When do football leagues across Europe start?

All you need to know about the top leagues of the European football league- opening games, big transfers and important games of the tournament.

European League captains (Photo: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Club football will resume within weeks as major clubs look to be in good form during the friendlies. The players will return after a brief rest from football, with most players returning from the summer’s international tournaments. As always, Europe’s top leagues have already started making news and creating excitement with major transfers happening and many exciting talents coming through the leagues.

Over the years, Europe’s top leagues have featured some big clashes, with rivalries going back decades. The rivalries continue as each season sees every team trying to out-best the other.

Premier League

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 30: Manchester City pose with all five trophies they won during the calendar year 2023 ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Etihad Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

One of the most followed and watched football leagues will kick-off with reigning Champions Manchester United hosting Fulham on Friday August 16th.

Major games

• Manchester City vs Arsenal- September 22, 2024 (Etihad Stadium, Manchester)
• Liverpool vs Manchester City- November 30, 2024 (Anfield, Liverpool)
• Arsenal vs Manchester City- February 1, 2025 (Emirates Stadium, London)
• Manchester City vs Liverpool- February, 2025 (Etihad Stadium, Manchester)

Big signings: 

• Jake O’Brien has moved to Everton from Lyon, making a move from Ligue 1 to the ultimate European football league for £17m.
• Filip Jorgensen has made a £20.7m move from Villareal to Chelsea

Champions League teams: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa

Europa League: Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs

Conference League: Chelsea

Promoted sides: Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Southampton 

Serie A

MILAN, ITALY – MAY 19: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale lifts the trophy while FC Internazionale players celebrate winning the championship after during the Serie A TIM match between FC Internazionale and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 19, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce – Inter/Inter via Getty Images)

Italy’s Serie A will start on Saturday, August 17th, with Geneo clashing with Inter and Parma facing Florentina.

Major games: 

• Inter Milan vs AC Milan- September 22, 2024 (San Siro Stadium, Milan)
• Roma vs Lazio- January 5th, 2025 (Stadio Olimpico,  Rome)
• AC Milan vs Inter Milan- 2nd February 2025 (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan)
• Lazio vs Roma- April 13th, 2025 (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

Big signings: 

• Douglas Luiz moves from Aston Villa to Juventus at £42.4m
• Alvaro Morata will feature in AC Milan, having moved from Atletico Madrid at a price of £11m. 
• Che Adams moves from the Premier League to Serie A after joining Torino on a free transfer.
• Mehdi Taremi joins Inter Milan from Porto on a free transfer.
• Champions League teams: Atalanta, Bologna, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan

Champions League teams: Atalanta, Bologna, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan

Europa League: Roma

Conference League: Fiorentina

Promoted sides: Como, Parma, Venezia

La Liga

MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 14: Real Madrid players pose for a photo with the La Liga trophy prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Deportivo Alaves at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 14, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Spain’s top-tier football begins with Athletic Club taking on Getafe at the San Mames stadium, Bilbao City (Thursday, August 15)

Major games: 

• Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid, September 29, 2024 (Cívitas Metropolitano stadium, Madrid)
• Real Madrid v Barcelona, October 27, 2024 (Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid)
• Barcelona v Atletico Madrid, December 22, 2024 (Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona)
• Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, February  9, 2025 (Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid) 
• Atletico Madrid v Barcelona, March 16, 2025 (Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid)
• Barcelona v Real Madrid, May 11,  2025 (Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona)

Big signings: 

• Kylian Mbappe will come to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain as a free singing of €15 million, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league
• Endrick finally moved to Real Madrid for £38.8m from Palmeiras, having signed only a few days after turning 18.
•  Alvaro Djalo will move to Athletic Bilbao from Braga, moving from Portugal to the Italian football league.

League teams: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atletico Madrid

Europa League: Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad

Conference League: Real Betis

Promoted sides: Leganes, Valladolid, Espanyol

Bundesliga

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – MAY 18: Lukas Hradecky of Bayer Leverkusen, lifts the Meisterschale of Bundesliga trophy after his team’s victory during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Augsburg at BayArena on May 18, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Germany’s Bundesliga will kick off on Friday, August 23rd, as Borussia Mönchengladbach faces Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Major games

• Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen, September  28, 2024  (Allianz Arena, Munich) 
• Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich, November 30, 2024 (Signal Iduna Park stadium, Dortmund city)
• Bayer Leverkuse v Bayern Munich, February 15, 2025 (BayArena, Leverkusen)
• Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, 12 April (Allianz Arena, Munich) 

Big signings

• Michael Olise moved to the Bundesliga, joining Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace at £45m.
• Joao Palhinha also moves from the Premier League to Germany’s top-tier football with his singing £42.3m announced within days of his side Portugal crashing out of Euro 2024.
• Serhou Guirassy will come to Dortmund from Stuttgart at £14.7m, having already played a couple of seasons in the Bundesliga

Champions League teams: Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund

Europa League: Eintracht Frankfurt, Hoffenheim

Europa Conference League: Heidenheim

Promoted sides: St Pauli, Holstein Kiel

Ligue 1

PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 12: Players of Paris Saint – Germain celebrate victory with the French Ligue 1 championship’s trophy during a ceremony following the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Toulouse FC at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France on May 12, 2024. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ligue 1 will kick off on August 18, with two of France’s top-tier teams, Angers and RC Lens, facing off.

Major games

• PSG v Lyon, December 15, 2024 (Parc des Princes, Paris)
• Monaco v PSG, January 5, 2025 (Stade Louis II, Monaco)
• PSG v Monaco, February 9, 2025 (Parc des Princes, Paris)
• Lyon v PSG, February 23, 2025 (Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon)

Big signings

• Moussa Niakhate will come to Nottingham Forest coming from the Premier League at £27m.
• Mason Greenwood had a decent season with Manchester United and will now move to Marseille for £26.7m.
• Georges Mikautadze enjoyed a great season after being loaned to Metz from Ajax and will bring some Ligue 1 experience to Lyon, which bought him for £15.6m.
• Said Benrahma is coming to Lyon from West Ham for £12.2m.

Champions League teams: Paris St-Germain, Monaco, Brest, Lille

Europa League: Nice, Lyon

Conference League: Lens

Promoted sides: Auxerre, Angers, Saint-Etienne

Primeira Liga

LISBON, PORTUGAL – MAY 18: Sporting CP squad raises the Portuguese Liga winners trophy during the Liga Portugal Bwin match between Sporting CP and GD Chaves at Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 18, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Primeira Liga will kick off with Sporting CP taking on Rio Ave on Friday, August 9 as football action comes back to Portugal.

Major games

• Sporting v Porto, August 31, 2024 (Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon)
• Benfica v Porto, 10 November (Estadio do Sport Lisbao e Beneficia, Lisbon) 
• Sporting v Benfica, 29 December (Estadio Jose Alvalade, Lisbon)
• Porto v Sporting 9 February (Estadio do Dragao, Porto)
• Porto v Benfica, 6 April (Estadio do Dragao, Porto)
•  Benfica v Sporting, 11 May (Estadio do Sport Lisbao e Beneficia, Lisbon) 

Big signings

• Vangelis Pavlidis is making his move to Primeira Liga after moving from AZ Alkmaar to Benfica for £15.2m
• Francisco Conceicao is moving from Ajax to Porto for £8.8m, having already played on loan at the side.
• Zeno Debast made his move from Belgian football after moving to Sporting from Anderlecht for £13.1m 

Champions League teams: Sporting, Benfica

Europa League: Porto, Braga

Conference League: Vitoria Guimaraes

Promoted sides: Santa Clara, Nacional, AVS

Eredivise

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – APRIL 21: Head Coach Arne Slot of Feyenoord with the trophy during the TOTO KNVB Cup final match between Feyenoord and NEC at Stadion Feyenoord on April 21, 2024 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Broer van den Boom/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Eredivisie will start on Friday, August 9th, with FC Groningen facing NAC Breda in the opening match.

Major games

• Feyenoord v Ajax, September 1, 2024 (De Kuip, Rotterdam)
• Ajax v PSV Eindhoven, November 2, 2024 (Johan Cruyff Arena, Netherlands)
• PSV Eindhoven v Feyenoord, December  22, 2024 (Philips Stadion, Eindhoven)
• Ajax v Feyenoord, February 2, 2025 (Johan Cruyff Arena, Netherlands)
• PSV Eindhoven v Ajax, March 30, 2025 (Philips Stadion, Eindhoven)
• Feyenoord v PSV Eindhoven, May 11, 2025 (De Kuip, Rotterdam)

Big signings

• Sergino Dest moved to PSV Eindhoven from La Liga side Barcelona as a free agent.
• Malik Tillman is also making a move from leagues as the former Bayern Munich midfielder comes to PSV Eidhovewn for £10.1m.
• Bertrand Traore will be making his move from Villarreal to Ajax as a free agent.

Champions League teams: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Twente

Europa League: Ajax, AZ Alkmaar

Conference League: Go Ahead Eagles

Promoted sides: Willem II, Groningen, NAC Breda

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