The 2025-26 German football season on ABC and ESPN platforms begins Saturday in Stuttgart
The unofficial start of the 2025-26 German football season on ABC and ESPN platforms will kick off with the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup between DFB-Pokal winners VfB Stuttgart and Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. The match will air live on Saturday, August 16, at 2 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
Saturday’s German Super Cup will be the first Bundesliga match for Luiz Diaz, FC Bayern München’s prized off-season player acquisition. Diaz’s transfer from Liverpool FC to FC Bayern München cost a whopping $88 million (USD).
Derek Rae, ESPN’s lead Bundesliga play-by-play commentator, and analyst Patrick Owomoyela will call the match in English from the match site. Germany-based reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt and former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger will report pitchside.
Alexis Nunes, Nedum Onuoha, and Kasey Keller will host the English-language ESPN FC pre- and post-match shows, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
LALIGA Matchday 1: FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, and Real Madrid in matches across ESPN platforms
LALIGA’s top stars – Mbappé, Vini Jr., Federico Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Antoine Griezmann, Julián Alvarez, Nico Williams, and more – will kick off the 2025-26 season this weekend. LALIGA’s week one matches in English and Spanish will be available on ESPN platforms and Disney+. Highlights:
- FC Barcelona kick off their 2025-26 LALIGA campaign looking to defend their league title at RCD Mallorca on Saturday, August 16, at 1:30 p.m.
- After ranking among the top two off-season spenders in LALIGA, a rebuilt Atlético de Madrid opens the season at Espanyol on Sunday, August 17
- A new-look Real Madrid, under new manager Xabi Alonso, hosts CA Osasuna on Tuesday, August 19.
LALIGA Matchday 1 Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Fri, Aug 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Girona vs. Rayo Vallecano | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 3:30 p.m. | Villarreal vs. Real Oviedo | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Sat, Aug 16 | 1:30 p.m. | Mallorca vs. FC Barcelona | ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes,
Disney+ |
| 3:30 p.m. | Alaves vs. Levante | ESPN+ | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Valencia vs. Real Sociedad | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, Aug 17 | 11 a.m. | Celta de Vigo vs. Getafe | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| 1:30 p.m. | Athletic Club vs. Sevilla | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Espanyol vs. Atlético de Madrid | ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes | |
| Mon, Aug 18 | 3:00 p.m. | Elche vs. Real Betis | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
| Tue, Aug 19 | 3 p.m. | Real Madrid vs. Osasuna | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, Disney+ |
*Subject to change
Eredivisie Matchday 2: U.S. players Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi in action this Weekend on ESPN+
Four – Feyenoord, Ajax, PSV, and AZ Alkmaar – of the seven teams that won their season openers in the Eredivisie last week will be featured exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, highlighted by FC Twente-PSV Eindhoven, the league’s defending champions led by U.S. Men’s National Team players Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi.
Eredivisie on ESPN+ Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Platform(s) |
| Sat, Aug 16 | 12:45 p.m. | Excelsior vs. Feyenoord | ESPN+ |
| Sun, Aug 17 | 6:15 a.m. | Go Ahead Eagles vs. Ajax | ESPN+ |
| 8:30 a.m. | FC Twente vs. PSV Eindhoven | ESPN+ | |
| 10:45 a.m. | FC Volendam vs. AZ Alkmaar | ESPN |
*Subject to change
Soccer Schedule: Click here for additional soccer matches and content on ESPN+ and ESPN digital platforms.
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