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Who has won the most La Liga titles?

brad-newcomb
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Last updated: 23 Sep 2024
Brad Newcomb 23 Sep 2024
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  • La Liga is Spain's top football division known for its possession-based style.
  • First season in 1929 with Barcelona winning the inaugural title.
  • Significant dominance by Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid, and Barcelona over various decades.
Spanish la liga soccer
Jules Kounde controls the ball during the LaLiga match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona (Getty Images)

La Liga is Spain's premier football division, renowned for its possession-based style of play, technical skill and flair. It has showcased some of the best attackers the world has ever seen, some of whom have gone on to win the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or regularly. 

In 1929, the first season of the Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera Division, or Primera Division, took place with only ten team teams competing, including Arenas, Athletic Bilbao, Athletic Madrid, Barcelona, Espanol, Europa, Racing Santander, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Real Union.

Barcelona emerged as the inaugural league winner that season, accumulating 25 points in 18 matches, two ahead of Real Madrid, setting the stage for the beginning of their famous rivalry, known as El Clasico. 

Spanish la liga soccer
Pau Cubarsi of Barcelona and Thierno Barry of Villarreal CF in action during the LaLiga match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona (Getty Images)


Athletic Bilbao was the first team to win La Liga regularly, claiming the title in 1930, 1931, 1934, and 1936 before Atletico Madrid and Barcelona won three titles each during the 1940s. 

Real Madrid reigned supreme in La Liga during the 1950s and 1960s,  spear-headed by legends of the game Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, winning the league in 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, and five consecutive times from 1961 to 1965, including from 1967 to 1969. 

Los Blancos continued to dominate the league in the 1970s, clinching La Liga in 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1979.

In the early 1980s, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao won two titles each before Real Madrid won La Liga five successive times for the second time in their history from 1986 to 1990.

Barcelona bossed the 1990s, ending the dominance of their arch-rivals by securing the La Liga title from 1991 to 1994 and 1998 to 1999. 

La Liga has been a two-horse race since the 2000s, with Barcelona winning the title 11 times and Real Madrid nine times. Only Atletico Madrid and Valencia have managed to stop Barcelona and Real Madrid in that period, with the former clinching the title in 2014 and 2021 and the latter in 2002 and 2004.

Lionel Messi has scored the most goals in La Liga, with 474 in 520 matches. 

Lionel Messi also holds the record for most goals scored in a single season, with 50 in the 2011/12 season. 

Below is the list of the most successful teams to have won the La Liga title. 

Teams
No.of tiles
Real Madrid36
Barcelona27
Atletico Madrid11
Athletic Bilbao8
Valencia6
Real Sociedad2
Deportivo La Coruna1

Some well-known clubs that have yet to win the La Liga title include :
  • Celta Vigo
  • Espanyol
  • Villarreal

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