Real Madrid and Atletico suffer huge blows days before Club World Cup begins

Real Madrid and Atletico have both suffered significant blows just days before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup.

The expanded club tournament begins on Sunday and runs through until 13 July. Real Madrid's group features Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, Mexico's Pachuca and Austria's RB Salzburg.

And Atletico Madrid will face Brazil's Botafogo, Champions League winners PSG and MLS side Seattle Sounders.

As the final is not until mid-July, there were reports that both Spanish giants wanted to delay the start of next season's La Liga campaign, as their players would not have had sufficient rest before the new season.

But that has been rejected by La Liga, representing a major setback for both clubs.

Although the fixture list has not been announced, La Liga have confirmed the season will begin on the weekend of 16 and 17 August, running through until 24 May, 2026, ahead of next summer's FIFA World Cup.

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Are there rules on the amount of rest footballers need?

Yes, under the Spanish Footballers Assocation (AFE) regulations.

The AFE is the main union for professional footballers in Spain and they dictate that players must have 30 days of rest throughout the year.

And part of this must include an uninterrupted three week break at the end of the season.

If either Spanish side reaches the final in mid-July, this would mean players return on 4 August, just 11 days before the new season begins.

This is a unique situation, as it's the first summer with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

During summers with international tournaments, players who go deep into the competition typically return late and miss the start of the season.

But in this case, the Madrid sides will have their full squads involved.

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What did La Liga's president say?

Javier Tebas has been outspoken throughout his presidency and has not been afraid to make his feelings known about clubs like Manchester City.

And he has taken a firm stance on the Club World Cup as well.

Tebas said: "The derby is not being considered for the first matchday, nor is it being considered for Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid to skip the first matchday for now.

"We'll discuss with the relevant bodies the decisions that need to be made.

"We will respect the collective bargaining agreement, the three-week vacation, and nothing else.

"We can't be in our competition depending on the Club World Cup, a competition in which neither the European leagues nor the clubs are in favour.

"Having the schedule dictated by them is detrimental to the competition.”