League and Champions League strain facing a marathon of international fixtures

While the League and the Champions are getting ready to start, the lack of matches in September, October and November is interrupted by an intense international calendar. The author laments that league pause and, at the same time, points out that this year is special because Spain won the World Cup and Barça players are reuniting with La Roja.

A slew of international fixtures

Four UEFA Nations League 2026-27 matches will be played in the first eleven days of the season: England‑Spain at Wembley on September 26, Spain‑Croatia at the Sánchez‑Pizjuán on September 29, Spain‑Czech Republic at the Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo on October 3 and Croatia‑Spain in Split on October 6. In November two more fixtures are added, Czech Republic‑Spain in Prague on the 12th and Spain‑England at the Metropolitano on the 15th. All of this is combined with the League and the Champions, with no one seeming to complain.

The author warns that the “FIFA virus” could affect the Barça players in this first frantic schedule, which would be an inconvenience for Hansi Flick, head coach of Germany, who also observes the overload of matches.

Barça's legacy in the World Cups

Historically, Barça has supplied numerous players to winning national teams: eight Barça players were part of La Roja that won the World Cup in 2010 and in 2026. In 2010 they were Valdés, Piqué, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Villa; in 2026, Joan García, Eric García, Cubarsí, Gavi, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal, with Ferran’s goal in extra time of the final against Argentina.

Davide Massa to oversee the Spain‑England showdown at Wembley

Of those eight, seven remain at the club; Ferran left for Paris Saint‑Germain in August, but the market has brought in Rodri, maintaining the historic figure. Barça is one player away from matching the absolute record for a club’s concentration in a World Cup squad, set by Slavia Prague with eight players in 1934.

The author criticises Barça’s decision not to pay tribute to the world champions at the Camp Nou, considering it a serious sporting and historical error. The absence of the official photo of the players with the trophy in the centre of the stadium is seen as a loss for collective memory.

In conclusion, the escalation of fixtures per season poses a problem that FIFA, UEFA, federations, clubs and players must analyse and rationalise; otherwise, the situation would be madness that threatens both the League and the Champions and the international commitments.