most emblematic rivalries of the championship. The reunion with Celta already has a date: the first round will be in Vigo, on matchday 18 (January 3), while the return will take place on matchday 32 (April 18).
With the promotion of the A Coruña team, Galicia recovers two representatives in the highest category of Spanish football and thus becomes one of the eight autonomous communities with a presence in LALIGA EA SPORTS. Madrid and the Valencian Community lead the classification by number of teams, followed by the Basque Country, Andalusia, Catalonia, Navarra, Cantabria and Galicia itself.
Map of LALIGA EA SPORTS teams
The teams that play this season in the LALIGA HYPERMOTION are more spread out, where Andalusia leads the community with the most teams.
Map of LALIGA HYPERMOTION teams
But, without a doubt, the season returns with historic derbies such as ELGRANDERBI and with a curious fact. On January 3, LALIGA will experience 3 derbies: ELDERBI GALLEGO, ELDERBI DE BARCELONA and ELDERBI CANARIO, the first two in LALIGA EA SPORTS and the last in LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
What are the key dates?
Although any match can make the difference in a league like the Spanish one, there are some matches that, without a doubt, can define the result of the competition:
ELCLÁSICO
→ Matchday 10, FC Barcelona - Real Madrid, October 25, 2026. Spotify Camp Nou
→ Matchday 35, Real Madrid - FC Barcelona, May 9, 2027. Bernabéu
ELDERBI OF MADRID
→ Matchday 7, Atlético de Madrid - Real Madrid, September 20, 2026. Riyadh Air Metropolitano
→ Matchday 30, Real Madrid - Atlético de Madrid, April 4, 2027. Bernabéu
ELDERBI GALLEGO
→ Matchday 18, Celta –RC Deportivo, January 3, 2027. ABANCA Balaídos Stadium
→ Matchday 32, RC Deportivo - Celta, April 18, 2027. ABANCA-Riazor Stadium
CATALAN ELDERBI
→ Matchday 18, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona – FC Barcelona, January 3, 2027. RCDE Stadium
→ Matchday 32, FC Barcelona - RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, April 18, 2027. Spotify Camp Nou
BASQUE ELDERBI
→ Matchday 11, Athletic Club-Real Sociedad, November 1, 2026. San Mamés Stadium
→ Matchday 34, Real Sociedad-Athletic Club, May 2, 2027. Anoeta
ELGRANDERBI
→ Matchday 13, Sevilla FC-Real Betis, November 22, 2026. Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán
→ Matchday 23, Real Betis-Sevilla FC, February 7, 2027. La Cartuja Stadium
ELDERBY OF VALENCIA
→ Matchday 18, Levante UD-Valencia CF, January 3, 2027. Ciutat de València State
-Matchday 27, Valencia CF-Levante UD, March 7, 2027. Camp de Mestalla
The silver category also comes loaded with matches. A season where 18 of the 22 participating teams have played on some occasion in the LALIGA EA SPORTS and will seek their direct pass to the highest category of Spanish football. The return of CD Tenerife will leave fans with one of the most exciting derbies against UD Las Palmas. The first leg will take place at the Gran Canaria Stadium on January 3 while the second leg will be on March 28 at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium. Added to this is another milestone in LALIGA HYPERMOTION, ELDERBI ASTURIANO, which will be played on September 27 at the Carlos Tartiere and the return leg will be at Real Sporting's home on matchday 36 (April 25).
The first day starts off in the most exciting way
The players will take the field again this weekend. LALIGA EA SPORTS will start on Saturday and will end on May 30, 2027 (J38) with a first match that will face Deportivo Alavés and Getafe CF at 7:30 p.m., to continue, at 9:30 p.m., with a match that promises: Sevilla FC against Rayo Vallecano. Meanwhile, LALIGA HYPERMOTION will play its first match on Friday at 8:30 p.m. at the Zubieta Stadium between Real Sociedad B and CD Castellón.
First day that also starts strong in LALIGA HYPERMOTION where, after the first game on Friday, it will be the turn of several heart-stopping matches on Saturday. Cádiz CF against Celta Fortuna (19.00), Real Oviedo against Granada CF (19.00) and RCD Mallorca against Real Valladolid CF (21.30).
Where to watch all the games?
The emotion of the best football returns to make lovers of the beautiful game vibrate. Each day promises excitement in its purest form and all of them can be seen on television to feel, closer than ever, LALIGA EA SPORTS and LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
A season that can be followed, like every year, on television through multiple options so as not to miss any of the matches that will make us vibrate every week. Movistar Plus+ and DAZN will broadcast a large part of the matches. Each day, fans will be able to watch five LALIGA EA SPORTS matches on the Movistar LALIGA channel through Movistar Plus+ and Orange. The other five will be broadcast on DAZN LALIGA through DAZN, Movistar Plus+, Orange, Euskaltel, Telecable and R. And as in previous years, every day the DAZN free-to-air channel and Teledeporte will broadcast a free-to-air match
Meanwhile, all LALIGA HYPERMOTION matches and the PROMOTION PLAYOFF in June to LALIGA EA SPORTS can be followed on the LALIGA TV HYPERMOTION channel. This year there will be 23 operators where you can enjoy the silver division, the largest offer of operators in the history of Spanish professional football: Movistar Plus+, Orange, DAZN, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Vodafone, DIGI, MasMedia, Adamo, 7PLAY, MasMovil, Telecable, Euskaltel, Yoigo, Virging Telco, R, Embou, Netllar, Hits, Populoos, Oceans, Adamo, 7PLAY, PTV Telecom and Cableworld.
LALIGA HYPERMOTION will also have an open match. This meeting can be followed through GOL and Cayo TV and, depending on the day, it can also be seen on the regional channels Televisión Canaria, Corporación Radio y Televisión de Galicia, Radiotelevisió de les Illes Balears (IB3) and 3Cat.
With the Movistar Plus+ TV package you can also enjoy unique content every day of the week, regardless of which operator you are. Therefore, a full LALIGA EA SPORTS and LALIGA HYPERMOTION match is guaranteed every day via simulcast. This channel is accessible both from the Movistar IPTV service and from the Movistar Plus+ OTT, as is the case with Orange TV, where you can also enjoy one LALIGA EA SPORTS match per day and three LALIGA HYPERMOTION matches per day.
