Spain · Tier 1 · 20 clubs

La Liga

In US-sports termsImagine the Lakers and the Cowboys in the same league, playing each other twice a year. That's Real Madrid vs Barcelona — El Clásico — and it's the axis La Liga spins on.

What it is

Spain's top flight. 20 clubs, August–May, everyone plays everyone twice, most points wins. Home of Real Madrid and Barcelona, the two biggest club brands in the sport.

How you get in

Finish top-17 the season before, or come up from Segunda División.

What it feeds

Top 4 → Champions League (a 5th when Spanish clubs excel in Europe). 5th → Europa League. 6th → Conference League, with the cascade shifting things when cup winners double-qualify. Bottom 3 → relegated to Segunda.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have combined for the large majority of titles — but Atlético keep crashing the party, and a Clásico decides the mood of an entire country.

Where to watch · USESPN

See it on the Spain map →Translate the jargon →

Standings

The table as of our last update.

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Barça	38	31	1	6	+59	94
2	Real Madrid	38	27	5	6	+42	86
3	Villarreal	38	22	6	10	+26	72
4	Atleti	38	21	6	11	+18	69
5	Real Betis	38	15	15	8	+11	60
6	Celta	38	14	12	12	+5	54
7	Getafe	38	15	6	17	-6	51
8	Rayo Vallecano	38	12	14	12	-3	50
9	Valencia	38	13	10	15	-9	49
10	Real Sociedad	38	11	13	14	-2	46
11	Espanyol	38	12	10	16	-12	46
12	Athletic	38	13	6	19	-15	45
13	Elche	38	10	13	15	-8	43
14	Alavés	38	11	10	17	-12	43
15	Sevilla FC	38	12	7	19	-14	43
16	Osasuna	38	11	9	18	-6	42
17	Mallorca	38	11	9	18	-10	42
18	Levante	38	11	9	18	-14	42
19	Girona	38	9	14	15	-16	41
20	Real Oviedo	38	6	11	21	-34	29