La Liga

Lore & Background

A total of 63 teams have competed in La Liga since its inception. Nine clubs have been crowned Spanish champions. Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the competition, with 36 and 29 titles respectively. Other successful clubs include Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad, while Deportivo La Coruña have also won the title, reflecting a history of success across several Spanish clubs.

As of the 2024–25 season, La Liga is ranked third in the UEFA coefficient rankings based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, behind England's Premier League and Italy's Serie A. La Liga has led the coefficient rankings for more years than any other league and has produced the continent's top-rated club more often than any other league. Its clubs have won more UEFA Champions League (20), UEFA Europa League (14), UEFA Super Cup (17) and FIFA Club World Cup (8) titles than those of any other league, while its players have accumulated the most Ballon d'Or awards (24), The Best FIFA Men's Player awards (19) and UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards (12).

Reader's Guide

The competition format follows the usual double round-robin format. During the course of a season, which lasts from August to May, each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, for 38 matches. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club crowned champion at the end of the season.

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Primera División and the Segunda División. The three lowest placed teams in La Liga are relegated to the Segunda División, and the top two teams from the Segunda División promoted to La Liga, with an additional club promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs. If points are equal between two or more clubs, tie-breaker rules apply, including head-to-head records, total goal difference, fair play scales, and potentially a tie-break match in a neutral stadium.

The top four teams in La Liga qualify for the subsequent season's UEFA Champions League league stage, with a possible fifth dependent on Spain's UEFA Coefficient for the previous season. The fifth place team and the Copa del Rey winner qualify for the UEFA Europa League group stage, with adjustments if the winner finishes in the top five. The sixth or seventh place team qualifies for the UEFA Conference League play-off round.