⚽La Liga
No sport enjoys more importance in Spanish culture than football. And La Liga is the absolute pinnacle of the beautiful game in this wonderful country.
Spain is also home for two of the biggest and most famous club sides in the world: Real Madrid and Barcelona who regularly battle for supremacy both in their own domestic league and for major European honours. Aside from the ‘Big Two’, La Liga itself is blessed with many successful, entertaining and competitive teams, which enjoy impressive support across Spain and around the world.
If you count yourself in this growing legion of La Liga fans, and have fallen for the style and passion surrounding Spanish football, nothing will beat the chance to attend live matches in person. For football fans, no visit to a Spanish city is complete unless they’ve visited one of the many wonderful stadium venues.
From the spectacular venues and magical atmosphere surrounding matches, to the exciting technical and tactical football we see, Zenseats understands and shares your desire to attend a La Liga match in Spain. In fact, we cover all the teams and every match throughout each season, eager to provide fans of La Liga with the best ticketing options available.
History & Origins
Although football was already growing in popularity throughout Spain, the first official nationwide competition was the Copa del Rey in 1903. This is the equivalent to the FA Cup in England. It was some time after this, after much pushing by club owners, that the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) agreed to create the Primera División in 1929 with 10 participating teams.
The original 10 founding members were mostly based on Copa del Rey participation. Real Unión, Getxo, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and Barcelona were included as past winners. They were joined by Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Europa as previous runners-up in the Copa Del Rey, while Racing Santander became the tenth after winning a knock-out competition.
Barcelona won the inaugural Primera División championship in 1929, just ahead of Real Madrid and Athletic Club. It would be these three clubs who would largely dominate during the formative years of the league. After the league was expanded to 12 teams, Real Betis won their only league title to date in 1934-35, shortly before the Spanish Civil War led to the competition being suspended for three seasons.
When the Primera División resumed for the 1939-1940 season, Atlético Madrid claimed their first championship of this top Spanish league. Following various economic and organisational disputes between clubs and the RFEF, the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) was formed ahead of the 1984-85 season, eventually adopting the branding of ’LaLiga’ that we know today.
Thrilling Derby Days and Rivalries
Whenever the fixture schedule for La Liga is announced in Spain, the dates for ‘El Clásico’ always generate the most interest. This is the name given to any clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona, widely recognised as the most-watched and followed encounter between any two sides on the planet. Football tickets for these matches are always in hot demand, so it’s always best to try and book your ticket as early as possible.
Equally thrilling in our opinion, are the many other inter-city derbies. In the south of Spain, there’s a huge rivalry between Real Betis and Sevilla, two of the oldest teams in Spain. Known as ‘El Gran Derbi’, Sevilla-Betis games are filled with sound and colour, always making for a spectacular atmosphere surrounding their encounters. This is a truly unmissable experience for any football fan.
Elsewhere, fans of La Liga can find plenty of other derby games. Clashes between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are always competitive and passionate affairs. Although on a smaller scale, the Spanish capital is also home to an intriguing rivalry between Rayo Vallecano and Getafe, both of whom cherish any chance to defeat their bigger and more illustrious city neighbours.
Further north, derby matches featuring Espanyol and Barcelona usually make for entertaining duels, as both sides battle for the bragging rights. At the top of the country in the Basque Country, there’s a huge rivalry between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad, which reached boiling point when both sides were battling for La Liga titles in the early 1980s.
Amazing Stadium Venues
Perhaps one of the key attractions of La Liga is the remarkable stadiums. Spain boasts an impressive array of amazing football venues, including the iconic home of Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabéu. This stadium has recently undergone a complete transformation, becoming easily one of the most fantastic and modern stadiums in the world.
Barcelona have also begun work at the Spotify Camp Nou, rebranded as part of the fundraising surrounding their own huge project at this legendary venue. Stadium capacity will be increased to 105,000 seats, accompanied by a retractable roof. It’s expected to be fully operational in time for the 2026-27 season. In the meantime, Barcelona will play at the 55,000 Estadi Lluis Companys, previously used by Espanyol and for the Summer Olympics in 1992.
Since the 2017-18 La Liga campaign, the spectacular Estadio Metropolitano has been home for Atlético Madrid, replacing the atmospheric but ageing Vicente Calderón. Extensive work has also been carried out to upgrade the existing venues of many Spanish clubs. Osasuna’s El Sadar won the 2021 World Stadium of the Year award, following innovative refurbishments to enhance the fan experience, including retractable seating and the provision of safe standing.
In fact, upgrades have taken place at stadiums throughout La Liga in recent years, aimed at improving fan comfort and viewing positions, plus the appeal of the competition itself to international broadcasters. Venues in Spain have certainly come a long way, making them ideal places to view one of the most exciting domestic league competitions in the world.
So, don't miss out on the breathtaking action of La Liga! At Zenseats, we provide a secure and user-friendly platform to purchase your La Liga tickets on the secondary market. Whether it's the electrifying El Clásico or a clash of local rivals, Zenseats is your ticket to unforgettable moments in Spanish football. Make your dream of experiencing a live match a reality with Zenseats today.
STATS AND RECORDS
Team
| Titles
| Years
|
Real Madrid
| 35
| 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
|
Barcelona
| 27
| 1929, 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 Madrid
| 11
| 1939–40, 1940–41, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1995–96, 2013–14, 2020–21
|
Athletic Club
| 8
| 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1942–43, 1955–56, 1982–83, 1983–84
|
Valencia
| 6
| 1941–42, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1970–71, 2001–02, 2003–04
|
Real Sociedad
| 2
| 1980–81, 1981–82
|
Deportivo La Coruña
| 1
| 1999–2000
|
Sevilla
| 1
| 1945–46
|
Real Betis
| 1
| 1934–35
|
Most wins overall: 1,791 – Real Madrid
Most wins in a season: 32 – Real Madrid (2011-12), Barcelona (2012-13)
Most player goals: 474 – Lionel Messi
Most player appearances: 622 – Andoni Zubizarreta, Joaquín Sánchez
Biggest Stadiums:
105,000 – Camp Nou, Barcelona (2026-27)
83, 126 – Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid (2023-24)
Record Attendance: 120,000 – Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, Camp Nou (1989)
