CORNERFLICK
Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to have their opening La Liga fixtures pushed back to the end of August after France reached the World Cup semi-finals.
Under La Liga's protocol, clubs with players who go as far as the semi-finals or final of a major international tournament can delay their first league match to protect recovery and preparation time. That applies to Madrid, with Kylian Mbappé, and Barcelona, with Jules Koundé.
Real Madrid's game against Real Sociedad and Barcelona's opening fixture are now expected to be played in the closing days of August rather than on the first weekend of the season.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has already said player welfare comes first, and teams with internationals involved deep into the tournament will be given longer to recover.
The change could leave only six or seven opening-weekend matches going ahead as planned, with the new season already being shaped by the 2026 World Cup.