La Liga is the top-flight football competition in Spain which is famous in Spain with its original name Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera Divisiรณn. According to UEFAโs coefficient, La Liga has been the top league in Europe since 2013.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlรฉtico Madrid are the most followed and most successful clubs in the Spanish top-flight league.
History of La Liga
The inaugural season of La Liga was played in 1929 with a total of 10 participating teams.
Also Read: List of Top Five Highest Goal Scorers in La Liga in 2020-2021
Gradually the number of the participating team increased and nowadays 20 clubs tussle against each other to grab the La Liga trophy.
Have a look at how La Liga gradually developed its football system
| Period (in years) | No. of clubs |
| 1929โ1934 | 10 clubs |
| 1934โ1941 | 12 clubs |
| 1941โ1950 | 14 clubs |
| 1950โ1971 | 16 clubs |
| 1971โ1987 | 18 clubs |
| 1987โ1995 | 20 clubs |
| 1995โ1997 | 22 clubs |
| 1997โpresent | 20 clubs |
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Club are the only founding clubs that have never been relegated from the top-flight league.
Format of La Liga
Just like other European leagues, La Liga also has the basic promotion-relegation system. La Liga is the top league, while Segunda Divisiรณn is their second-tier league.
The teams finishing at 18th, 19th and 20th position at the end of a season will get relegated to Segunda Divisiรณn. The top 2 teams of Segunda Divisiรณn will be directly promoted to La Liga. The teams finishing the Segunda Divisiรณn season from 3rd to 6th do have a chance to qualify for the La Liga. The two-legged playoffs are played between 4th and 5th placed teams and 3rd and 6th placed teams. The final is also a two-leg fixture that decides the third team to be promoted in the La Liga.
Also Read: Top Five Players with All-time most Assists in UEFA Championship
European Qualifications and Non-European players
The rules regarding the European Qualification for La Liga are quite simple to remember. The top 4 teams will secure their spot in the UEFA Champions League, while the 5th placed team enters the UEFA Europa League.ย
Each club in the league can have a maximum of 5 non-European players and can only name 3 of them in the matchday squad. If a player does not have European ancestry, he can claim Spanish citizenship after playing in Spain for five years.
El Clรกsico, the two maestros and the La Liga
El Clรกsico, the historically great rivalry between Spanish supergiants Real Madrid and Barcelona has always been enthralling. The two maestros, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Lionel Messi of Barcelona have taken the rivalry to the next level.
However, It has lost these two legends to the different leagues. Ronaldo moved to Serie A to play for Juventus in 2018-19 and in 2021 Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint Germain.
What are the Stats ?
Performance by teams
| Team | Winners | Runner-ups |
| Real Madrid | 34 | 24 |
| Barcelona | 26 | 26 |
| Atlรฉtico Madrid | 11 | 10 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 8 | 7 |
| Valencia | 6 | 6 |
| Real Sociedad | 2 | 3 |
| Deportivo La Coruรฑa | 1 | 5 |
| Sevilla | 1 | 4 |
| Real Betis | 1 | 0 |
Most Goals in Spanish League
| Player | Club(s) | Years active | Goals | Appearances | Ratio |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 2004โ2021 | 474 | 520 | 0.91 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 2009โ2018 | 311 | 292 | 1.07 |
| Telmo Zarra | Athletic Bilbao | 1940โ1955 | 251 | 278 | 0.9 |
| Hugo Sรกnchez | Atlรฉtico Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano | 1981โ1994 | 234 | 347 | 0.67 |
| Raรบl | Real Madrid | 1994โ2010 | 228 | 550 | 0.41 |
| Alfredo Di Stรฉfano | Real Madrid, Espanyol | 1953โ1966 | 227 | 329 | 0.69 |
| Cรฉsar Rodrรญguez | Granada, Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa, Elche | 1939โ1955 | 223 | 353 | 0.63 |
| Quini | Sporting Gijรณn, Barcelona | 1970โ1987 | 219 | 448 | 0.49 |
| Pahiรฑo | Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruรฑa | 1943โ1956 | 210 | 278 | 0.76 |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 2009โ | 198 | 388 | 0.51 |
Most Appearances in La Liga
| Player | Club(s) | Years active | Appearances | Goals |
| Andoni Zubizarreta | Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Valencia | 1981โ1998 | 622 | 0 |
| Joaquรญn | Real Betis, Valencia, Mรกlaga | 2001โ20132015- | 581 | 76 |
| Raรบl | Real Madrid | 1994โ2010 | 550 | 228 |
| Eusebio Sacristรกn | Valladolid, Atlรฉtico Madrid, Barcelona, Celta Vigo | 1983โ2002 | 543 | 36 |
| Francisco Buyo | Sevilla, Real Madrid | 1980โ1997 | 542 | 0 |
| Manuel Sanchรญs | Real Madrid | 1983โ2001 | 523 | 32 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 2004โ2021 | 520 | 474 |
| Raรบl Garcรญa | Osasuna, Atlรฉtico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao | 2004โ | 514 | 102 |
| Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 1999โ2015 | 510 | 0 |
| Sergio Ramos | Sevilla, Real Madrid | 2003โ2021 | 508 | 74 |
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