The new European professional soccer season has officially gotten underway, with Spain’s top-flight La Liga beating the continent’s other four major domestic leagues to kick off its campaign on Saturday. This early start comes just four weeks after the Spanish men’s national team lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy, marking a quick turnaround for the country’s top club competition.
The opening matchday delivered two thrilling encounters, starting with Alaves’ dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Getafe. The game’s turning point came just eight minutes before halftime, when Getafe winger Kiko Femenía was shown a red card following a video review of his dangerous foul. What was initially called a yellow card was upgraded, leaving Getafe to play the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage.
Former Real Madrid forward Mariano Díaz turned in a man-of-the-match performance to power Alaves’ win. He set up Nahuel Tenaglia’s opening headed goal in the 73rd minute, netted the side’s second with a pinpoint shot into the top corner of the net in first-half stoppage? No, stoppage time of the second half, then played provider for Mikel Rodríguez to slot home the final goal in the closing minutes of the match. The result marks a promising opening for Alaves, which finished 14th last season, just one point clear of the relegation zone, even if the squad saw minor off-field drama after full-time: substitute Ángel Pérez was reprimanded by head coach Quique Sánchez Flores for punching the team bench in frustration after being pulled from the game.
For Getafe, the disappointing opening result comes after a strong 2024-25 campaign that saw the Madrid-based club finish seventh and earn a spot in the UEFA Conference League. The side added high-profile reinforcements Enes Unal and Johan Mojica in the summer transfer window, though neither started the match; Unal only made an appearance off the bench in the second half.
The second match of the day delivered a last-gasp comeback for Sevilla, who defeated a crisis-hit Rayo Vallecano 2-1. Gerard “Peque” Fernandez converted a penalty kick deep into second-half stoppage time to secure all three points for the hosts after Sevilla had fought back from an early deficit.
Rayo Vallecano entered the new season mired in off-field administrative turmoil that has forced the club to relocate its opening matches. Safety issues at the team’s home Vallecas stadium mean Rayo must play its first away? No, they were the away side here against Sevilla, and their own first “home” fixture will be held at second-tier Leganes’ ground instead of their usual venue. The off-field instability comes after a breakout season for Rayo, which finished eighth in the league and reached the Conference League final, where it fell to England’s Crystal Palace.
Sevilla, like Alaves, narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing 13th with just a one-point cushion above the drop, making their opening victory a confidence-boosting start to the new campaign.
Top sides defending champion Barcelona and newly revamped Real Madrid will not begin their title campaigns until next weekend. Many of their key players were part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, so they were granted extended post-tournament leave, pushing back their opening matches. Barcelona, which is chasing a third consecutive La Liga title, will travel to face Elche on August 23. Real Madrid, now led by José Mourinho following two straight trophy-less seasons that prompted a squad overhaul, opens its campaign against Espanyol on August 22.
The broader European club season technically got underway earlier this week, when Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. England’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, and France’s Ligue 1 will all kick off their new domestic campaigns next weekend, with Germany’s Bundesliga following a week later.
Three matches were scheduled for Sunday on the La Liga opening matchday, but one has been postponed: the clash between Celta Vigo and Osasuna was called off after an outbreak of harmful fungus was discovered on Celta’s Balaidos stadium pitch. The match has been rescheduled for August 27, a move that has drawn criticism from Osasuna over the rearranged date. The two remaining Sunday fixtures will see Racing Santander play their first top-flight match in 14 years when they host last season’s third-place finishers Villarreal, while Levante travels to face Espanyol.