La Liga has won a legal battle against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after its appeal was dismissed by the Spanish Supreme Court over a dispute over scheduling fixtures on Mondays and Fridays.
The High Court ruled that La Liga has the “exclusive” right to set dates and times of league matches. The ruling also concluded that the RFEF holds no power to veto any plans La Liga may have to host league fixtures, setting a precedent which limits interference from national or international bodies in the league’s scheduling decisions.
The Supreme Court further clarified that neither Article 6.1(c) of Royal Decree-Law 5/2015 nor Article 28 of Royal Decree 1835/1991 grants the RFEF the right to impose financial conditions or other requirements for matches held on Fridays or Mondays.
It concluded such demands amount to unfair competition by obstruction, noting that they “lack objective justification and unduly limit the organisational activity” of La Liga.
The RFEF has argued this is unfair and that the league should consider certain economic and fan interests.
“La Liga values this resolution very positively, which reinforces the legal certainty of Spanish professional football and consolidates the competition framework established by current legislation,” said La Liga in a statement.
“The ruling opens the way to evaluate the damage caused by a situation that, for years, generated uncertainty and losses for the clubs and the competition itself by affecting a key tool to compete in equality, maintain and increase the value of audiovisual rights and benefit the entire professional football ecosystem.”
How did we get here?
The challenge of which body should be responsible for setting match fixtures arose back in 2019,during the presidency of Luis Rubiales.
At the time, theRFEF claimed it did not authorise the scheduling of matches on Mondays and Fridays.
As a result, no matches could be played on those days, which La Liga pointed out generated a notable impact on sports planning, audiovisual marketing, and the fan experience. La Liga filed a lawsuit looking to get this decision overturned.
In August 2019, the Commercial Court of Madrid ruled that Friday matches should be allowed, but not on Mondays. In June 2020, the Provincial Court of Madrid revoked the resolutions issued by the Commercial Court allowing the scheduling of matches on both days.
A US game on Friday or Monday?
La Liga’s successful bid to schedule matches on Mondays and Fridays without authorisation from the RFEF could embolden President Javier Tebas to revive his long-standing ambition of hosting a league fixture in the US.
The development follows the league’s decision to cancel the planned Villarreal vs Barcelona match on December 18, 2025, after widespread opposition from players and fans.
While the ruling grants La Liga greater autonomy over domestic scheduling, any future attempt to stage a match overseas would still require approval from both the RFEF and UEFA.
