The 2026-27 Serie A season begins on the weekend of Sunday 23 August 2026, with Italy’s top 20 clubs starting a 38-matchday campaign that runs until the final day on 30 May 2027. Opening Weekend launches the 125th season of Italian football’s top flight, one of the oldest and most storied leagues in world football.
What is the Serie A Opening Weekend?
Serie A is the top tier of Italian professional football, contested by 20 clubs. The opening weekend is Giornata 1, the first of 38 matchdays in a home-and-away double round-robin format. The top four qualify for the UEFA Champions League, fifth and sixth claim Europa League places, seventh enters the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round, and the bottom three are relegated to Serie B.
Italian football traditionally takes a mid-season winter break and features a compressed schedule either side, resulting in busy months either side of Christmas. Opening Weekend 2026-27 is staged seven days later than a typical season start due to the FIFA World Cup summer calendar.
When is the Serie A Opening Weekend?
Matchday 1 is played on Saturday 22 August and Sunday 23 August 2026. Kick-off times are typically 18:30 and 20:45 local time (CEST, UTC+2), avoiding the peak afternoon heat of late summer. A Monday night fixture is often selected to extend the opening round into a fourth broadcast window.
Where is the Serie A Opening Weekend played?
Fixtures are played at each home club’s stadium across Italy, including the San Siro in Milan (shared by Inter Milan and AC Milan, capacity 75,923), the Allianz Stadium in Turin (Juventus), Stadio Olimpico in Rome (AS Roma and Lazio), Diego Armando Maradona in Naples (Napoli), Artemio Franchi in Florence (Fiorentina) and Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo (Atalanta).
Key Contenders
Napoli are the defending Serie A champions after winning back-to-back Scudetti in 2024-25 and 2025-26, making them the most recent club to dominate Italian football. Inter Milan, the 2023-24 champions, remain the main challenger alongside Juventus (who hold the competition record with 36 Scudetti), AC Milan, Atalanta and Roma. Lazio and Fiorentina typically contest European qualification.
How to Watch
In Italy, DAZN holds the majority of Serie A broadcast rights under the current domestic deal, with Sky Italia sharing three games per matchday. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, TNT Sports and discovery+ are the exclusive live broadcasters. In the United States, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network share rights. Internationally, beIN Sports (MENA and France), DAZN (Germany and Japan) and Star+ (Latin America) are the main carriers.
History and Records
Serie A was founded in 1898, initially played as a regional championship, and in 1929 adopted the single national round-robin format still in use. Juventus hold the record for most Serie A titles with 36, followed by AC Milan and Inter Milan with 20 each. The league’s record for most goals in a single Serie A season is 36, shared by Gino Rossetti and Gunnar Nordahl. Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Roberto Baggio are among the all-time great Italian strikers.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for Serie A Opening Weekend fixtures are sold through each club’s official website and via Vivaticket, the league’s ticketing partner. Prices range from around 15 euros for lower-profile fixtures up to several hundred euros for marquee matches and hospitality at the biggest grounds. The derby della Madonnina between Inter and Milan and the Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Inter are among the most in-demand tickets of the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Serie A 2026-27 season start?
Matchday 1 begins on the weekend of 22-23 August 2026.
Where is the Serie A Opening Weekend played?
Fixtures are staged at each home club’s stadium across Italy.
How can I watch the Serie A Opening Weekend?
DAZN and Sky Italia in Italy, TNT Sports in the UK, Paramount+ in the US.
Who won the last Serie A title?
Napoli won the 2025-26 Serie A title, their second consecutive Scudetto under Antonio Conte.