Barcelona host Real Madrid in El Clásico tonight, Sunday 25 October 2026, at Spotify Camp Nou, kicking off at 21:00 in Spain, 23:00 in Riyadh and 20:00 in the UK. The unbeaten league leaders can open a nine-point gap and become the first team ever to win their first ten LaLiga games, while Real Madrid arrive without the suspended Vinícius Júnior and the ill Thibaut Courtois. Follow every goal in our Barcelona vs Real Madrid live hub, and read why Courtois is out and Lunin starts.
Key points
- Kickoff: Sunday 25 October, 21:00 CET in Barcelona, which is 23:00 in Riyadh and 20:00 in the UK. Europe's clocks went back overnight.
- Barcelona are first with 27 points from nine wins; Real Madrid are third on 21 after seven wins and two defeats.
- Real Madrid are without Vinícius Júnior (four-match LaLiga ban), Thibaut Courtois (flu), Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio.
- Barcelona are without Jules Koundé, Dani Olmo, Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji.
- Barcelona have won six of the last seven Clásicos, all under Hansi Flick; José Mourinho returns to the club where he once worked as an assistant.
What time is Barcelona vs Real Madrid?
LaLiga lists the match for Sunday 25 October 2026 at 21:00 local time. Because Spain and most of Europe ended summer time at 03:00 on Sunday morning, that 21:00 is now Central European Time (UTC+1), not the summer time quoted in older club announcements. Saudi Arabia does not change its clocks, so in Riyadh the match starts at 23:00 either way. FC Barcelona's own world kickoff guide gives the same Middle East time. If you set a reminder earlier in the week, double-check it, or use our kickoff time converter.
| City | Kickoff time |
|---|---|
| Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca (AST) | 23:00 Sunday |
| Barcelona, Madrid (CET) | 21:00 Sunday |
| London (GMT) | 20:00 Sunday |
| Dubai (GST) | 00:00 Monday |
| New York (EDT) | 16:00 Sunday |
| Los Angeles (PDT) | 13:00 Sunday |
| New Delhi (IST) | 01:30 Monday |
| Tokyo (JST) | 05:00 Monday |
Key facts at a glance
| Fixture | FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, LaLiga 2026-27 matchday 10 |
|---|---|
| Date and time | Sun 25 Oct 2026 · 23:00 Riyadh · 21:00 Spain · 20:00 UK |
| Venue | Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona |
| Table | Barcelona 1st, 27 pts (9 played) · Real Madrid 3rd, 21 pts (9 played) |
| Barcelona out | Koundé, Olmo, Eric García, Christensen, Bardghji |
| Real Madrid out | Vinícius Jr (ban), Courtois (flu), Rodrygo, Mendy, Asencio |
| Last five meetings | Barcelona 4 wins, Real Madrid 1 |
| All-time (all competitions) | 264 games: Barcelona 106, Real Madrid 106, draws 52 |
| At stake | A Barcelona win = record 10/10 start and a nine-point lead over Madrid |
Team news
Barcelona: a patched-up defence
Hansi Flick's problems are mostly at the back. FC Barcelona's official preview says Roony Bardghji, Eric García and Andreas Christensen were already unavailable, Dani Olmo picked up an injury in Tuesday's 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain and will sit this one out, and Jules Koundé is being held back because of an ankle problem the club describes as nothing serious. Losing Koundé and two centre-backs at once means Flick is likely to field a reshuffled back line. The club also says six players in tonight's squad could play their first ever Clásico, and ESPN notes that Anthony Gordon is preparing for his debut in the fixture.
Real Madrid: two huge absences
Vinícius Júnior continues his four-match domestic ban after his red card against Villarreal, as BBC Sport and ESPN both report. On Sunday morning Real Madrid then announced that Thibaut Courtois is a last-minute withdrawal with flu and that Illia Voloshyn has been called up in his place, which leaves Andriy Lunin in line to start. ESPN reported that the club were not completely ruling out Courtois travelling later if his condition improved significantly, so check the official line-ups, which are released about an hour before kickoff. FC Barcelona's preview also lists Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio as sidelined for the visitors. Our full story on the goalkeeper situation is here: Courtois out with flu, Lunin starts.
Form and the LaLiga table
Barcelona have won all nine league games. According to the club, they won their first eleven fixtures in all competitions before the defeat in Paris, and their 39 league goals after nine games is the second-highest tally in LaLiga history, behind only Sevilla's 41 in 1940. A tenth straight win would break the record they currently share with Real Madrid's 1968-69 side. Their last five results, per ESPN, read: W 3-1 at Sevilla, W 3-0 v Getafe, W 4-1 at Galatasaray, W 5-2 at Real Betis, L 2-4 at PSG.
Real Madrid have recovered well since losing at Atlético Madrid. The club says they have won all four of their October matches: Villarreal 1-0 and Sevilla 4-1 in the league, plus 4-3 at Roma and 4-1 against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Their two league defeats came away at Real Betis and Atlético. Atlético, who have played a game more, sit between the two giants with 25 points from ten matches, so a draw tonight would also suit them.
Head-to-head
The rivalry could not be more even over its long history. LaLiga's official figures give 264 meetings in all competitions: 106 wins each and 52 draws. In the league alone Real Madrid lead 80 to 77 with 35 draws. Recent history belongs to Barcelona, though. After Madrid won four in a row in 2023 and 2024, Flick's team have taken six of the last seven meetings. The last five, per ESPN: Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid (10 May 2026, LaLiga), Barcelona 3-2 (11 January 2026, Spanish Super Cup final), Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (26 October 2025, LaLiga), Barcelona 4-3 (11 May 2025, LaLiga) and Barcelona 3-2 (26 April 2025, Copa del Rey final). Mourinho, back at Madrid thirteen years after he left, brings his own subplot: Barcelona's preview notes he is unbeaten in his last five Clásicos as a coach.
Key battles: player vs player
1. Kylian Mbappé vs Barcelona's makeshift back line
Mbappé is Madrid's top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions, according to the club, and ESPN's data has him on nine league goals and 49 shots, more than any Madrid player. With Vinícius suspended, more of Madrid's attack will run through him. Barcelona's high line has been their trademark under Flick, but without Koundé, Christensen and Eric García Barcelona's centre-back partnership will be less familiar than usual. If Madrid can find Mbappé in behind early, the record chase gets complicated.
2. Lamine Yamal vs Madrid's left side
Yamal is Barcelona's creative engine. ESPN credits him with eight league goals, six assists and 48 shots, the most in the Barça squad. He likes to drift inside from the right, which pulls Madrid's left-back and left-sided midfielder towards him and opens space for overlapping runs. Without Vinícius ahead of them, Madrid's left side may have more defensive help than usual, but whoever starts there faces the hardest individual job on the pitch.
3. Jude Bellingham vs Barcelona's midfield
BBC Sport described Madrid's best recent shape as Mbappé up front with Bellingham operating in midfield behind a new-look front three. Bellingham has three league goals and three assists, per ESPN. His late runs into the box are dangerous against a Barcelona midfield that keeps the ball for long spells and pushes its full-backs high. Whether Barça's midfielders can track him while also feeding Yamal and Raphinha may decide the game.
4. Andriy Lunin vs Raphinha
Raphinha leads Barcelona's scoring charts on ESPN with 12 goals in eight appearances. He shoots early and from distance, and he will test a goalkeeper who, according to AS, has not played a competitive match since May. Lunin is not a novice in this fixture: AS says he has a winning record in four previous Clásicos, but rhythm matters for a goalkeeper, and Barcelona will press his distribution from the first minute.
Prediction (opinion)
This is our editorial opinion, not a fact or betting advice. Barcelona's attack has been close to unstoppable in the league, they are at home, and Madrid are missing their best winger and first-choice goalkeeper. But Barcelona's own defensive absences are serious, Mourinho's team are strong on the counter, and Barça conceded four in Paris on Tuesday. We expect goals at both ends and lean towards a narrow home win, something like Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid. A Madrid win would not be a shock: Mbappé only needs a few chances against a reshuffled defence. However it plays out, follow it with us on the live hub or the auto-updating El Clásico live score page.
What the result means
A Barcelona win leaves them nine points clear of Madrid after ten games and completes a record start. A Madrid win cuts the gap to three and ends Barcelona's perfect league run. A draw keeps the gap at six and lets Atlético Madrid stay within two points of the leaders. For more LaLiga coverage, browse our La Liga section or our earlier record-start preview.
How we checked this
Kickoff time and venue come from the LaLiga match centre, FC Barcelona's kickoff announcement and world time guide, and Real Madrid's fixture notice, cross-checked against ESPN's fixture data (20:00 UTC). Team news comes from FC Barcelona's official match preview, Real Madrid's official statement on Courtois as reported by ESPN, and BBC Sport on the Vinícius suspension. The table, recent results, head-to-head results and player statistics come from ESPN's match data, checked on 25 October 2026. All-time head-to-head totals are LaLiga's official figures. The prediction is our own opinion.
FAQ
What time is El Clásico in Saudi Arabia?
23:00 Riyadh time (AST) on Sunday 25 October 2026. That is 21:00 in Spain and 20:00 in the UK.
Where is Barcelona vs Real Madrid being played?
At Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. Barcelona are the home team.
Is Vinícius Júnior playing in El Clásico?
No. He is serving a four-match LaLiga suspension after his red card against Villarreal.
Is Courtois playing against Barcelona?
Real Madrid ruled him out with flu on Sunday morning, and Andriy Lunin is expected to start. Confirm with the official line-ups about an hour before kickoff.
Who has won more Clásicos?
Across all competitions it is level at 106 wins each with 52 draws, per LaLiga. In LaLiga games only, Real Madrid lead 80-77.
Sources
- LaLiga match centre: FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid
- FC Barcelona: Preview, FC Barcelona v Real Madrid
- FC Barcelona: When and where to watch FC Barcelona v Real Madrid
- Real Madrid: Barcelona-Real Madrid match preview
- ESPN: Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois out of Clásico with flu
- ESPN match data: Real Madrid at Barcelona
- ESPN: Anthony Gordon prepares for his El Clásico debut
- BBC Sport: Real Madrid's attacking options during Vinícius Jr's ban
- AS USA: Why isn't Thibaut Courtois playing in El Clásico?
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