Sevilla FC will kick off the 2026-27 LaLiga season on August 22, hosting Athletic Club de Bilbao at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The Nervión team is finalising their pre-season while Athletic welcomes back Iñaki Williams.
The 2026-27 LaLiga calendar already has a major incentive for Sevilla fans: Sevilla FC will host Athletic Club on Saturday, August 22 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, in the match that will open the season for both teams. The match, with the time yet to be confirmed, will mark the start of a campaign in which the Nervión side will look to establish themselves in the upper part of the table.
While Sevilla fine-tunes their preparations in pre-season friendlies, Athletic has intensified their training at Lezama. The big news for the Bilbao side is the return of Iñaki Williams, who has rejoined the group after enjoying three weeks of holiday following Ghana's elimination from the World Cup. The forward, who had already participated in the first training session under new coach Edin Terzic on July 8, missed the first friendlies of the summer.
Athletic has already played four preparatory matches with mixed results: victories against Derio (0-3), Leioa (0-11) and Sestao River (0-2), and a draw against Eibar (2-2). Their schedule includes two more tests before travelling to Sevilla: on Wednesday they will face Racing de Santander in Laredo (19:00), and on Saturday they will visit Burgos at El Plantío (19:00). Additionally, the lions have tougher matches planned against Olympique de Marseille (August 9) and Atalanta (August 14).
Meanwhile, Sevilla FC continues with their own summer preparations under the guidance of their coach, who is looking to find the ideal eleven ahead of the league start. The Nervión squad has combined physical and tactical work at the José Ramón Cisneros Palacios Sports City, with several friendlies to test formations and rotations. The management is also active in the transfer market to strengthen key positions for a demanding season.
The match against Athletic is not only the league debut but will also serve as a gauge for the aspirations of both teams. Sevilla, who in recent campaigns have alternated between European spots with some inconsistency, hopes to start on the right foot against a historic rival that always makes things difficult in Nervión. The Sevilla fans, who will fill the Sánchez-Pizjuán, will be a key factor in pushing the team in the early stages of the championship.
On the sporting front, Athletic arrives with morale boosted by the continuity of their squad and the return of Williams, although they still need to finalise the preparations for their internationals. World champions Unai Simón, Laporte and Nico Williams will join the red-and-white discipline around August 10, so it is likely they will not have many preparation minutes before the clash in Sevilla.
Sevilla, for their part, will have to manage the potential absences of their own internationals, although the pre-season calendar allows for the integration of players according to their fitness levels. The coaching staff is working on the physical and tactical preparations to arrive in the best condition for August 22.
The encounter on August 22 at the Sánchez-Pizjuán promises strong emotions from the first minute. Sevilla FC and Athletic Club will lift the curtain on LaLiga 2026-27 with a match that, due to history and rivalry, is always special. Fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the competition, and the club is finalising details to ensure the day is a celebration of Sevillian football.
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