When does Serie A start? Where to watch Italian soccer, schedule

Italian soccer returns for a title race that looks wide open for the first time in years.

Inter Milan enters as defending champion, but Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan all spent big this summer, and the league’s biggest names are betting this could be the most competitive Serie A campaign in a decade.

Here’s when the season kicks off, how to catch every match and which players to watch out for this season, including a handful of the United State’s biggest soccer stars.

When does Serie A start?

The 2026-27 Serie A season, the league’s 125th, officially starts today, Aug. 22, as Inter Milan faces Monza at 12:30 p.m.

There’s an immediate storyline for Monza fans to savor — and dread. The club is back in the top flight just one year after getting relegated, and its reward is an opening trip to face the reigning Scudetto winners.

Opening weekend fixtures

The full matchday-one slate is spread across Saturday, Sunday and Monday:

• Saturday, Aug. 22: Inter vs. Monza; Udinese vs. Como; Genoa vs. Napoli; Parma vs. Cagliari
• Sunday, Aug. 23: Frosinone vs. Juventus; Venezia vs. Lecce; Atalanta vs. Sassuolo; Torino vs. Milan
• Monday, Aug. 24: Bologna vs. Lazio; Roma vs. Fiorentina

Where to watch Serie A games in the U.S.

CBS Sports remains the exclusive English- and Italian-language rights-holder for Serie A in the U.S., meaning Paramount+ streams every single one of the 380 Serie A matches live, making it the only subscription that guarantees full access to the entire season.

2026-27 Serie A schedule, table

Click here to see the schedule in full screen.

Key dates to circle on the calendar

• Aug. 22-24: Season opener, full matchday-one slate
• Sept. 5: Inter vs. Napoli, the season’s first major title-race showdown
• Sept. 6: Juventus vs. Milan
• Sept. 21-Oct. 6: Extended international break
• Oct. 28: First midweek round of the season
• Dec. 26-27: Christmas break
• Jan. 6: Second midweek round, played during the Epiphany holiday
• March 22-30: Scheduled international break
• May 29-30: Final matchday

Seven Italian clubs are competing across UEFA competitions this season — Inter, Napoli, Roma and Como in the Champions League, Milan and Juventus in the Europa League and Atalanta in the Conference League — which could shift some domestic kickoff times as the year progresses.

Who was promoted and relegated in Serie A?

Three clubs move up to Serie A this season: Venezia, Frosinone and Monza, who take the places of Cremonese, Hellas Verona and Pisa — all relegated at the end of 2025-26.

Players to watch

The transfer market gave every one of Serie A’s contenders a reason for optimism, and a handful of new faces will shape how the title race unfolds:

• Rasmus Hojlund (Napoli): Napoli made his loan move from Manchester United permanent for roughly €44 million, and he now leads the line in Naples under new manager Massimiliano Allegri, who arrived after being let go by Milan.
• Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli): A fully fit De Bruyne, who missed most of last season with injury, would give Allegri’s side a genuine title-caliber engine room if his body cooperates.
• Goncalo Ramos (AC Milan): Signed from PSG in a deal reportedly worth more than €70 million, Ramos finally gives Milan a true focal point up top after a season of shuffling through strikers under new manager Ruben Amorim.
• John Stones (Inter): Arriving on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City, Stones is the club’s most notable addition to a squad some believe is nearing the end of its cycle under manager Cristian Chivu, after Yann Sommer, Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian all left this summer.
• Christian Pulisic (AC Milan): The USMNT captain continues as the face of Milan’s attack, giving American viewers a natural rooting interest.
• Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah (Juventus): Both remain fixtures in Turin, adding to the U.S. contingent scattered across the league table this season.