France Reaches World Cup Semifinals, Barcelona's La Liga Opener Officially Postponed

Barcelona's start to the 2026-2027 La Liga season will be delayed following France's advancement to the FIFA World Cup semifinals. The team's opening match has been officially postponed, a decision directly linked to the continued participation of Barcelona defender Jules Kounde with the French national team.

This postponement activates a La Liga policy that grants players who reach the World Cup semifinals an extended break. La Liga President Javier Tebas clarified that the collective agreement ensures players receive three weeks of rest after their final World Cup match, followed by an additional three weeks for preparation before rejoining their clubs.

With Kounde's progression to the semifinals, Barcelona automatically qualifies for this schedule adjustment. The club had been identified as one of the teams most likely to be affected by the World Cup schedule, as they had 10 players representing three different nations competing for semifinal spots.

Barcelona was initially set to host Athletic Club on August 15-16. The rescheduled match is expected to be played between the second and third weeks of the competition, though an official date has not yet been set. This adjustment provides Kounde and other Barcelona players involved in the late stages of the World Cup with adequate recovery and preparation time before resuming domestic duties, aiming to maintain player fitness after a demanding international schedule.

“

The provisions in the AFE collective agreement will be respected for all players. They must receive a three-week rest period after the last match in the World Cup, plus three weeks of preparation.