The Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup is underway, featuring the opening match between Morocco and Canada, followed by a clash between France and Paraguay. Both Morocco and France secured victories in their respective matches to advance to the quarter-finals, with star contributions from players affiliated with Real Madrid.
In the first match, Brahim Diaz delivered two assists to propel Morocco to a 3-0 win, despite Canada providing some challenges in the opening half. Meanwhile, in the second encounter, Kylian Mbappe netted the game’s only goal, thereby continue his scoring streak in the tournament.
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As a result, these two teams will now face off in the quarter-finals. This matchup will see Brahim and Mbappe competing on opposing sides, adding an emotional layer to the encounter while also holding significant implications for Real Madrid.
According to Diario AS, at least one Real Madrid player is guaranteed to advance to the semi-finals – whether it’s Mbappe, Tchouameni, or Konate if France wins, or Brahim if Morocco prevails. As a result, the start of Los Blancos’ league season, originally set for August 14-16, will be postponed to the end of the month.
This is not the only match that will be affected; games involving Barcelona, Athletic Club, Atletico Madrid, and matches involving Celta Vigo and Osasuna are also expected to be rescheduled for similar reasons.
La Liga will announce its match schedule for the opening day only after the semi-final fixtures of the World Cup have been determined. For now, it remains uncertain which other matches may be impacted, but it is clear that Real Madrid will see a delay in the start of their season due to the ongoing World Cup.