Real Madrid begin their 2026-27 La Liga campaign on Saturday, August 22, away to RCD Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 9:30pm local time.
The fixture marks the first competitive match of José Mourinho's second spell in charge of the club since his return was confirmed in June, when he signed a contract through 2029. Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during that stint.
Real Madrid's start to the new season has been delayed relative to the rest of La Liga because of the number of the club's players who were involved in the latter stages of this summer's World Cup. The league postponed Madrid's original Matchday 1 fixture against Real Sociedad, which will now be played at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, August 26. As a result, Saturday's trip to Espanyol, originally scheduled as Matchday 2, becomes Real Madrid's first competitive league game of the new season, leaving Mourinho's side with a quick turnaround into their rearranged home opener four days later.
Real Madrid's preseason preparations included a 2-1 win over Ferencváros in Budapest on August 8, in which new signings featured, along with returning senior players including Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler and Eduardo Camavinga.
Real Madrid finished as La Liga runners-up to Barcelona last season and were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals, going through two managerial changes, from Carlo Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso and then Álvaro Arbeloa, without silverware. The club will be looking to Mourinho's return to reset those fortunes as the new campaign gets under way.
