kids encyclopedia robot

La Liga facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
LaLiga EA Sports
LaLiga EA Sports 2023 Vertical Logo.svg
Organising body Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional
Founded 1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Country Spain
Confederation UEFA
Number of teams 20 (since 1997–98)
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Segunda División
Domestic cup(s) Copa del Rey
Supercopa de España
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League
Current champions Barcelona (28th title)
(2024–25)
Most championships Real Madrid (36 titles)
Most appearances Andoni Zubizarreta
Joaquín
(622 each)
Top goalscorer Lionel Messi
(474)
TV partners List of broadcasters

La Liga is Spain's top professional football league. It is officially called LaLiga EA Sports because of its sponsor. This exciting league is where 20 teams compete to become the champion of Spain. They play 38 matches each season, from August to May.

Since it started, 62 different teams have played in La Liga. Nine of these teams have won the championship. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the most successful clubs. Real Madrid has won 36 titles, and Barcelona has won 28.

In the 1940s, teams like Valencia, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona were very strong. The 1950s saw Real Madrid and Barcelona each win four titles. Real Madrid then dominated the 1960s and 1970s, winning 14 titles. Atlético Madrid also won four titles during this time. In the 1980s, Real Madrid was still strong, but Basque clubs like Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad also won two titles each. Since the 1990s, Barcelona has been the most successful club, winning 17 titles. Real Madrid is close behind. Other teams like Valencia and Deportivo La Coruña have also won La Liga.

La Liga is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. Many fans attend the matches. It is also one of the wealthiest sports leagues globally. La Liga clubs have won more UEFA Champions League (20), UEFA Europa League (14), and FIFA Club World Cup (8) titles than clubs from any other league. Players from La Liga have also won the most Ballon d'Or awards.

From 2008 to 2016, the league was known as Liga BBVA. Then, from 2016 to 2023, it was called LaLiga Santander. Since 2023, it has been known as LaLiga EA Sports, sponsored by Electronic Arts.

How the Competition Works

The La Liga season uses a "double round-robin" format. This means each team plays every other team twice. They play once at home and once away. This adds up to 38 matches for each team.

Teams get three points for winning a match. They get one point for a draw (a tie). They get no points for losing. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the championship.

Moving Up and Down Leagues

There is a system where teams can move between the Primera División (La Liga) and the Segunda División (the second division). The three teams with the fewest points in La Liga are moved down to the Segunda División. The top two teams from the Segunda División are moved up to La Liga. An additional team also moves up after special play-off matches.

Here is how many teams have played in La Liga over the years:

Number of clubs in La Liga throughout the years
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

How Ties are Broken

If two or more teams have the same number of points, special rules are used to decide which team ranks higher:

  • If the tied teams have played each other twice:
    • If it's just two teams, the team with a better "head-to-head" goal difference wins. This means comparing only the goals scored and allowed in games between those two teams.
    • If it's more than two teams, they look at points from games played only among those tied teams. If still tied, they look at goal difference from those games.
  • If the above rules don't break the tie, or if the teams haven't played each other twice yet, they look at:
    • The total goal difference for the whole season.
    • The total goals scored in the whole season.
  • If teams are still tied, a "Fair Play" system is used. Teams get points for yellow cards, red cards, and other rule violations. The team with fewer points wins.
  • If all else fails, a special tie-break match is played at a neutral stadium.

Playing in European Competitions

The top teams in La Liga get to play in big European tournaments.

  • The top four teams in La Liga qualify for the UEFA Champions League. This is Europe's biggest club competition.
  • The fifth-place team in La Liga and the winner of the Copa del Rey (Spain's main cup competition) qualify for the UEFA Europa League. If the Copa del Rey winner is already in the top five, then the sixth-place team in La Liga gets the Europa League spot.
  • The sixth-place team (or seventh, if needed) qualifies for the UEFA Conference League.

The number of spots Spain gets in these European competitions depends on how well Spanish clubs have performed in Europe over the past five years. Spain is currently ranked second in Europe for club performance.

History of La Liga

How La Liga Started

The idea for a national football league in Spain came about in April 1928. After many discussions, the Spanish Football Federation decided on the first ten teams. These teams started the first Primera División season in 1929.

Some of the first teams included Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao. Only these three founding clubs have never been moved down from the Primera División.

1930s: Athletic Bilbao's Early Success

Athletic Club Copa 1933
Athletic Bilbao team in 1933.

Barcelona won the very first La Liga title in 1929. Real Madrid won their first titles in 1932 and 1933. However, Athletic Bilbao was the strongest team in the early years. They won La Liga in 1930, 1931, 1934, and 1936. They even beat Barcelona 12–1 in one match, which is still the biggest win in La Liga history! In 1935, Real Betis won their only title so far. The league was stopped during the Spanish Civil War.

1940s: New Teams Rise

Results of the five champions during the post-war years
Season ATM BAR ATH SEV VAL
1939–40 1 9 3 2 8
1940–41 1 4 2 5 3
1941–42 3 12 7 6 1
1942–43 8 3 1 2 7
1943–44 2 6 10 3 1
1944–45 3 1 6 10 5
1945–46 7 2 3 1 6
1946–47 3 4 2 6 1
1947–48 3 1 6 5 2
1948–49 4 1 6 8 2
1949–50 1 5 6 10 3
TOTAL 3 3 1 1 3
Top three 8 4 5 4 7
     La Liga champions
     Copa del Generalísimo
     La Liga/Copa del Generalísimo double

After the Spanish Civil War, Atlético Madrid (then called Atlético Aviación), Valencia, and Barcelona became the top teams. Atlético won their first two titles in 1940 and 1941. Valencia won three titles in 1942, 1944, and 1947.

Athletic Bilbao also found new young players and won a La Liga title in 1943. They also won the Copa del Generalísimo (now Copa del Rey) several times. Sevilla had a good period, winning their only title in 1946. Barcelona, led by players like César Rodríguez, won back-to-back titles in 1948 and 1949.

1950s: Barcelona and Real Madrid Take Over

Di stefano real madrid cf (cropped)
Naturalised Argentine Alfredo Di Stéfano was part of a dominant Real Madrid side in the 1950s
Kubala
During the 1950s, László Kubala was a leading member of Barcelona, scoring 194 goals in 256 appearances.

Atlético Madrid won titles in 1950 and 1951. But the 1950s mostly belonged to Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona had a "golden era" winning La Liga and Copa del Rey in 1952 and 1953. In 1952, they won five different trophies in one year! This team was known as 'The Team of the Five Cups'. Barcelona also won back-to-back titles in 1959 and 1960.

Real Madrid also started their dominance in the 1950s. With amazing players like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás, Real Madrid won their first La Liga title since 1933 in 1954. They won again in 1955, 1957, and 1958. In total, Barcelona and Real Madrid each won four La Liga titles in the 1950s.

1960s–1970s: Real Madrid's Strong Hold

Real Madrid was incredibly strong between 1960 and 1980. They won the La Liga championship 14 times! They even won five titles in a row from 1961 to 1965. Only Atlético Madrid offered a real challenge during this time, winning La Liga four times (1966, 1970, 1973, and 1977). Valencia won their fourth title in 1971, and Barcelona, with star player Johan Cruyff, won their ninth title in 1974.

1980s: Basque Clubs Break Through

Real Madrid's winning streak was interrupted in the 1980s. While Real Madrid won five more titles from 1986 to 1990, clubs from the Basque Country also had great success. Real Sociedad won their first La Liga titles in 1981 and 1982. Then, Athletic Bilbao won two titles in a row in 1983 and 1984. Barcelona won their tenth La Liga title in 1985.

1990s: Barcelona's Dream Team

AmorFerrerMussonsGuardiola
La Masia graduates Guillermo Amor, Albert Ferrer and Pep Guardiola.

Johan Cruyff returned to Barcelona as manager in 1988. He built a famous team called the Dream Team. This team had international stars like Romario and Hristo Stoichkov. It also included talented young players from Barcelona's youth academy, like Pep Guardiola. Cruyff's team played a new style of football and won the European Cup in 1992. They also won four La Liga titles in a row from 1991 to 1994. Cruyff won 11 trophies in eight years, making him Barcelona's most successful manager for a long time.

Real Madrid won La Liga in 1995. Atlético Madrid won their ninth title in 1996. Barcelona, under a new manager, Louis van Gaal, won La Liga in 1998 and 1999. Barcelona won six La Liga titles in the 1990s.

2000s: Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia Shine

Results of Barça and Real Madrid in the 21st century
Season BAR RMA
2000–01 4 1
2001–02 4 3
2002–03 6 1
2003–04 2 4
2004–05 1 2
2005–06 1 2
2006–07 2 1
2007–08 3 1
2008–09 1 2
2009–10 1 2
2010–11 1 2
2011–12 2 1
2012–13 1 2
2013–14 2 3
2014–15 1 2
2015–16 1 2
2016–17 2 1
2017–18 1 3
2018–19 1 3
2019–20 2 1
2020–21 3 2
2021–22 2 1
2022–23 1 2
2023–24 2 1
2024–25 1 2
Total 12 9
Top three 22 24
     League champions
     Copa del Rey
     La Liga/Copa del Rey double

The 21st century started with Barcelona continuing their success. They won ten La Liga titles, including two "trebles" (winning the league, main cup, and Champions League in one season). However, other teams also became champions. Deportivo La Coruña won in 2000. Valencia also had a strong period, winning La Liga in 2002 and 2004. They also won the UEFA Cup and Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid won titles in 2001 and 2003. With players like Raúl and Ruud van Nistelrooy, they won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008. Barcelona, with star player Ronaldinho, won titles in 2005 and 2006.

2010s: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético's Rivalry

In the 2009–10 season, Barcelona won La Liga with a record 99 points. They won again in 2010–11. Real Madrid, managed by José Mourinho and with star player Cristiano Ronaldo, ended Barcelona's winning streak in 2011–12. They won their 32nd La Liga title with a record 100 points. The next year, Barcelona won La Liga again, also reaching 100 points.

Atlético Madrid, led by manager Diego Simeone, won their tenth La Liga title in 2013–14. This was their first title since 1996. They were the first team since Valencia in 2004 to break the winning streak of Barcelona and Real Madrid. In 2014–15, Barcelona, with their famous trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez, made history by winning a second treble. They continued their dominance, winning another double in 2015–16.

Real Madrid won La Liga in 2016–17 under manager Zinedine Zidane. Barcelona then won the title again in 2017–18 and 2018–19. This meant they won eight La Liga titles in eleven years. Real Madrid reclaimed the title in 2019–20, a season that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020s: Recent Seasons

The 2020–21 season was won by Atlético Madrid, with Real Madrid as runners-up. The 2021–22 season was won by Real Madrid. Barcelona won the 2022–23 season. Real Madrid won the 2023–24 season. The 2024–25 season was won by Barcelona.

In 2023, La Liga changed its logo and sponsor. EA Sports became the new main sponsor. The top division is now called LaLiga EA Sports. In late 2024, La Liga faced challenges with online piracy. They obtained a court order to block certain internet addresses in Spain. This caused some temporary access issues for other websites, including some football teams' sites.

Teams in La Liga

There are 20 teams competing in the current 2025–26 La Liga season. This includes the top 17 teams from the 2024–25 season. Three teams were promoted from the Segunda División: Levante, Elche, and Real Oviedo.

Stadiums and Locations

Team Location 2024–25 season First season in Primera División No. of Primera División seasons Stadium Stadium Capacity Primera División titles Manager
Alavés Vitoria-Gasteiz 15th 1930–31 19 Mendizorrotza 19,840 0 Eduardo Coudet
Athletic Bilbao Bilbao 4th 1929 95 San Mamés 53,289 8 Ernesto Valverde
Atlético Madrid Madrid 3rd 1929 89 Metropolitano Stadium 70,460 11 Diego Simeone
Barcelona Barcelona 1st 1929 95 Camp Nou 105,367 28 Hansi Flick
Celta Vigo Vigo 7th 1939–40 60 Balaídos 24,791 0 Claudio Giráldez
Elche Elche 2nd (SD) 1959–60 22 Estadio Martínez Valero 31,388 0 Eder Sarabia
Espanyol Cornellà de Llobregat 14th 1929 89 RCDE Stadium 40,000 0 Manolo González
Getafe Getafe 13th 2004–05 21 Estadio Coliseum 16,500 0 José Bordalás
Girona Girona 16th 2017–18 6 Estadi Montilivi 14,624 0 Míchel
Levante Valencia 1st (SD) 1963–64 16 Estadi Ciutat de València 26,354 0 Julián Calero
Mallorca Palma 10th 1960–61 33 Estadi Mallorca Son Moix 23,142 0 Jagoba Arrasate
Osasuna Pamplona 9th 1935–36 43 El Sadar 23,516 0 Vicente Moreno
Rayo Vallecano Madrid 8th 1977–78 23 Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas 14,708 0 Iñigo Pérez
Real Betis Seville 6th 1932–33 60 Estadio de La Cartuja 70,000 1 Manuel Pellegrini
Real Madrid Madrid 2nd 1929 95 Santiago Bernabéu 84,000 36 Xabi Alonso
Real Oviedo Oviedo 3rd (SD) 1933–34 38 Estadio Carlos Tartiere 30,500 0 Veljko Paunović
Real Sociedad San Sebastián 11th 1929 79 Reale Arena 39,500 2 Sergio Francisco
Sevilla Seville 17th 1934–35 81 Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán 42,714 1 Matías Almeyda
Valencia Valencia 12th 1931–32 91 Mestalla 49,430 6 Carlos Corberán
Villarreal Villarreal 5th 1998–99 26 Estadio de la Cerámica 23,000 0 Marcelino

Teams with Most Seasons in La Liga

63 teams have played in La Liga since it began in 1929. The teams in bold are currently in La Liga.

La Liga Teams in Europe

La Liga is currently ranked third among European leagues. This ranking is based on how well its clubs perform in European competitions over five years. It is behind England's Premier League and Italy's Serie A.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid are among the most successful clubs in European football. These three, along with Sevilla and Valencia, have won five or more international trophies.

In the 2005–06 season, La Liga became the first league to have its clubs win both the Champions League (Barcelona) and the UEFA Cup (Sevilla) in the same year. This amazing feat happened four more times in recent years!

In 2015, La Liga was the first league to have five teams in the Champions League group stage. This happened because Sevilla qualified by winning the Europa League, in addition to the top four league finishers.

La Liga Champions

Who Has Won the Most Titles?

Performance by individual clubs in Primera División
Rank Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
1 Real Madrid
36
26
 1931–32, 1932–33, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
2 Barcelona
28
28
 1929, 1944–45, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1973–74, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2024–25
3 Atlético Madrid
11
10
 1939–40, 1940–41, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1995–96, 2013–14, 2020–21
4 Athletic Bilbao
8
7
 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1942–43, 1955–56, 1982–83, 1983–84
5 Valencia
6
6
 1941–42, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1970–71, 2001–02, 2003–04
6 Real Sociedad
2
3
 1980–81, 1981–82
7 Deportivo La Coruña
1
5
 1999–00
Sevilla
1
4
 1945–46
Real Betis
1
0
 1934–35

Top Players in La Liga

Most Appearances

These players have played the most games in La Liga.

As of 25 May  2025 (2025 -05-25)

Boldface means the player is still active in La Liga. Italics means the player is still playing football, but not in La Liga.

Rank Player Club(s) Years active Apps Goals
1 Spain Andoni Zubizarreta Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Valencia 1981–1998 622 0
Spain Joaquín Real Betis, Valencia, Málaga 2001–2013
2015–2023		 622 76
3 Spain Raúl García Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao 2004–2024 609 112
4 Spain Raúl Real Madrid 1994–2010 550 228
5 Spain Eusebio Sacristán Valladolid, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Celta Vigo 1983–2002 543 36
6 Spain Paco Buyo Sevilla, Real Madrid 1980–1997 542 0
7 Spain Sergio Ramos Sevilla, Real Madrid 2003–2021
2023–2024		 536 77
8 France Antoine Griezmann Real Sociedad, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona 2010– 530 198
9 Spain Dani Parejo Real Madrid, Getafe, Valencia, Villarreal 2008– 526 77
10 Spain Manolo Sanchís Real Madrid 1983–2001 523 33

Most Goals Scored

These players have scored the most goals in La Liga history.

Boldface means the player is still active in La Liga. Italics means the player is still playing football, but not in La Liga.

Rank Player Club(s) Years active Goals Apps Ratio
1 Argentina Lionel Messi Barcelona 2004–2021 474 520 0.91
2 Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid 2009–2018 311 292 1.07
3 Spain Telmo Zarra† Athletic Bilbao 1940–1955 251 278 0.9
4 France Karim Benzema Real Madrid 2009–2023 238 439 0.54
5 Mexico Hugo Sánchez Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano 1981–1994 234 347 0.67
6 Spain Raúl Real Madrid 1994–2010 228 550 0.41
7 Argentina Spain Alfredo Di Stéfano† Real Madrid, Espanyol 1953–1966 227 329 0.69
8 Spain César Rodríguez† Granada, Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa, Elche 1939–1955 221 353 0.63
9 Spain Quini† Sporting Gijón, Barcelona 1970–1987 219 448 0.49
10 Spain Pahiño† Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña 1943–1956 210 278 0.76

Player Awards

La Liga has special awards for top players and coaches. Some of the most famous awards are given by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca:

  • The Pichichi Trophy is for the player who scores the most goals in a season.
  • The Ricardo Zamora Trophy is for the goalkeeper who lets in the fewest goals.
  • The Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy is for the best overall player.
  • The Zarra Trophy is for the top Spanish goal scorer.

Since 2013–14, La Liga also gives out monthly awards for the best manager and best player.

Player Transfers

La Liga has been involved in some of the biggest player transfers in football history.

  • In 1961, Luis Suárez moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan for a world record fee.
  • In 1973, Johan Cruyff joined Barcelona for a record fee.
  • In 1982, Barcelona again set a record by signing Diego Maradona.
  • Real Betis set a world record in 1998 by signing Denílson.

Real Madrid has set four of the last six world transfer records. They signed famous players like Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale.

In 2017, Brazilian forward Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a new world record fee of €222 million. Barcelona then used a lot of that money to sign Ousmane Dembélé and Philippe Coutinho.

Sponsors of La Liga

La Liga has many different sponsors. These companies help support the league.

  • EA Sports
  • Puma
  • Microsoft
  • Mahou-San Miguel Group
  • Sorare
  • BKT Tyres
  • Visit Saudi
  • LaLiga Golazos (Dapper Labs)
  • Gol-Ball
  • El Corte Inglés
  • Allianz
  • Burger King
  • Panini Group
  • Nissan
  • Nissin Foods
  • vivo
  • Solán de Cabras
  • Legends The Home of Football
  • Avery Dennison
  • GreenPark Sports
  • Fanatics
  • Riyadh Season

Past Sponsorship Names

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Primera División de España para niños

  • Football in Spain – learn more about football in Spain
  • List of Spanish football champions
  • Liga F – the top women's football league in Spain
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
La Liga Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.