The Quiniela is back: LaLiga and Segunda 2026-27 kick off

With the World Cup over, weekly football returns. LaLiga and Segunda kick off in mid-August and, with them, the classic Quiniela. Dates, format and key points.

The 2026 World Cup party is over and, with Spain still celebrating the title, along comes what really fills the weekends for nine months: LaLiga and the Segunda Division. And when week-in, week-out football returns, so does the classic Quiniela, Spain's traditional football pools. If you want to know when the 2026-27 Quiniela starts and how to get ready, here is your guide.

When LaLiga and the 2026-27 Quiniela begin

LaLiga EA Sports kicks off the weekend of 14, 15 and 16 August 2026. The opening match is played by Deportivo Alaves and Getafe on Saturday 15 August at 7:00 p.m. The Segunda Division (LaLiga Hypermotion) also starts in mid-August, with a single group of 22 clubs. That first LaLiga matchday will also be matchday 1 of the 2026-27 Quiniela.

How the Quiniela works, step by step

The Quiniela has been one of Spain's most popular games for decades, and the format is simple. Each round has 15 matches, most of them from the first and second divisions, and you have to predict the result of each one.

• Matches 1 to 14: you mark 1 (home win), X (draw) or 2 (away win)
• Match 15 (the 'Pleno al 15'): you predict each team's goals in bands of 0, 1, 2 or M (3 or more)
• Prizes start from 10 correct picks, with the big prize being the Pleno al 15
• Mixing the first and second divisions means there are always surprises

The key dates of the season

The 2026-27 season will be long and intense. These are the reference points to keep in mind so you do not miss a single Quiniela round:

• Matchday 1: weekend of 15-16 August 2026
• Matchday 6: Wednesday 16 September 2026 (midweek round)
• Matchday 33: Tuesday 21 April 2027 (midweek round)
• End of the regular league: 30 May 2027

The big games of the opening matchday

The opening round already brings heavyweight clashes. FC Barcelona, the reigning LaLiga champions, open against Athletic Club, and Real Madrid host Real Sociedad. Bear in mind, though: clubs with many players in the World Cup final stages can ask to postpone their first match, so some matchday-one games could be played later in August.

Why the Quiniela keeps fans hooked season after season

The Quiniela has been part of Spanish football culture for more than 75 years, and its appeal remains intact. With just a handful of correct picks you can be in for a prize, the mix of first and second division forces you to commit on matches you may not follow as closely, and the weekly ritual of filling in the coupon brings generations together. It is cheap, simple and deeply social: that is why it survives decade after decade.

Tips to start the season on the right foot

The opening rounds are always the most unpredictable: teams are still gelling, new signings need to settle and fitness levels vary widely. On top of that, this year there is an extra factor: internationals who went deep at the World Cup arrive tired or join up late. It is worth keeping an eye on the newly promoted sides and not blindly trusting the favourites early in the season.

• Be wary of "safe" results in the opening rounds
• Watch the fitness of teams with many World Cup players
• Promoted clubs often spring early surprises
• Spread the risk: do not just mark 1 for every strong home side

From the official Quiniela to a league with friends

The official Quiniela and prediction leagues with friends share the same essence: testing your footballing eye and competing to see who calls it best. The difference is that, with your own crowd, what is at stake is not so much the prize as the group's pride and laughter. That is why many groups of friends set up their own standings each season, round by round, turning every weekend of league football into a little parallel competition of its own.

Enjoy the new season with a prediction league with friends

The best way to follow LaLiga and the Segunda is by competing every week with your own crowd. On quiniPrats you can create a prediction league in a minute, invite the group and forecast every round of the 2026-27 season, from the first match to the last. Free and hassle-free: just you, your friends and the football of every weekend.