The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHF) has chosen La Liga, the Spanish league, as the best soccer league in the world in its annual ranking. However, the list of La Liga champions indicates a low level of competitiveness.
As you’ll see throughout this guide, Real Madrid and Barcelona dominate the tournament, with 17 of the last 20 editions won by one of the two teams. In fact, 63 seasons have been won by these teams.
All this means that the best league in European soccer is also the least competitive of the five most important in Europe, which include, in addition to the Spanish league, the Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), and the Italian and French championships.
But those figures don’t diminish the power of this competition. That’s why we’ll take a look at the list of all the La Liga champions below.
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La Liga’s greatest champions
The biggest winner of La Liga, the top division of the Spanish league, is Real Madrid with 36 titles. The Galacticos are followed by their biggest rivals, Barcelona, who have won 27 trophies. In third place is Atlético de Madrid, with 11 championships.
Since 1929, the league has only had nine teams crowned La Liga champions.
By way of comparison, the Campeonato Brasileiro, which was created in 1937, 18 years after the Spanish championship, has seen 17 different clubs crowned champions.
This difference reinforces the hegemony of giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are even on the list of the most expensive squads in the world!
Below, we’ve organized the greatest La Liga champions by:
- number of times they have lifted the trophy;
- how many times they were runners-up;
- in which seasons they won the competition.
| Club | Titles | Vices | Champion seasons |
| Real Madrid | 36 | 25 | 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 |
| Barcelona | 27 | 28 | 1928-29, 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 |
| Atlético de 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 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 8 | 7 | 1929-30, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1935-36, 1942-43, 1955-56, 1982-83, 1983-84 |
| Valencia | 6 | 6 | 1941-42, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1970-71, 2001-02, 2003-04 |
| Real Sociedad | 2 | 3 | 1980-81, 1981-82 |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 1 | 5 | 1999-00 |
| Sevilla | 1 | 4 | 1945-46 |
| Betis | 1 | 0 | 1934-35 |
Players with the most La Liga titles
The five players with the most La Liga titles are:
- Gento (12 titles): he is the player with the most La Liga titles, winning 12 leagues in the 18 seasons he played for Real Madrid.
- Messi (10 titles): on the list of the best footballers of all time, Messi is part of Barcelona’s history and holds the title of the player who has won La Liga the most times for the club.
- Pirri (10 titles): in sixteen years at Real Madrid, the star won the Spanish league 10 times.
- Amancio (9 titles): known as “El Brujo”, he played for Madrid for 14 years and won nine league titles.
- Iniesta (9 titles): the star is the second player with the most La Liga titles for Barcelona, having retired while still playing for the team.
Read also: Champions League winners: 10 greatest teams, players, coaches and countries that have dominated the competition
List of all La Liga champions
Finally, we’ve come to the list of all the La Liga champions, from its creation in 1929 to the 2023/2024 edition. So, which team won the year you were born? Check it out below.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up |
| 2023-24 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2022-23 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2021-22 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2020-21 | Atlético de Madrid | Real Madrid |
| 2019-20 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2018-19 | Barcelona | Atlético de Madrid |
| 2017-18 | Barcelona | Atlético de Madrid |
| 2016-17 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2015-16 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2014-15 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2013-14 | Atlético de Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2012-13 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2011-12 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2010-11 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2009-10 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2008-09 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2007-08 | Real Madrid | Villareal |
| 2006-07 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 2005-06 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2004-05 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 2003-04 | Valencia | Barcelona |
| 2002-03 | Real Madrid | Real Sociedad |
| 2001-02 | Valencia | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 2000-01 | Real Madrid | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 1999-00 | Deportivo La Coruña | Barcelona |
| 1998-99 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1997-98 | Barcelona | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1996-97 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1995-96 | Atlético de Madrid | Valencia |
| 1994-95 | Real Madrid | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 1993-94 | Barcelona | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 1992-93 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1991-92 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1990-91 | Barcelona | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1989-90 | Real Madrid | Valencia |
| 1988-89 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1987-88 | Real Madrid | Real Sociedad |
| 1986-87 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1985-86 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1984-85 | Barcelona | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1983-84 | Athletic Bilbao | Real Madrid |
| 1982-83 | Athletic Bilbao | Real Madrid |
| 1981-82 | Real Sociedad | Barcelona |
| 1980-81 | Real Sociedad | Real Madrid |
| 1979-80 | Real Madrid | Real Sociedad |
| 1978-79 | Real Madrid | Sporting de Gijón |
| 1977-78 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1976-77 | Atlético de Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1975-76 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1974-75 | Real Madrid | Real Zaragoza |
| 1973-74 | Barcelona | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1972-73 | Atlético de Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1971-72 | Real Madrid | Valencia |
| 1970-71 | Valencia | Barcelona |
| 1969-70 | Atlético de Madrid | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1968-69 | Real Madrid | Las Palmas |
| 1967-68 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1966-67 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1965-66 | Atlético de Madrid | Real Madrid |
| 1964-65 | Real Madrid | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1963-64 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1962-63 | Real Madrid | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1961-62 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1960-61 | Real Madrid | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1959-60 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1958-59 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1957-58 | Real Madrid | Atlético de Madrid |
| 1956-57 | Real Madrid | Sevilla |
| 1955-56 | Athletic Bilbao | Barcelona |
| 1954-55 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1953-54 | Real Madrid | Barcelona |
| 1952-53 | Barcelona | Valencia |
| 1951-52 | Barcelona | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1950-51 | Atlético de Madrid | Sevilla |
| 1949-50 | Atlético de Madrid | Deportivo La Coruña |
| 1948-49 | Barcelona | Valencia |
| 1947-48 | Barcelona | Valencia |
| 1946-47 | Valencia | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1945-46 | Sevilla | Barcelona |
| 1944-45 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
| 1943-44 | Valencia | Atlético Aviación |
| 1942-43 | Athletic Bilbao | Sevilla |
| 1941-42 | Valencia | Real Madrid |
| 1940-41 | Athletic Bilbao | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1939-40 | Atlético Aviación | Sevilla |
| 1935-36 | Athletic Bilbao | Madrid |
| 1934-35 | Betis | Madrid |
| 1933-34 | Athletic Bilbao | Madrid |
| 1932-33 | Madrid | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1931-32 | Madrid | Athletic Bilbao |
| 1930-31 | Athletic Bilbao | Racing Santander |
| 1929-30 | Athletic Bilbao | Barcelona |
| 1929 | Barcelona | Real Madrid |
The La Liga champions are undoubtedly the best teams in the world today. That’s why the Spanish league attracts so much attention. And while we’re on the subject, what’s your guess for next season?
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