FC Barcelona hosts Athletic Club on Thursday night at Camp Nou in a rescheduled Matchday 1 clash.
The delayed opener, pushed back after several players from both squads advanced deep into the 2026 World Cup, arrives with a defending champion in dominant form against a shaken opponent still searching for answers.
Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. local time Thursday, August 27, which works out to 3 p.m. ET, noon PT in teh United States, and 8 p.m. in the United Kingdom. Barcelona and Athletic Club have both already played their Matchday 2 fixtures, meaning this postponed opener finally squares up the schedule.
How to Watch FC Barcelona vs. Athletic Club
Fans in the United States can find the match on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, with ESPN+, Fubo and DirecTV Stream carrying the game live streaming online. The ESPN app rounds out the domestic options for viewers without cable access.
In the United Kingdom, Premier Sports 2 carries the broadcast, available on Sky channel 420 and Virgin Media channel 529. Streaming runs through the Premier Sports Player and STV Player, as Sports Mole’s Matt Law detailed ahead of kickoff. The match had originally been scheduled for the league’s opening weekend before the postponement.
Viewers in Spain can watch through DAZN LaLiga, now folded into the Plan HBO Max DAZN subscription package, with Movistar+ and LaLiga TV Bar offering additional access, Eurosport’s midweek preview confirmed.
Kickoff at Camp Nou arrives at 21:00 local time.
FC Barcelona vs. Athletic Club: Match Preview
Barcelona opened its title defense with a 5-0 demolition of Elche, a result that left Hansi Flick’s attack looking as sharp as ever even with a makeshift frontline. Athletic Club, by contrast, stumbled to a 3-1 home loss against Sevilla, a night marred by Yuri Berchiche’s 11th-minute red card, according to a Sports Illustrated report.
History overwhelmingly favors the hosts. Athletic Club have not won at Camp Nou in La Liga play since November 2001, and Barcelona have taken the last six meetings between the sides across all competitions. Thursday marks Barcelona’s first home match of the new campaign, adding an extra jolt to an already lopsided rivalry.
Flick will again be without Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji, both sidelined long-term with knee injuries, while Gavi is considered doubtful for Thursday after a scare against Elche. New signing Rodri could still make his Barcelona debut off the bench following his World Cup-winning summer with Spain. Terzic has his own injury list to navigate, with Dani Vivian, Unai Eguiluz and Benat Prados all unavailable in addition to the suspended Berchiche, though Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams are both in line to start after being held back for the season opener.
Last season ended with Barcelona claiming a second consecutive La Liga crown and a 29th title overall, finishing with 94 points on 31 wins, one draw and six losses while also lifting the Spanish Super Cup, Sports Mole’s season review noted. Athletic limped to a 12th-place finish under Ernesto Valverde, prompting the club to hand the reins to new manager Edin Terzic for 2026-27.
Barcelona added Rodri, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Joao Cancelo over the summer, all part of an effort to finally push past the Champions League quarterfinals after two straight domestic sweeps. Athletic Club, meanwhile, brought back defender Aymeric Laporte and enters Thursday’s trip to Catalonia hoping for an immediate response to a rough start under Terzic.
How to Watch FC Barcelona vs. Athletic Club Bilbao Live: Streaming, TV, Preview