History of La Liga in Timeline
La Liga, officially LaLiga EA Sports due to sponsorship, is the top-tier professional football league in Spain. Organized by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, it features 20 teams competing across a 38-matchday season. It represents the highest level of Spanish football.
1 day ago : Mallorca Stuns Real Madrid: A La Liga Upset and Barcelona Benefit
Real Mallorca defeated Real Madrid, handing Barcelona an advantage in the La Liga title race. The confirmed lineups saw Mallorca triumph in a surprising victory.
April 1928: Proposal for a National League
In April 1928, José María Acha, a director at Arenas de Getxo, proposed the idea of a national league in Spain.
1929: Barcelona wins the first Liga
In 1929, Barcelona won the first Liga title.
1929: Formation of the Primera División
In 1929, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol agreed on the ten teams to form the first Primera División. Arenas, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Real Unión were selected as previous winners of the Copa del Rey, while Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Europa qualified as Copa del Rey runners-up. Racing de Santander qualified through a knockout competition.
1929: First La Liga Championship
The first La Liga championship was played in the 1929 season.
1932: Real Madrid wins their first title
In 1932, Real Madrid, led by Ricardo Zamora, won their first Liga title.
1933: Real Madrid first La Liga title
In 1933, Real Madrid won their first La Liga title.
1933: Real Madrid wins their second title
In 1933, Real Madrid won their second Liga title.
1935: Real Betis Wins La Liga
In 1935, Real Betis, then known as Betis Balompié, won their only La Liga title to date.
1939: Atlético Aviación Awarded Place in Primera División
During the 1939-40 season, Atlético Aviación (now Atlético Madrid) was awarded a place in the Primera División as a replacement for Real Oviedo, whose ground had been damaged during the Spanish Civil War.
1940: Sevilla Finishes as Runners-Up
In 1940, Sevilla finished as Liga runners-up.
1941: Atlético Aviación Wins First Liga Title
In 1941, Atlético Aviación retained its first Liga title.
1942: Sevilla Finishes as Runners-Up
In 1942, Sevilla finished as Liga runners-up.
1943: Athletic Bilbao wins double
In 1943, Athletic Bilbao won a La Liga and Copa del Generalísimo double.
1944: Athletic Bilbao Wins Copa del Generalísimo
In 1944, Athletic Bilbao won the Copa del Generalísimo again.
1944: Josep Samitier returns to Barcelona as coach
In 1944, Josep Samitier returned to Barcelona as a coach.
1945: Athletic Bilbao Wins Copa del Generalísimo
In 1945, Athletic Bilbao won the Copa del Generalísimo again.
1945: Barcelona wins La Liga title
In 1945, Barcelona guided by coach Josep Samitier in winning their second La Liga title.
1946: Sevilla Wins La Liga
In 1946, Sevilla won their only La Liga title to date.
1948: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1948, Barcelona won back to back La Liga title.
1949: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1949, Barcelona won back to back La Liga title.
1950: Athletic Bilbao Wins Copa del Generalísimo
In 1950, Athletic Bilbao won the Copa del Generalísimo.
1950: Atlético Madrid Wins Liga Title
In 1950, Atlético Madrid, previously known as ''Atlético Aviación'', won the Liga title.
1951: Atlético Madrid Wins Liga Title
In 1951, Atlético Madrid won the Liga title.
1951: Barcelona Wins La Liga and Copa Del Rey double
In 1951, Barcelona won back-to-back La Liga and Copa Del Rey doubles.
1952: Barcelona Wins Five Trophies
In 1952, FC Barcelona made history by winning five trophies in one year: La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Copa Eva Duarte, Latin Cup and Copa Martini & Rossi.
1954: Real Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1954, Real Madrid won their third La Liga title, their first since 1933.
1955: Real Madrid Retains La Liga Title
In 1955, Real Madrid retained their La Liga title.
1956: Athletic Bilbao Wins La Liga Title
In 1956, Athletic Bilbao won their sixth La Liga title.
1957: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Again
In 1957, Real Madrid won La Liga again.
1958: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Again
In 1958, Real Madrid won La Liga again.
1959: Barcelona Wins Back-to-Back La Liga Titles and double
In 1959, Barcelona, coached by Helenio Herrera and featuring Luis Suárez, won another double of La Liga / Copa Del Rey, conquering three doubles in the 1950s.
1960: Barcelona Wins Back-to-Back La Liga Titles
In 1960, Barcelona, coached by Helenio Herrera and featuring Luis Suárez, won back-to-back La Liga's.
1960: Real Madrid Dominates La Liga
Starting in 1960, Real Madrid began a period of dominance in La Liga that would last until 1980.
1961: Luis Suárez sets transfer record
In 1961, Luis Suárez was the first La Liga player involved in a transfer which broke the world record, moving from Barcelona to Inter Milan for £152,000.
1961: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Title
In 1961, Real Madrid won five La Liga titles in a row.
1963: Atlético Madrid Finishes Second
In 1963, Atlético Madrid finished second place.
1965: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Title
In 1965, Real Madrid won five La Liga titles in a row.
1966: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1966, Atlético Madrid were crowned La Liga champions.
1970: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1970, Atlético Madrid were crowned La Liga champions.
1971: Valencia Wins La Liga
In 1971, Valencia won their fourth La Liga title under Alfredo Di Stéfano.
1973: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1973, Atlético Madrid were crowned La Liga champions.
1974: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1974, Barcelona won their La Liga title.
1977: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1977, Atlético Madrid were crowned La Liga champions.
1980: Real Madrid Dominates La Liga
Until 1980, Real Madrid began a period of dominance in La Liga that started in 1960.
1981: Real Sociedad Wins First La Liga Title
In 1981, Real Sociedad won their first La Liga title.
1982: Barcelona sets record by signing Diego Maradona
In 1982, Barcelona set the world record by signing Diego Maradona from Boca Juniors for £5 million.
1982: Real Sociedad Wins La Liga Title
In 1982, Real Sociedad won their La Liga title.
1983: Athletic Bilbao Wins La Liga
In 1983, Athletic Bilbao also managed to win La Liga title.
1984: Athletic Bilbao Wins La Liga and Copa del Rey double
In 1984, Athletic Bilbao won two consecutive La Liga titles and achieved their fifth La Liga and Copa del Rey double.
1985: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1985, Barcelona won their tenth La Liga title under coach Terry Venables, their first La Liga win since 1974.
1986: Real Madrid Wins La Liga
Starting in 1986, Real Madrid won another five La Liga titles under the brilliance of Emilio Butragueño and Hugo Sánchez.
1988: Johan Cruyff Returns to Barcelona as Manager
In 1988, Johan Cruyff returned to Barcelona as manager and assembled the legendary Dream Team. This team was formed by international stars Romario, Michael Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman. Cruyff's Dream Team also consisted of La Masia graduates Pep Guardiola, Albert Ferrer and Guillermo Amor, as well as Basque Andoni Zubizarreta.
1990: Real Madrid Wins La Liga
Ending in 1990, Real Madrid won another five La Liga titles starting in 1986 under the brilliance of Emilio Butragueño and Hugo Sánchez.
1991: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1991, Cruyff's team won four consecutive La Liga titles.
1992: Barcelona wins their first European Cup
In 1992, Cruyff's Barcelona team won their first European Cup.
1994: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1994, Cruyff's team won four consecutive La Liga titles.
1996: Atletico Madrid Dominates
Before the 2013-2014 season, Atlético Madrid had not won a La Liga title since 1996.
1996: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In 1996, Atlético Madrid won their ninth La Liga title, as well as their only Liga/Copa Del Rey double.
1997: Last League to Win Champions League and UEFA Cup
Before the 2005-06 season, the last league to have its clubs win both the Champions League and UEFA Cup was in 1997.
1997: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Title
In 1997, Real Madrid added another league title to their cabinet.
1998: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1998, Barcelona won the La Liga title.
1998: Real Betis Sets the World Record
In 1998, Real Betis set the world record when they signed Denílson from São Paulo for £21.5 million.
1999: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In 1999, Barcelona won the La Liga title.
1999: Valencia Wins Copa del Rey
In 1999, Valencia winning the Copa del Rey.
2000: Deportivo La Coruña Crowned Champions
In 2000, under Javier Irureta, Deportivo became the ninth team to be crowned champions.
2001: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In 2001, Real Madrid, featuring world-class players, won one of their first La Liga titles of the century.
2001: Valencia Runner-up in UEFA Champions League
In 2001, Valencia were runner-up in the UEFA Champions League under Hector Cuper.
2002: Valencia Crowned La Liga Champions
In 2002, Valencia were crowned La Liga champions under Rafael Benítez.
2003: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In 2003, Real Madrid, featuring world-class players, won one of their first La Liga titles of the century.
2003: Deportivo La Coruña Champions League Appearance
In the 2003–04 season, Deportivo La Coruña made a semi-finals appearance in the Champions League.
2005: La Liga Wins Champions League and UEFA Cup
During the 2005–06 European season, La Liga became the first league to have its clubs win both the Champions League and UEFA Cup since 1997. Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League and Sevilla won the UEFA Cup.
2005: Barcelona wins La Liga
In the 2004-05 season, Barcelona, led by Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o, won their first La Liga title of the new millennium.
2006: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In the 2006-07 season, Real Madrid, with players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gonzalo Higuaín, won a La Liga title.
September 2007: Barcelona Requests Recognition of Title
On September 28, 2007, Barcelona requested the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to recognize their 1937 Mediterranean League title as a Liga title, following a request for RFEF to recognize Levante's Copa de la España Libre win. However, the governing body of Spanish football has not made an outright decision yet.
2007: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In the 2007-08 season, Real Madrid, with players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gonzalo Higuaín, secured a back-to-back La Liga title.
2008: La Liga sponsored by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
In 2008, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria became the sponsor of La Liga, leading to it being known as Liga BBVA.
2008: LFP Awards Creation
In the 2008–09 season, the governing body created the LFP Awards (now called La Liga Awards), which are awarded each season to individual players and coaches.
2009: Real Madrid scores record points
In the 2009-10 season, Real Madrid set a record by achieving 96 points, but they still finished behind Barcelona.
2010: Barcelona wins La Liga
In the 2010-11 season, Barcelona won their third straight La Liga title, amassing 96 points.
2011: Barcelona wins La Liga
In the 2010-11 season, Barcelona won their third straight La Liga title, finishing with 96 points.
2012: Real Madrid wins La Liga with record points
In the 2011-12 season, Real Madrid, under José Mourinho, ended Barcelona's winning streak and won their 32nd La Liga title, achieving a record 100 points and 121 goals.
2013: Real Madrid Wins Champions League and Sevilla Wins Europa League
During the 2013–14 season Real Madrid won their tenth Champions League title and Sevilla won their third Europa League.
2013: Real Madrid signs Gareth Bale
In 2013, Gareth Bale was bought by Real Madrid for £85.3m from Tottenham Hotspur.
2013: Barcelona Wins La Liga Title
In the 2012-13 season, Barcelona, coached by Tito Vilanova, won the La Liga title, matching Real Madrid's previous record of 100 points.
2013: Monthly Awards Introduced
Since the 2013–14 season, La Liga has also bestowed the monthly manager of the month and player of the month awards.
2014: Barcelona Wins Champions League and Sevilla Wins Europa League
During the 2014–15 season Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title and Sevilla won their fourth Europa League.
2014: Atlético Madrid Wins La Liga
In the 2013-14 season, Atlético Madrid, under Diego Simeone, won their tenth La Liga title, their first since 1996, breaking the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
2015: Discontinuation of LFP Awards
After the 2015–16 season, the majority of the LFP Awards were discontinued.
2015: Real Madrid Wins Champions League and Sevilla Wins Europa League
During the 2015–16 season Real Madrid won their eleventh Champions League title and Sevilla won their fifth Europa League.
2016: La Liga sponsored by Banco Santander
In 2016, La Liga's sponsorship changed to Banco Santander, resulting in the league being named LaLiga Santander.
2016: Barcelona wins Liga/Copa Del Rey double
In the 2015-16 season, Barcelona achieved a back-to-back Liga/Copa Del Rey double, a feat not seen since the 1950s.
2017: Real Madrid Wins Champions League and Atlético Madrid Wins Europa League
During the 2017–18 season Real Madrid won their thirteenth Champions League title and Atlético Madrid won their third Europa League.
2017: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In the 2016-17 season, Real Madrid, under Zinedine Zidane, reclaimed the La Liga title.
January 2018: Coutinho Transfers to Barcelona
In January 2018, Philippe Coutinho's transfer to Barcelona for €142m became the second most expensive ever.
2018: Barcelona wins La Liga title
In the 2017-18 season, Barcelona won the La Liga title again, securing their eighth double and marking their seventh La Liga title in ten years.
2018: La Liga Average Attendance
In the 2018-19 season, La Liga's average attendance for league matches was 26,933, the eighth-highest globally and third-highest among professional association football leagues, behind the Premier League and the Bundesliga.
2019: Barcelona wins La Liga title
In the 2018-19 season, Barcelona retained the La Liga title, winning their 26th La Liga title, and their eighth La Liga title in eleven years.
2020: La Liga non-EU player rules
In La Liga in 2020, clubs are allowed five non-EU players, but can only name three in each matchday squad.
2020: Atlético Madrid wins La Liga
The 2020–21 La Liga season was won by Atlético Madrid, with Real Madrid as runners-up.
August 2021: La Liga Deal Approved
In August 2021, La Liga clubs approved a €2.7 billion deal to sell 10% of the league to CVC Capital Partners.
2022: Real Madrid wins La Liga
In the 2021–22 season, Real Madrid won La Liga with four games to spare.
2023: La Liga sponsored by Electronic Arts
In 2023, Electronic Arts became the sponsor of La Liga, causing it to be renamed LaLiga EA Sports.
2023: La Liga rebrands
In 2023, La Liga rebranded itself with a new logo and sponsor, with EA (Electronic Arts) replacing Santander. LaLiga EA Sports and LaLiga Hypermotion were announced as the new names of the divisions starting in the 2023–24 season.
December 2024: La Liga Obtains Court Order
In December 2024, La Liga obtained a court order to compel internet service providers in Spain to block access to IP addresses belonging to Cloudflare in an effort to block piracy sites.
2024: La Liga's UEFA Ranking
As of 2024, La Liga is ranked third in the UEFA coefficient rankings, based on performance in European competitions over the past five seasons, trailing behind the English Premier League and Italian Serie A. La Liga has led the coefficient rankings for more years and has produced the continent's top-rated club more times than any other league overall.
2024: Teams Contesting La Liga
In La Liga during the 2024-25 season, there were 20 teams which contested the league. 17 teams from the 2024-25 season and three teams promoted from the Segunda Division.
2025: Inflation Adjusted Transfer Fees
In 1961, Luis Suárez was the first La Liga player involved in a transfer which broke the world record, moving from Barcelona to Inter Milan for £152,000 (£3 million in 2025). In 1982, Barcelona set the world record by signing Diego Maradona from Boca Juniors for £5 million (£18 million in 2025). Real Betis set the world record in 1998 when they signed Denílson from São Paulo for £21.5 million (£41.7 million in 2025).
2025: Inflation Adjusted Gareth Bale Transfer Fee
In 2013, Gareth Bale was bought by Real Madrid for £85.3m (€103.4m or $140m at the time; £119.6m in 2025) from Tottenham Hotspur.
2025: Teams participating in La Liga
Until the 2025–26 season, 63 teams have taken part in the La Liga championships.
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