By the time the final whistle blew on the last game of La Liga's opening weekend, the Spanish footballing world was already in a fever pitch.
Matchday 1 had not only set records for opening-week attendance but also injected an electric charge into the season that felt different; more intense, more personal.
And with it, the La Liga Table rankings updated.
[La Liga Table – Matchday 1 (2026/2027 Season)]
Position/ Club/ Games Played/ Won/ Draw/ Lost/ GD/ Points
[GD means Goal Difference]
1. Real Madrid /1/1/0/0/+5/3
2. FC Barcelona /1/1/0/0/+3/3
3. Atletico Madrid /1/1/0/0/+2/3
4. Villareal /1/1/0/0/+1/3
5. Real Sociedad /1/1/0/0/+1/3
6. Athletic Bilbao /1/0/1/0/0/1
7. Real Betis /1/0/0/1/0/-3/0
8. Sevilla /1/0/0/1/-5/0
… … …
From Madrid to Catalonia, from Seville to Bilbao, sports media exploded with hot takes, analysis, and war cries at the end of Matchday 1.
Spanish Newspapers made Matchday 1 their headlines.
*Marca (Madrid): ["Madrid's White Empire Strikes Back – Vinicius Leads 5-0 Rampage in a statement Matchday 1 display."]
*AS: ["Mbappe and Vinicius: The Duo that will dethrone Barca."]
*Sport (Barcelona): ["Football God Returns – Moses lifts Barca over Betis."]
*Mundo Deportivo: ["Barcelona's pressing machine terrifies opponents: Flick's high line is no fraud."]
The wave of attention didn't stop at just newspaper coverages, it also extended to TV shows as pundits had debates. And a common trend among them all was that they pitted the 2 biggest clubs of Spain against each other head to head.
On El Chiringuito, Spain's most watched football talk show, fiery debates raged:
Josep Pedrerol, the host started it. "Vinicius says Samuel Moses is a one-season wonder. But did you see that scissor kick against Betis? That is not a fluke! That is not practiced, that is just sheer, unblemished footballing brilliance".
Edu Aguirre, a Madrid-biased pundit replied. "Come on, Barca fans! Barca scored just 3 goals, and that with a bit of trouble. But Madrid scored five goals without breaking a sweat. This seasons belongs to Los Blancos!"
Cristobal Soria, this one Barcelona-biased also chipped in, slamming her arms to the table for dramatic effect, riling the viewers up. "Samu is from another planet! They call him the return of Zidane. I call him the first coming of Sam!"
"If he plays like this every week, Vinicius will be eating his words! Mark my words, there's no talent like Sam in football currently, not even Yamal!"
"And coincidentally, Barca has the 2 best young talents in world football in both Yamal and Sam!"
Clips of the shouting match flooded social media, pulling millions of views within hours even as the viewers engaged in their own war in the comments section.
Even active and retired icons of the game chimed in.
In an interview, Lionel Messi faced the media. "Sam reminds me of my younger self at Barcelona. That hunger, that desire to never lose".
"They won Barca's first champions league in over a decade," he smiled. "I'm proud of them, and I won't stop rooting for them. But Madrid is very strong now. This season will be a battle of giants".
Cristiano Ronaldo also had his say on the topic all the way from Saudi Arabia where he now plied his trade. "Vinicius is right to challenge him. Great players thrive under pressure. I want to see who truly rises".
"In football, competition is good. It means the fire is still there".
Xavi, Barcelona legend, both as player and coach also said his piece.
"First, I have to pay my respects to the coach. Hansi Flick has reinvented Barca. The high line works because Sam leads it with intelligence, especially on the attack. People calling it fraud don't understand football".
Iker Casillas, the Real Madrid legend also chipped in. "Tonight, Madrid looked unstoppable. Alonso has given them balance we haven't seen in years, not even during Carlo Ancelloti's Champions league-winning seasons. Barca must be perfect to compete".
The fan reactions were craziest.
On Spanish streets, in cafes, and in viral social clips, fans passionately chose sides:
There were videos of Barcelona Ultras chanting in front of the Spotify Camp Nou. "Moises es Dios!" "Madrid caera!" meaning 'Moses is God! Madrid will fall!'
On other videos, Madridistas celebrated outside the Bernabeu, chanting.
"Vinicius, Mbappe, y Alonso, la neuva era blanca!" meaning 'Vinicius, Mbappe, and Alonso, the new white era!'
It was pure cinema in Spain.
Neutrals escaped the drama, but secretly enjoyed it. They said:
"This is like Messi vs Ronaldo all over again… maybe even bigger. Damn, I can feel a great El Clasico era coming! The question is, is it Vinicius vs Sam, Mbappe vs Sam, or Bellingham vs Sam? We have to talk of Yamal too, and Pedri".
It was global hype.
Around the world, major networks fueled the narrative:
*ESPN'S headline: "Football God vs White Empire: Is this the greatest rivalry ever?"
It was obviously cap, but who cares? It brought traction to the post. And maybe, just maybe, ESPN was right for once.
*Sky Sports: "Barcelona's Quadruple Kings vs Madrid's Galactico Revival – Spanish Football has never been hotter".
Bleacher Report posted side by side graphics: Sam Moses vs Vinicius Junior, Mbappe, and Bellingham, captioned: "The Clash is Coming".
El Clasico was still far away, and yet, hype was already building towards it.
Every question at post-match conferences circled back to the same theme:
"Can Barcelona defend the quadruple from last season?"
"Can Madrid's new signings topple the Football God?"
"Is Flick's high-press system sustainable against Alonso's counter-pressing Madrid?"
Amid all this publicity, Sam's fame skyrocketed even more after just the first matchday of the season.
Sam, when cornered by a reporter outside training, only smiled faintly. "Talk doesn't win trophies. Football does".
And yet, as Matchday 2 approached, the entire world already looked ahead, past domestic rivals, past Champions League qualifiers…
Toward El Clasico, the collision course between FC Barcelona's divine genius and Madrid's white empire.
The flames of La Liga were no longer sparks.
They were an inferno waiting to erupt.