La Liga 2026/27: Barcelona, Real Madrid & Atletico Madrid fancied to dominate

Twenty La Liga clubs will head into the 2026/27 season hoping that they enjoy a successful campaign.

However, for the majority of Spanish top-flight clubs, ‘success’ does not generally equate to winning the title.

In the 95 previous La Liga seasons, Real Madrid (36), Barcelona (29) and Atletico Madrid (11) have claimed the majority of titles.

The competitive imbalance has been more pronounced during the 21st century, with Valencia (2001/02 & 2003/04) the only club to break their stranglehold.

Read on as we preview the 2026/27 La Liga season and assess which of the big three clubs will clinch top spot this term.

La Liga 2026/27 – Top summer transfers

The summer transfer window is scheduled to run until September 1. These are the top La Liga transfers completed to date (Sunday, August 9).

La Liga 2026/27 – Preview

Having finished runners-up to Barcelona in each of the last two seasons, Madrid have turned back the clock in their pursuit of success.

Jose Mourinho’s second stint as manager is not only guaranteed to generate plenty of headlines, but could be an inspired move by the club.

Mourinho returns to La Liga with a point to prove. Many people believe that he is yesterday’s man – a manager whose tactics are stuck in the past.

However, while the 63-year-old is undoubtedly pragmatic, he is also capable of building teams which have star quality.

Mourinho recorded his highest career win rate in his first spell with Madrid (76.3 percent). His team broke the record for most points in a single La Liga season (100) in 2011/12.

Football has moved on since then, but Mourinho’s philosophy could work wonders with a squad which has underperformed in the last two seasons.

Madrid’s front four of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande and Kylian Mbappe are a frightening proposition for the rest of La Liga.

When adding Mourinho’s penchant for establishing defensive stability into the mix, Los Blancos may sweep all before them this season.

The arrival of Marc Cucurella adds tactical flexibility down the left flank, while Denzel Dumfries offers competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold on the opposite flank.

Former Manchester City star Bernardo Silva is another intriguing addition to the squad. He is effectively Luka Modric with a bit more edge to him.

Silva’s ability to retain possession should bring out the best in his teammates, while his spiky nature is perfect for a Mourinho team.

If Madrid’s ego-filled squad buys into what Mourinho brings to the table, they could embark on yet another hugely successful era.

Barcelona will be eager to fend off Madrid’s challenge. However, the loss of star striker Robert Lewandowski is detrimental to their chances.

The defending champions have added quality to their ranks this summer, signing forwards Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.

Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres add further depth to their attacking ranks. However, they lack a forward who will match Mbappe’s output.

Manager Hansi Flick will hope that his high-pressing style of play and quick passing around the penalty box deliver the desired results.

Barcelona have an abundance of pace in behind, flair across their attack and players who can change a game in the blink of an eye.

If they had a prolific striker, they would be a banker bet to win the title for the third consecutive season. Without one, they could be vulnerable.

They identified Atletico striker Julian Alvarez as the ideal replacement for Lewandowski, but their enquiries about his availability were quickly rebuffed.

With Alvarez in their team, Atletico have a much better chance of forcing their way into the title race. Strengthening a direct rival would make no sense.

Atletico have been active in the summer transfer window, adding Morten Hjulmand, Lee Kang-in and Alejandro Grimaldo to their squad.

They are close to securing a deal for Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero, and he would be the perfect signing for manager Diego Simeone.

If Atletico can hang on to Alvarez and add more quality to their ranks, they should be the closest challengers to the big two this season.

Madrid and Barcelona are fancied to fill the top two positions, and Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu Stadium could be the difference-maker in the title race.