When will the top European leagues return?

Following the end of the 2026 World Cup, European football is gearing up for a fresh club campaign. Among the top five leagues, La Liga kicks off earliest on August 15, with the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and Bundesliga coming afterwards.

The five major European leagues will not return simultaneously. La Liga leads the way, before the Premier League, Ligue 1, and Serie A all join in on August 22. The Bundesliga will be the last of the "Big Five" to resume, at the end of the month.

La Liga

Opening date: August 15, 2026

Current champions: Barcelona

Spanish Super Cup: January 2027

Spain will be the first country among the "Big Five" to start the new season. La Liga 2026/27 will officially begin on August 15, with the match between Alaves and Getafe.

Barcelona enters the new season as the reigning champions. However, their opening match against Athletic Bilbao has been postponed to August 27 due to the large number of Barcelona players participating in the 2026 World Cup.

Unlike many other leagues, the Spanish Super Cup (Supercopa de Espana) will not be held before the season but will take place in January 2027. This means La Liga teams will jump straight into the long campaign without a trophy match as a warm-up.

Premier League

Opening date: August 22, 2026

Current champions: Arsenal

Community Shield: August 16, 2026

Five days after La Liga kicks off, the Premier League will officially return. Arsenal, the reigning English champions, will begin their title defense by hosting Coventry City, a newly promoted side, on August 22.

However, before the Premier League season officially starts, Arsenal will have a chance to claim the first trophy of the season when they face Manchester City in the Community Shield. The match takes place on August 16 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. This is seen as a traditional warm-up before the real Premier League race begins.

Ligue 1

Opening date: August 22, 2026

Current champions: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

Trophee des Champions: August 17, 2026

Ligue 1 will also return on August 22, with the match between Marseille and Strasbourg. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will begin their title defense at home against Rennes on August 24.

Before that, PSG will play their first official match of the season against Lens in the Trophee des Champions on August 17. If they win, PSG will have the opportunity to start the season with a trophy before embarking on their Ligue 1 title defense.

Notably, PSG also enters the season as the reigning Champions League winners, so the French capital club has the chance to continue asserting its dominance both domestically and in Europe.

Serie A

Opening date: August 22, 2026

Current champions: Inter Milan

Italian Super Cup: January 2027

Serie A will officially return on August 22. The first two matches of the season will take place simultaneously: Inter Milan vs Monza and Udinese vs Como.

Inter Milan enters the new season as the reigning Serie A champions. However, like La Liga, Italy will not hold the Italian Super Cup just before the league starts. The Supercoppa Italiana is scheduled for January 2027. This means Inter will have to immediately start their title defense without a Super Cup match as an official warm-up.

Bundesliga

Opening date: August 29, 2026

Current champions: Bayern Munich

DFL-Supercup: August 23, 2026

The Bundesliga will be the last of the Big Five leagues to return. Germany's new season begins on August 29, with Bayern Munich hosting VfB Stuttgart.

Bayern continues the season as the reigning Bundesliga champions. Before that, German fans will witness the DFL-Supercup on August 23. Bayern, who won both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal last season, will face runners-up Borussia Dortmund in this trophy match.

UEFA Super Cup: PSG vs Aston Villa

Match date: August 13, 2026

While the major leagues have not yet all returned, European club football will have a special match. The 2026 UEFA Super Cup takes place on August 13, with Paris Saint-Germain facing Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena in Austria. PSG participates as Champions League winners, while Aston Villa are the reigning Europa League champions.

Therefore, this match is not just a Super Cup clash but also a showdown between the champions of the two top European club competitions from last season. It will be the first continental trophy awarded in the 2026/27 season.

Champions League

League phase round: September 8-10, 2026

Current champions: Paris Saint-Germain

After the leagues get underway, the UEFA Champions League will return following the first international break of the season.

The league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League will begin from September 8 to 10, with a packed schedule in the first matchday. Paris Saint-Germain enters the season as reigning champions and remains one of the top contenders for the title.

With the new league phase format, the race to qualify for the knockout stages promises to bring plenty of exciting developments right from the opening rounds.

Europa League

League phase round: September 16-17, 2026

Current champions: Aston Villa

One week after the Champions League, the Europa League will officially join the action. The first matchday of the 2026/27 Europa League league phase is scheduled for September 16 and 17.

Aston Villa enters the competition as reigning champions after winning the Europa League last season. The English club will face a difficult task if they want to retain the title, as other top European clubs also begin to accelerate on their quest for trophies.