After covering the La Liga 2026/27 teams from the North, South and East of Spain, it’s time to circle into the center of the country and take a look at the teams from the Spanish capital.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid were founded in 1903 by Basque students living in Madrid as a branch of Athletic Club. For much of their history, Atlético lived in the shadow of city rivals Real Madrid.
The club enjoyed early domestic success in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s before losing their spark. But the arrival of Diego Simeone in 2011 transformed Atlético into one of Europe’s best again. Under Simeone, they broke the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona by winning La Liga twice and reaching two UEFA Champions League finals, reestablishing themselves as one of Spain’s elite.
2025/26 was a very strange campaign for Atlético Madrid.
On one hand, they reached historic depths in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, finishing runners-up and semifinalists in those competitions respectively. On the other, they gave up on La Liga halfway through the season and were pipped by Villarreal, who finished 3rd ahead of Los Colchoneros, who only managed 4th.
While their campaigns were impressive on paper, the bottom line was the same as the last few years: yet another hard-fought campaign with no trophy to show for it. In both those tournaments, they did the hard part right, dispatching domestic champions and knocking out Barcelona in both cup competitions, but faltered when push came to shove.
It doesn’t help that their off-pitch controversy regarding Julián Álvarez has spotlighted unwanted attention on Atlético Madrid. FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and PSG all want to sign the Argentine, Álvarez himself has requested a transfer, but Atlético Madrid are adamant on keeping him until the end of his contract, which expires in 2030.
In the transfer market, like they have done in the past few seasons, they have made good recruitments. World Cup winner Alejandro Grimaldo joins the Atlético defense, accompanied by Morten Hjulmand to anchor the midfield. Kang-In Lee also returns to Spain after winning two back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG, acting as a replacement for departed club legend Antoine Griezmann.
Prediction: 3rd
Rayo Vallecano
Oof, where to start with Rayo?
- Rayo Vallecano were European finalists last season.
- They have a passionate fanbase known as one of Europe’s most vocal, famous for their left-wing ideologies and community spirit.
- They have a stadium that feels like a park in the neighborhood, with open stands so anyone with a high-rise apartment nearby can watch the games inside.
- The club doesn’t use any online websites. To buy tickets, you have to stand in line outside the Estadio Vallecas in the Madrid heat.
- Then there is a dysfunctional president who wants to take Rayo away from this community and into a new, modern era with a new community and stadium.
- Estadio Vallecas is a stadium that has had problems with the pitch, doesn’t have hot showers, sanitation and electricity at times.
- The government banned Rayo Vallecano from playing in their stadium for the La Liga 2026/27 season until they fix a lot of the aforementioned issues and more.
Rayo Vallecano finished just one point behind Getafe last season, settling into 8th place with 50 points. Their season was strange for sure: 12 wins, 12 losses and 14 draws.
While they had a memorable European run, reaching all the way to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Crystal Palace spoiled their dream by beating them 1-0 in the final. Despite that, Los Rayistas will agree that this season was nothing like what they would have ever expected. With all the problems off the pitch, in the stadium, in the boardroom and in the neighborhood, this magical 2025/26 season was some sort of relief from all that.
This season will be tough again. Their hero manager Iñigo Pérez, who was so instrumental to their recent bravery, has moved to Villarreal. They have also lost key players like Pep Chavarría, Óscar Trejo and Nobel Mendy. It will be a difficult season to endure, one in which I expect they will be flirting with relegation at some point. Though I think they will eventually survive.
Prediction: 17th
Getafe CF
Getafe is the iconic haramball team of La Liga. Masterminded by a contract-extended José Bordalás, Getafe are chirping at the thought of European soccer this season.
They finished 7th last season with 51 points, despite having scored the second-fewest goals in the league with just 32. That feat allowed them to enter the Conference League qualifiers, which they will be playing next week to determine if they can qualify for the tournament proper.
Getafe play the lowest of blocks in La Liga, but they make up for it with their speed in transition. Despite departures like Mauro Arambarri and Luis Milla, players who were stars of the team last season, Getafe have made good investments in the transfer window to allow them to balance their league schedule and Conference League, should they qualify.
The most impactful signing would be that of the permanent signing of Martín Satriano, who impressed in his loan spell last season. The injury to Christantus Uche has surely disturbed Bordalás’ plans before this, but with signings like Mario Martín from Real Madrid, Zaid Romero from Club Brugge, Ramón Terrats from Villarreal, Enes Ünal from Bournemouth and Johan Mojica from Mallorca, Getafe have added plenty of depth to hang around the middle of teh table.
Prediction: 9th
As Real Madrid and Barcelona do not play until next weekend, you’ll have to wait until the next installment to get their previews..
Abhik Deb is an accomplished sports journalist and content creator, renowned for his innovative approach to digital storytelling within the football world. With a Master’s degree in Sports Journalism and Communications from Universidad Europea de Madrid, Abhik brings a sophisticated understanding of both traditional journalistic tenets and contemporary digital media strategies to his work. His professional journey includes a significant tenure as a multimedia journalist at Real Madrid C.F., where his contributions spanned video editing, scriptwriting, and on-camera presenting. Notably, Abhik made history as the first Indian to record a live stand-up from the hallowed Santiago Bernabéu pitch for Real Madrid TV, underscoring his pioneering spirit and influential presence. A specialist in La Liga and Spanish football, Abhik excels at captivating audiences through viral football content and insightful documentary-style videos. His natural ability to blend rigorous journalism with creative digital storytelling is evident in his independent fan channel, ‘LaLigaVic,’ where he cultivates a growing audience through engaging, original coverage of Spanish football culture. Abhik’s proficiency extends to social media strategy and audience engagement, crucial skills in today’s digital landscape. You can explore more of Abhik’s work on Hooligan Soccer and Muckrack. Connect with Abhik on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to follow his continuous dedication to delivering high-quality, authoritative sports content.
