Barcelona open 2026-27 campaign chasing first three-peat since Guardiola era

Barcelona begin a new season this weekend with a trip to Elche on Sunday for their La Liga opener, with the Catalans looking for a historic three-peat of domestic titles.

The Blaugrana have been very busy on the transfer market and are not done yet as they look to strengthen the squad to make a real run at the Champions League title. After coming so close in Hansi Flick’s first season and falling short once again last year, Barça will do whatever it takes to finally end their decade-long European Cup drought.

La Liga betting odds

Barcelona begin the 2026-27 La Liga season as strong favorites to defend their crown and achieve their first three-peat since 2011 under Pep Guardiola, and as always their main rivals for the title will be Real Madrid.

• Barcelona (-170)
• Real Madrid (+140)
• Atletico Madrid (+1800)
• Villarreal (+10000)
• Real Betis (+150000)
• Athletic Club (+150000)

Los Blancos have been very active this summer with the return of José Mourinho and several high-profile transfers that certainly make them an intriguing proposition. Mourinho — who has had more misses than hits in his recent stops around Europe — is under huge pressure after two trophyless seasons for Madrid and a stacked squad that underachieved in a huge way and made headlines for their off-field troubles more than anything else.

Atlético Madrid are third on the list and always make interesting signings that make them seem like true challengers, but Diego Simeone’s side has underachieved time and time again since winning the title in 2020-21 and are still dealing with a big soap opera involving star forward Julián Álvarez, who wants to join Barcelona but will likely stay despite his wishes.

"I will pick Barça to three-peat but I think Madrid will make it very close, and the second league Clásico on May 9, 2027 at the Bernabéu feels absolutely like the title-decider already."

Champions League betting odds

Barça are set to begin a new European journey in September and are hoping that this is finally the year they will lift the iconic trophy with the big ears.

• PSG (+500)
• Arsenal (+650)
• Bayern Munich (+650)
• Real Madrid (+750)
• Man City (+750)
• Barcelona (+750)

The signing of Rodri adds a proven veteran superstar with a massive track record of trophies, including the World Cup this summer and the 2023 Champions League in which he scored the winning goal in the Final.

The Blaugrana are currently tied for the fourth best odds along with Real Madrid and Manchester City, which feels right despite the big question marks surrounding Madrid and City before the season begins.

Two-time reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain are the obvious favorites and once again have a stacked squad under Luis Enrique, and have the luxury of saving their big stars for the big European dates as they cruise through the domestic season in France.

Premier League winners Arsenal want to avenge last season’s loss to PSG in the Final and also made noise with big signings this summer, and Mikel Arteta’s team feels even more dangerous without the pressure of finally having to end their domestic drought. With the PL title out of the way, they can focus more on Europe and have the type of defensive prowess that make them very hard to beat in the Champions League.

Bayern Munich return manager Vincent Kompany and the same squad from last season with a couple of key additions at the back and in attack, and just like PSG they can cruise through the league and fully focus on making a deep European run.

Winning the Champions League is always the dream but is also a gigantic challenge for Barça, who still need a world-class striker and a quality center-back to have a squad truly capable of making a run to the title. The transfer window is not closed yet and Barça are actively looking for a new number nine while also trying to find a good market opportunity to strengthen the defense, but the current squad, especially with Rodri’s addition, is already good enough to make at least the semis.