LaLiga

 The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, widely recognized as LaLiga, or the Primera División[b], has officially borne the name LALIGA EA SPORTS since 2023, owing to sponsorship reasons. As the pinnacle of men's professional football within the Spanish football league system, this premier division, governed by Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, sees competition among 20 teams.

**Foundation**

In April 1928, José María Acha, a director at Getxo, laid the groundwork for a national football league in Spain. After extensive deliberation on the league's size and participating teams, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol ultimately agreed on the ten teams that would constitute the inaugural Primera División in 1929. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Getxo, Villareal, and Real Unión were chosen based on their past triumphs in the Copa del Rey. Atlético Madrid, Espanyol, and Europa secured spots as Copa del Rey runners-up, while Racing de Santander qualified through a knockout competition. Notably, only three of the founding clubs—Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Club—have never faced relegation from the Primera División.

Since its inception, La Liga has witnessed the participation of 62 teams. Nine teams have clinched the championship, with Barcelona securing the first La Liga title and Real Madrid claiming the record 35 times. The most recent victory was secured by Barcelona in the 2022–23 season. In the 1940s, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona emerged as dominant forces, winning multiple titles. Real Madrid and Barcelona asserted their dominance in the 1950s, each clinching four La Liga titles. The 1960s and 1970s saw Real Madrid's reign with fourteen titles, while Atlético Madrid claimed four. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed Real Madrid's prominence, yet Athletic Club and Real Sociedad from the Basque region also tasted success with two Liga titles each. Since the 1990s, Barcelona has been the predominant force, securing seventeen titles to date. Noteworthy champions also include Atlético Madrid, Valencia, and Deportivo La Coruña.

According to UEFA's league coefficient rankings, La Liga held the top spot in Europe for seven consecutive years from 2013 to 2019, leading for 22 out of the 60 ranked years up to 2019—more than any other country. Moreover, La Liga produced the continent's top-rated club more frequently than any other league, surpassing Serie A (Italy) by a significant margin. Barcelona or Real Madrid achieved this pinnacle in 10 out of the 11 seasons between 2009 and 2019. La Liga clubs have garnered the most UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup titles. Players from La Liga have also accumulated the highest number of Ballon d'Or awards, The Best FIFA Men's Player awards (19)[d], and UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards.

La Liga stands as one of the most popular professional sports leagues globally, boasting an average attendance of 26,933 for league matches in the 2018–19 season. This figure ranks as the eighth-highest among domestic professional sports leagues worldwide and the third-highest among professional association football leagues, surpassing Serie A and Ligue 1 but trailing behind the Bundesliga and Premier League. In terms of revenue, La Liga claims the seventh spot among professional sports leagues globally, following the NFL, MLB, the NBA, the Premier League, the NHL, and the Bundesliga.

From 2008 to 2016, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria sponsored La Liga, known as Liga BBVA. Subsequently, from 2016 to 2023, Banco Santander sponsored the league, and it became known as LaLiga Santander. Since 2023, Electronic Arts has taken over sponsorship, and the league is now recognized as LALIGA EA SPORTS.

**Competition Format**

The competition follows the standard double round-robin format. Spanning from August to May, each club engages in 38 matches, playing every other club twice—once at home and once away. Teams earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a loss. At the season's conclusion, clubs are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranking club crowned champion.

**Promotion and Relegation**

A system of promotion and relegation operates between the Primera División and the Segunda División. The three lowest-placed teams in La Liga face relegation to the Segunda División, while the top two teams from the Segunda División earn promotion to La Liga. An additional club ascends through playoffs involving the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-placed clubs. The complete historical record outlines the number of teams participating in each season throughout the league's history.

Credit- Sobia Liaquat