Overview
- La Liga’s 2025–26 campaign kicked off on August 15 with Girona vs Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal vs Real Oviedo inaugurating the new season schedule.
- Expert forecasts highlight Barcelona’s title defense under Hansi Flick bolstered by Marcus Rashford and a reshaped Real Madrid led by new coach Xabi Alonso as the season’s top contenders.
- A ChatGPT simulation reported by World Soccer Talk projects Barcelona to win La Liga with 81 points and Real Madrid to finish second on 78, including a predicted 3–2 victory for Barcelona in the first Clasico and a draw in the return fixture.
- The AI model speculatively names Kylian Mbappé as the leading scorer with around 30–35 goals and Lamine Yamal as the top assister with over 20, though these figures remain unverified forecasts.
- Beyond Spain’s two giants, observers cite Atletico Madrid and Villarreal as potential challengers, while the AI’s speculative relegation picks include Real Oviedo, Elche and Levante.