Spanish Football Returns from Christmas Break with Busy Slate of Matches in January Across ESPN Platforms
Slate of 5-6 Real Madrid matches in one Month; Copa del Rey Round of 32; 2025 Supercopa de España; and more
Following LALIGA’s 2024-25 Winter Break, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vini Jr., and Real Madrid return for their first match in 2025 on Friday, 3 p.m. ET, at Valencia CF’s Mestalla Stadium, live in English and Spanish on ESPN+ and simulcast on ESPN Deportes. The match, rescheduled from November 2 due to the catastrophic flash flooding in Valencia, will kick off a slate of up to eight games in one month for Real Madrid. Five, possibly six, Real Madrid matches in January across three competitions (LALIGA, Supercopa de España, and Copa del Rey) will be on The Walt Disney Company media platforms.
Friday’s game against Real Madrid will be Valencia’s first game under new head coach Carlos Corberán, who was appointed during the Christmas break to lead in its campaign to avid relegation following a stretch of poor results. Valencia is currently in 19th place with 12 points after 17 matches. At season’s end, the bottom three teams in the 20-team LALIGA are relegated to the lower division.
Copa del Rey: All Round of 32 Matches Exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish
The 123rd Copa del Rey season – Spanish football’s premier knockout cup competition – enters the “Round of 32” with 16 matches on Friday, Jan. 3 through Tuesday, Jan. 7, on ESPN+ in English and select matches in Spanish. Highlights:
- Teams competing in the 2025 Supercopa de España – Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Athletic Club, and Mallorca – join the competition in this round
- Teams in the lower divisions face and host LALIGA teams at their home stadiums
- The top four teams in LALIGA standings face off against their lower division Copa del Rey opponents: Atlético de Madrid (Marbella FC), Real Madrid (RC Deportivo), FC Barcelona (UD Barbastro), and Athletic Club (UD Logroñes).
Copa del Rey schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Fri, Jan 3 | 1 p.m. | Racing Ferrol vs. Rayo Vallecano | ESPN+ |
| 1 p.m. | Granada vs. Getafe | ESPN+ | |
| 1 p.m. | Pontevedra CF vs. Mallorca | ESPN+ | |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 9:30 a.m. | SD Huesca vs. Real Betis | ESPN+ |
| 10:30 a.m. | CD Tenerife vs. Osasuna | ESPN+ | |
| 11:30 a.m. | Almeria vs. Sevilla | ESPN+ | |
| 1:00 p.m. | UD Barbastro vs. FC Barcelona | ESPN+ | |
| 3:30 p.m. | UD Logroñes vs. Athletic Club | ESPN+ | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Marbella FC vs. Atlético de Madrid | ESPN+ | |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 6 a.m. | Ourense CF vs. Valladolid | ESPN+ |
| 6 a.m. | Elche CF vs. Las Palmas | ESPN+ | |
| 9:30 a.m. | FC Cartagena vs. Leganes | ESPN+ | |
| 9:30 a.m. | SD Ponferradina vs. Real Sociedad | ESPN+ | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Racing Santander vs. Celta Vigo | ESPN+ | |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 1 p.m. | RC Deportivo vs. Real Madrid | ESPN+ |
| Tue, Jan 7 | 3 p.m. | CD Eldense vs. Valencia | ESPN+ |
* Subject to change
2025 Supercopa de España: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Athletic Club and Mallorca on ABC and ESPN Platforms
ABC and ESPN platforms will present the 2025 Supercopa de España semifinals and final from Wednesday, Jan. 8, through Sunday, Jan. 12, live from King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
ESPN2 present English-language telecasts of the semifinals on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and Thursday, Jan. 9. ABC will broadcast the final on Sunday, Jan. 12. Spanish-language coverage of the three matches will be on ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ will stream the matches in English and Spanish.
Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Wed, Jan 8 | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN FC: SuperCopa de España Pregame | ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 1:55 p.m. | Supercopa de España – Semifinal I:
Athletic Club vs. FC Barcelona |
ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Thu, Jan 9 | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN FC: Supercopa de España Pregame | ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 1:55 p.m. | Supercopa de España – Semifinal II:
Real Madrid vs. Mallorca |
ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, Jan 12 | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN FC: Supercopa de España Final Pregame | ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 2 p.m. | Supercopa de España: Final
|
ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
* Subject to change
Next Week’s Matchday 19 Kicks Off Second Half of the 2024-’25 LALIGA Season on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
Five points separate the four clubs atop the 2024-’25 standings – Atletico Madrid (41), Real Madrid (40), FC Barcelona (38), and Athletic Club (36) – as LALIGA returns from its holiday break with eight games on Matchday 19 next weekend. The second half of the LALIGA season is setting up to become a closely contested title race, with each match a potential game-changer for the contenders.
LALIGA Matchday 19 schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Fri, Jan 10 | 3 p.m. | Rayo Vallecano vs. RC Celta Vigo | ESPN+, |
| Sat, Jan 11 | 8 a.m. | Deportivo Alavés vs. Girona FC | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 10:15 a.m. | Real Valladolid vs. Real Betis | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| 12:30 p.m. | RCD Espanyol vs. CD Leganes | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| 3 p.m. | Sevilla vs. Valencia | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, Jan 12 | 8 a.m. | Las Palmas vs. Getafe CF | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 10:15 a.m. | Atlético de Madrid vs. Osasuna | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Mon, Jan 13 | 3:00 p.m. | Real Sociedad vs. Villareal | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
* Subject to change
Soccer Schedule: Click here for additional soccer matches and content on ESPN+ and ESPN digital platforms.
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