SafekipediaLa Liga
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, is the top professional association football league in Spain. It is the highest level of the Spanish football league system and is controlled by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional.
Each season, 20 teams play 38 matches to become the league champion.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have been the most successful clubs in La Liga's history, winning many titles over the years. Other clubs like Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad have also enjoyed success. La Liga has produced many of the world's best players and has won many top European trophies.
La Liga is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, attracting fans and players from around the globe. It ranks highly in attendance and revenue among global sports leagues. From 2008 to 2016, it was known as Liga BBVA, then LaLiga Santander until 2023, and since then, it has been called LaLiga EA Sports because of its sponsor, Electronic Arts.
Competition format
The La Liga season runs from August to May. Each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. This makes 38 matches in total. Teams get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the league.
Promotion and relegation
Teams can move between La Liga and the Segunda División based on how well they do. The three teams with the fewest points in La Liga move down to the Segunda División. The top two teams from the Segunda División move up to La Liga, with one more team joining after extra matches.
Tie breaker rules
If teams have the same number of points, there are rules to decide their ranking. If two teams are tied, their matches against each other decide who is higher. If more than two teams are tied, points and goals from matches between those teams are used. If that is not enough, goal difference and total goals scored are looked at. If needed, a match at a neutral stadium decides the winner.
Qualification for European competitions
The top four teams in La Liga qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The fifth-place team and the Copa del Rey winner qualify for the UEFA Europa League. The sixth-place team (or seventh if needed) qualifies for the UEFA Conference League. The number of spots for Spanish teams in these competitions depends on how well Spanish teams have done in European matches in the past five years. As of the end of the 2023–24 season, Spain is ranked second in these rankings.
Main article: UEFA country coefficients
| Period (in years) | No. of clubs |
|---|---|
| 1929–1934 | 10 clubs |
| 1934–1941 | 12 clubs |
| 1941–1950 | 14 clubs |
| 1950–1971 | 16 clubs |
| 1971–1987 | 18 clubs |
| 1987–1995 | 20 clubs |
| 1995–1997 | 22 clubs |
| 1997–present | 20 clubs |
History
Foundation
In April 1928, a director at Arenas de Getxo suggested having a national league in Spain. The Spanish Football Federation chose ten teams to start the first Primera División in 1929. Arenas, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Real Unión were picked because they had won the Copa del Rey before. Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Europa joined as Copa del Rey runners-up, and Racing de Santander got in through a special competition. Only three of these original teams—Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao—have never been dropped from the top league.
1930s: Athletic Bilbao dominate
Although Barcelona won the first Liga, and Real Madrid won their first titles soon after, it was Athletic Bilbao that took the lead early on, winning La Liga several times in the 1930s. In 1935, Real Betis won their only title so far. The Primera División stopped during the Spanish Civil War.
In 1937, teams from the Republican area of Spain, except the two Madrid clubs, played in the Mediterranean League, with Barcelona winning that title.
1940s: Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia emerge
When the Primera División started again after the Spanish Civil War, Atlético Aviación (now Atlético Madrid), Valencia, and Barcelona became the strongest teams. Atlético won their first Liga title that year and kept it the next year. Valencia’s young players stayed together and became champions, winning three Liga titles in the early 1940s.
Athletic Bilbao was badly affected by the war. But by finding young talent, they formed a new successful team. Sevilla had a good period too, finishing second in 1940 and 1942 before winning their only title in 1946.
Meanwhile, Barcelona started to become strong under the famous player and later coach Josep Samitier. He helped Barcelona win their second La Liga title in 1945. The 1940s were successful for Barcelona.
1950s: Barcelona and Real Madrid Dominate
Although Atlético Madrid won titles in 1950 and 1951, the 1950s were mostly about Barcelona and Real Madrid doing very well.
Barcelona had a great period under coach Ferdinand Daučík, winning La Liga and the Copa Del Rey in 1952 and 1953.
In the later 1950s, Barcelona won more La Liga titles under coach Helenio Herrera and star player Luis Suárez.
The 1950s also marked the start of Real Madrid’s strong period. Because of special rules, Real Madrid was able to keep important foreign players like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás. These players helped Real Madrid win several La Liga titles in the 1950s.
1960s–1970s: Real Madrid superiority
Real Madrid were the strongest team in La Liga from 1960 to 1980, winning the title 14 times. Only Atlético Madrid challenged them during this time. Valencia won their fourth title in 1971, and Johan Cruyff helped Barcelona win in 1974.
1980s: Real Madrid dominate but the Basque Clubs disrupt their monopoly
Real Madrid kept winning La Liga in the 1980s, but teams from the Basque region like Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao also did very well. Real Sociedad won their first La Liga titles in 1981 and 1982. Athletic Bilbao won two in a row in 1983 and 1984. Barcelona won their tenth La Liga title in 1985.
1990s: Barcelona's Dream Team
Johan Cruyff returned to Barcelona as coach in 1988 and built the famous ‘Dream Team.’ His team won the European Cup in 1992 and four La Liga titles in a row from 1991 to 1994.
After Cruyff, Real Madrid won La Liga in 1995, and Atlético Madrid won in 1996. Then Real Madrid won again in 1997. Another Dutch coach, Louis van Gaal, led Barcelona to La Liga titles in 1998 and 1999.
2000s: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia's re-emergence
The 2000s saw Barcelona become very successful again, winning ten La Liga titles. Other teams also won, like Deportivo La Coruña in 2000 and Valencia in 2002 and 2004. Real Madrid won titles in 2001, 2003, 2007 and 2008. Barcelona won in 2005 and 2006.
2010s: Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético
In 2010, Real Madrid got 96 points but Barcelona got 99 and won. Barcelona won again in 2011, but Real Madrid took the title back in 2012. In 2014, Atlético Madrid broke the pattern and won La Liga for the first time since 1996. Barcelona won several more titles in the late 2010s, and Real Madrid won again in 2020.
2020s: present
Atlético Madrid won the 2021 title. Real Madrid won in 2022, and Barcelona won in 2023. In 2023, La Liga changed its name to LaLiga EA Sports. In 2024 and 2025, La Liga tried to block websites that showed illegal copies of matches.
Clubs
20 teams are playing in the league this season. These teams include the top 17 teams from last season and three new teams that moved up from a lower league. The teams Levante, Elche, and Oviedo joined the league this year.
Stadiums and locations
Seasons in La Liga
Many teams have played in La Liga over the years. Some teams have been there almost every season, while others have joined and left again. Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, and Real Madrid have played in La Liga every single season since it began. Other teams have been in the league for many years, but not all of them are still playing there today.
La Liga clubs in Europe
Main article: Spanish football clubs in international competitions
The Primera División is third in European league rankings. It is behind England's Premier League and Italy's Serie A, but ahead of Germany's Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid are among the top ten most successful clubs in European football. These three clubs, along with Sevilla and Valencia, are the only Spanish clubs to have won five or more international trophies. In 2005–06, La Liga was the first league to have its clubs win both the Champions League and UEFA Cup. This happened again several times later. In 2015, La Liga was the first league to send five teams to the Champions League group stage.
Champions
Main article: List of Spanish football champions
The top league in Spanish football is called La Liga. Many teams have played in this league since it began, and nine different teams have won the championship.
Players
In La Liga in 2020, each team could have five players from outside the European Union, but only three of them could play in any one game.
Players can sometimes change which country they are considered from. For example, if a player does not have European family, they can become a Spanish player after playing in Spain for five years.
La Liga began giving out special awards to players and coaches in the 2008–09 season. Some of the most famous awards are given by a sports newspaper in Spain. These include awards for the best scorer, the best goalkeeper, the best overall player, and the best Spanish scorer.
La Liga also gives out monthly awards for the best manager and the best player each month.
Player records
Most appearances
See also: List of footballers with 400 or more La Liga appearances
As of 13 May 2026
Boldface shows a player who is still playing in La Liga. Italics shows a player who is still playing but not in La Liga.
Most goals
See also: List of La Liga top scorers
Boldface shows a player who is still playing in La Liga. Italics shows a player who is still playing but not in La Liga.
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Years active | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andoni Zubizarreta | Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Valencia | 1981–1998 | 622 | 0 |
| Joaquín | Real Betis, Valencia, Málaga | 2001–2013 2015–2023 | 622 | 76 | |
| 3 | Raúl García | Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao | 2004–2024 | 609 | 112 |
| 4 |  Antoine Griezmann | Real Sociedad, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona | 2010– | 562 | 205 |
| 5 | Dani Parejo | Real Madrid, Getafe, Valencia, Villarreal | 2008– | 556 | 77 |
| 6 | Raúl | Real Madrid | 1994–2010 | 550 | 228 |
| 7 | Eusebio Sacristán | Valladolid, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Celta Vigo | 1983–2002 | 543 | 36 |
| 8 | Paco Buyo | Sevilla, Real Madrid | 1980–1997 | 542 | 0 |
| 9 | Sergio Ramos | Sevilla, Real Madrid | 2003–2021 2023–2024 | 536 | 77 |
| 10 | Manolo Sanchís | Real Madrid | 1983–2001 | 523 | 33 |
| Rank | Player | Club(s) | Years active | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 2004–2021 | 474 | 520 | 0.91 |
| 2 |  Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 2009–2018 | 311 | 292 | 1.07 |
| 3 | Telmo Zarra† | Athletic Bilbao | 1940–1955 | 251 | 278 | 0.9 |
| 4 | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 2009–2023 | 238 | 439 | 0.54 |
| 5 |  Hugo Sánchez | Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano | 1981–1994 | 234 | 347 | 0.67 |
| 6 | Raúl | Real Madrid | 1994–2010 | 228 | 550 | 0.41 |
| 7 | Alfredo Di Stéfano† | Real Madrid, Espanyol | 1953–1966 | 227 | 329 | 0.69 |
| 8 | César Rodríguez† | Granada, Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa, Elche | 1939–1955 | 221 | 353 | 0.63 |
| 9 | Quini† | Sporting Gijón, Barcelona | 1970–1987 | 219 | 448 | 0.49 |
| 10 | Pahiño† | Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña | 1943–1956 | 210 | 278 | 0.76 |
Sponsors
Main Sponsors
| Partners | Type | Partners | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Technology partner | Puma | Official ball |
| BKT | Official tyre | Moeve | Official sponsor |
| Volkswagen | Official car | Mahou | Official beer |
| Uber Eats | Official delivery | Riyadh Season | Official sponsor |
| Montelez | Official flavour | Airbnb | Official accommodation platform |
| Luckia | Official sponsor | El Corte Inglés | FMCG partner |
| Haier | Official sponsor | Solán de Cabras | Official water |
| Feeberse | Official contributor | Legends | Legend experience |
| Panini | Global licence | Fanatics | Global licence |
| Avery Dennison | Global licence | Sorare | Global licence |
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on La Liga, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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