FC Barcelona will begin their La Liga title defense on Sunday away at Elche, in a fixture delayed because several of the club's players took part in this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The match, part of La Liga's second matchday, kicks off at 21:30. It will be shown live on Canal+ Sport 2, Canal+ Sport 6 and the Canal+ Online streaming platform.
Why Barcelona's Start Was Delayed
La Liga began in earnest on 15 August, but Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad were all allowed to push back their opening fixtures because of players who reached the World Cup semi-finals. La Liga president Javier Tebas said the delay followed rules set out in the AFE collective agreement, under which every player involved must be given three weeks of rest after their last World Cup match and three weeks of preparation before returning to league action.
Elche, Barcelona's opponents, opened their own season with a 1-1 draw against promoted side Deportivo La Coruna.
Barcelona's Squad Changes
Hansi Flick's squad for 2026-27 looks different from the one that won the Spanish title last season. Robert Lewandowski has left for Chicago Fire, while Ferran Torres moved to Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona also chose not to exercise its option to buy Marcus Rashford, who has returned to Manchester United, and Ronald Araujo has joined Liverpool on loan.
In their place, the club has brought in Rodri, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. President Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco spent a long time trying to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, but resistance from the Rojiblancos means the move now looks unlikely to happen. Wojciech Szczesny will play his third season at the club, again as understudy to Joan Garcia in goal.
A Tight Title Race Expected
Barcelona face a difficult task defending their championship. Real Madrid have also strengthened significantly and brought Jose Mourinho back to the coaching bench after a 13-year absence, meaning the fight for the league title is expected to be closely contested, possibly down to the final matchday.
