La Liga: Five key talking points heading into the 2026-2027 season

The dust has barely settled on the 2026 FIFA World Cup , but Spain’s La Liga season is getting ready to kick off again on Saturday.

From Jose Mourinho’s second act at Madrid to Barcelona’s push for a three-peat and new rule changes – here are the five most compelling storylines before the new season.

Thirteen years after he was last in the role, Mourinho is back as Real Madrid manager and is tasked with bringing glory back to the Bernabeu after two seasons without a major trophy.

Madrid have already been busy in this transfer window, bringing in Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Yan Diomande while also convincing Vinicius Jr to extend his contract to 2032.

Some see the managerial appointment as President Florentino Perez’s attempt to instil discipline among the Galacticos – although Mourinho’s relationship with Vinicius will be under the microscope after the alleged racism incident involving Mourinho’s Benfica last season.

But while Real lifted the La Liga trophy during his last spell at the club, Mourinho’s recent career has often looked out of step with the latest tactical and coaching trends.

Barcelona, for their part, would love nothing more than to win a third straight title against a Mourinho-led Madrid.

Barca retained the trophy under Hansi Flick last season, beating Real Madrid 2-0 in El Clasico to seal it with three games to spare for their second consecutive title and 29th overall.