The wheels of the five major European football leagues are set to turn once again with the beginning of the new season in August, following a summer filled with international tournaments. This season is poised to be the busiest ever, featuring a packed schedule as usual in domestic competitions that include league and cup matches. Additionally, the UEFA Champions League will commence in its new format starting in September, followed by the FIFA Club World Cup featuring 32 clubs.
The start of the European leagues comes after a summer where many players participated with their national teams, either in the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany or the Copa America hosted by the United States.
La Liga kicks off unusually on Thursday, August 15, while the major leagues in England and France return on Friday, August 16. The Italian league will begin its matches on Saturday, and the Bundesliga will start one week later, mirroring the previous season's schedule.
Germany has a unique match calendar compared to the other four leagues, as the Bundesliga consists of only 18 clubs, resulting in four fewer match days than the 38-week schedules of its counterparts.
In some major European countries, the new football season is marked by a local super cup match between the champions of the league and cup from the previous season. Manchester City, the Premier League champion, will face their neighbors Manchester United, the FA Cup holder, in the "Community Shield" on Saturday, August 10.
Similarly, in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen, the domestic double winner (league and cup), will face Stuttgart for the German Supercup title on August 17.
The start dates for the five major European leagues are as follows:
- **La Liga:** Thursday, August 15 - Athletic Bilbao vs. Getafe.
- **Ligue 1:** Friday, August 16 - Le Havre vs. Paris Saint-Germain.
- **Premier League:** Friday, August 16 - Manchester United vs. Fulham.
- **Serie A:** Saturday, August 17 - Genoa vs. Inter Milan.
- **Bundesliga:** Friday, August 23 - Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen.
