{
  "id": 775374,
  "title": "La Liga launches big European domestic leagues without Barcelona and Real Madrid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/la-liga-launches-big-european-domestic-leagues-without-barcelona-and",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-13T14:10:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/soccer/2026/08/13/la-liga-launches-big-european-domestic-leagues-without-barcelona-and-real-madrid"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Less than a month following Spain's World Cup victory, La Liga spearheads Europe's prominent domestic leagues this weekend, albeit with a subdued atmosphere. Following the World Cup, defending champions Barcelona and José Mourinho’s Real Madrid will not participate until the following weekend due to late arrivals of players from the tournament. A field fungus outbreak led to Celta Vigo’s home opener against Osasuna being postponed until August 27. Barcelona, aiming for a third consecutive league title, faces Elche on August 23. Real Madrid, restructured under Mourinho following consecutive titleless seasons, begins at Espanyol on August 22. Atletico Madrid hosts Malaga on Wednesday, grappling with the future of forward Julián Álvarez, who desires a transfer. The European season officially commenced on Wednesday with Paris Saint-Germain defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup final. The regular season kicks off on Saturday with Alaves hosting Getafe, followed by Sevilla welcoming Rayo Vallecano. Sunday sees Racing Santander return to the top tier after a 14-year hiatus, facing Villarreal, the third-place team last season behind Barcelona and Madrid. Levante will also clash with Espanyol.\n\nBarcelona, composed of many players who aided Spain in its second World Cup victory, including Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Pedri, and Pau Cubarsí, aims to secure a third-straight title. Notably absent is forward Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina and is reportedly seeking a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Mourinho's Real Madrid, bolstered by the signing of England forward Anthony Gordon, hopes to avoid another disappointing campaign. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham remain, while new signings comprise World Cup champion Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, and Yan Diomande. Former squad members Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have departed. Atletico Madrid, which featured three players in Spain's World Cup squad, does not plan to sell Julián Álvarez, who has returned to training. However, doubts linger regarding his future. Manager Diego Simeone has already lost Antoine Griezmann, Thiago Almada, Nahuel Molina, and Clément Lenglet, with additional reinforcements including Alejandro Grimaldo, Morten Hjulmand, and Lee Kang-In. Cristian \"Cuti\" Romero is also on the roster.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Real Madrid’s links to Arsenal midfielder have ‘no basis’ – report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/real-madrids-links-to-arsenal-midfielder-have-no-basis-report",
        "published": "2026-08-14T06:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "La Liga: Barcelona prepare third bid for Rodri",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/la-liga-barcelona-prepare-third-bid-for-rodri",
        "published": "2026-08-14T07:52:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}