La Liga: a complete guide to Spanish football
La Liga is home to two of the most famous clubs on the planet, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and to a style of play known for technique and possession. Here is everything you need to know.
Competition format
Spain's top division has 20 clubs. Each team plays every other team twice, for a total of 38 matchdays. A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 and a defeat 0.
A different tie-breaker
Here is a detail many fans don't know. In England, when teams are level on points, overall goal difference comes first. In Spain, head-to-head comes first: the combined results of the two matches between the tied teams. Only after that is overall goal difference considered.
Example: if Barcelona and Real Madrid finish on the same points, the team with the better aggregate result in that season's two Clásicos finishes higher.
Relegation and promotion
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Relegated | The bottom 3 clubs drop to the Segunda División |
| Promoted | The top 2 in the Segunda + the winner of a play-off between 3rd and 6th |
The big clubs
- Real Madrid: the club with the most Spanish titles, and also the most successful club in the history of the European Cup / Champions League.
- FC Barcelona: famous for its academy, La Masia, which produced players such as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi.
- Atlético de Madrid: the third big club, known for its fighting spirit and defensive organisation.
Athletic Club of Bilbao also deserves a mention for its unique tradition: it fields players developed in or born in the Basque Country.
El Clásico
The match between Real Madrid and Barcelona is known as El Clásico. It is one of the most-watched club matches in the world, and the rivalry goes far beyond football, mixing history, politics and regional identity.
Other competitions in Spain
As well as the league, clubs compete in the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) and the Spanish Super Cup, which in recent years has been played as a four-team mini-tournament.