What is La Liga?
La Liga is the top professional football league in Spain, with 20 teams. Founded in 1929, it is home to giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The official name has changed with sponsors, but it is widely known simply as La Liga. Like other leagues, each team plays the others home and away for 38 matches. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the second division. The top clubs qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid have won the most La Liga titles, followed by Barcelona. Their matches against each other, known as El Clásico, are among the most-watched games in the world. Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia have also won multiple titles.
Star players
La Liga has featured many of the greatest players ever, including Alfredo Di Stéfano, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is La Liga's all-time top scorer, with 474 goals for Barcelona. Young stars like Lamine Yamal have continued the tradition.
Did You Know?
Athletic Bilbao has a policy of fielding only players born or trained in the Basque Country and has never been relegated from La Liga.