History of La Liga
Spain's Liga de Futbol Profesional, otherwise known as La Liga, is consistently one of the strongest domestic football leagues in all of Europe since its formation for the 1928-29 season. Proving this reputation, the last seven FIFA World Players of the Year have all come from La Liga -- Ronaldinho (2), Zinedine Zidane (2), Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Rivaldo; and clubs from the league have won a total of 32 major European trophies, including Barcelona's 2006 UEFA Champions League victory.
Two sides stand out when discussing La Liga: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The side from Madrid known as Los Blancos (for their all-white uniforms), and more recently Los Galacticos, have claimed the league championship a total of 29 times, while Barcelona has won 18. Since 1990-91, Real Madrid and Barcelona have won all but four league championships; Valencia (twice), Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna have also climbed to the top in that time.
At its inception, 10 teams were selected to form La Liga’s first division, and the table has expanded over time. Currently, the league membership stands at 20 teams. Of these, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, plus a third founding football club, Athletic Bilbao, hold the distinction of never having been relegated to the second division since the formation of the circuit.
