How Many Games Does Each Team Play In A La Liga Season

Were you wondering how many matches a team plays in a La Liga season? In this guide, you’ll discover how La Liga’s double round-robin format determines the number of games each team plays in a season. Plus you’ll learn about the history of the competition especially the top guns In the league started their dominance.

How Many Games Does Each Team Play In A La Liga Season?

“In a typical La Liga season, each team plays a total of 38 matches.”

La Liga uses a double round-robin format, which means every team gets to play every other team twice throughout the season.

One of these matches will be played at their home stadium, while the other takes place on the opponent’s turf. This ensures a balanced and fair competition where every team gets a shot at playing both at home and away.

Let’s break this down further. 20 teams are competing in La Liga (which is the current number). With a double round-robin format, each team doesn’t just play the other 19 teams once, they play them twice.

That’s 19 x 2 = 38 matches per team. This format allows teams to show their skills against different opponents, both at home and away, throughout the season.

It also creates an exciting race for the championship title, as teams accumulate points based on their performance (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss).

The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned La Liga champion. You might be wondering if there are any exceptions to this 38-game rule.

Well, there are circumstances, like cup competitions (Copa del Rey, Champions League, Europa League), that some teams might participate in alongside La Liga. These additional matches can increase a team’s total workload, potentially pushing them past the 38-game mark.

How Many Games Are Played In A Week In La Liga?

La Liga usually has around 10 games played each week. This is an average though, and the exact number can change a bit from week to week. There are two main reasons for this:

Scheduling: The league tries to spread out the games throughout the week, so that not all the teams play on the same day. This means there might be a few more games on some weekends and a few less on others.
Postponements: Sometimes, games need to be rescheduled because of bad weather, a team playing in a European competition, or other reasons. This can throw off the weekly schedule a little bit.

What Is The History Of La Liga Football?

La Liga, Spain’s top football league, has a long history that dates back to the late 1920s. The idea of a national league was first proposed by José María Acha, a director at Arenas de Getxo, in April 1928.

After much discussion about the size of the league and which teams would participate, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol agreed on the 10 teams that would form the first Primera División in 1929.

The chosen teams included Arenas, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Real Unión, Atlético Madrid, Espanyol, Europa, and Racing de Santander.

These teams were selected based on their previous successes in the Copa del Rey. Out of these founding clubs, only three, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Club have never been relegated from the top division.

In the 1930s, Athletic Bilbao was the dominant team, winning La Liga titles in 1930, 1931, 1934, and 1936. They also set a record by beating Barcelona 12-1, which remains the biggest win in La Liga history.

This era was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, which caused the suspension of the league. During the war, some teams played in the Mediterranean League, and Barcelona emerged as champions of this competition.

The 1940s saw the rise of Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia as strong contenders. Atlético Madrid, then known as Atlético Aviación, won their first league titles in 1940 and 1941.

Valencia’s young pre-war team matured and won three titles in 1942, 1944, and 1947. Barcelona also began to emerge as a force, winning their second La Liga title in 1945 under coach Josep Samitier.

In the 1950s, Real Madrid began to dominate Spanish football. They won their first league title of the decade in 1954 and went on to win five consecutive European Cups.

Key players like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás were instrumental in their success. Barcelona also had a successful decade, winning four league titles and achieving several doubles in La Liga and Copa del Rey.

The 1960s and 1970s were see by Real Madrid’s dominance, winning 14 league titles. However, Atlético Madrid also emerged as a strong contender, winning four titles during this period.

Valencia and Barcelona also had their moments of success, with Valencia winning the league in 1971 and Barcelona winning in 1974.

The 1980s saw Real Madrid continue their dominance, but the Basque clubs, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, also had their share of success.

Real Sociedad won back-to-back titles in 1981 and 1982, while Athletic Bilbao won in 1983 and 1984. In the 1990s, Barcelona’s “Dream Team,” led by Johan Cruyff, changed the scene of Spanish football.

They won four consecutive league titles from 1991 to 1994 and their first European Cup in 1992. Real Madrid also had a successful decade, winning two league titles.

The 21st century has seen fierce competition between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with both clubs dominating the league.

Other teams like Deportivo La Coruña and Valencia also had their moments of glory. Atlético Madrid broke the duopoly, winning the league in 2014 and 2021.

Today, La Liga remains one of the most competitive and popular football leagues in the world, continuing to attract top talent and producing exciting football year after year.

Ken Anucha

Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.