How La Liga Winner Is Decided

When it comes to how La Liga winner is decided, the process is simple at first glance but packed with tiebreakers that can make the difference between glory and heartbreak. In short: the team with the most points at the end of the season lifts the trophy; if two or more teams are level on points, a series of tiebreakers comes into play. AdiyaBall will walk you through exactly how all this works — from match results to head-to-head battles, goal difference, and even fair play.

Table of Contents

What determines the champion: points and match format

La Liga, the top professional football division in Spain, consists of 20 teams each season. They play a double round-robin format: every club meets each other twice — once at home and once away — giving a total of 38 matches per team across the season.

Here’s how the basic points system works:

Win = 3 points
Draw = 1 point
Loss = 0 points

At season’s end, the club with the highest total points is crowned La Liga champion. That’s the core rule. If one team ends with strictly more points than any other, no more digging is needed.

When points are tied: how tiebreakers decide the winner

Ties on points happen. When they do, La Liga has a clear hierarchy of tiebreakers to decide who finishes above whom — and ultimately, who wins the league if first place is at stake. The rules used today are:

Head-to-head record between the tied teams
Head-to-head goal difference among those matches
Overall goal difference in all league matches
Total goals scored across the season
If still tied: Fair play ranking (fewer disciplinary points, yellow/red cards etc.)

If somehow all of that still fails to separate the teams, further measures (historically very rare) may apply under the competition’s regulations.

Here are more details:

Head-to-head first

When two teams finish with the same points, first check how they did in their two matches against each other: points earned in those two games. That is, did one win both, one win and one draw, or two draws?
If they have the same head-to-head points, then head-to-head goal difference is checked.

For more than two teams

If three or more teams finish level on points, La Liga examines the mini-league formed by the matches between those clubs: firstly comparing points gained in those mutual games, then goal difference among them if needed.

Then overall metrics

Should head-to-head fail to separate, the league goes to overall goal difference.
If still tied, total goals scored comes into play.

Final tiebreaker: fair play

If everything above still leaves the teams inseparable, the fair play ranking is used. That means the team with fewer disciplinary infractions (yellow cards, red cards, etc.) gets the advantage.

This set of tiebreakers is written in the formal rules of La Liga and the governing body (RFEF / LaLiga).

Examples and special cases

To show why these rules matter:

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: There have been seasons where both clubs ended with equal points. In one such case, Real Madrid won the title because their head-to-head results against Barcelona were superior — for example, a win away and a draw at home. Even if Barcelona had a slightly better goal difference overall, it didn’t matter because head-to-head comes first.
If more than two teams are tied (say three clubs), you form a mini-table among them: only count the matches those three played against each other. Whichever club collects the most points in that mini-table is ranked higher; if tie persists, use the rules above.
The “fair play” rule is almost never used to decide champions, but it’s a legal possibility — for example, if two teams are absolutely identical in points, head-to-head, goal difference (both in head-to-head and overall), and goals scored.

Why these tiebreakers exist and how they shape the title race

These rules do more than just break ties: they influence how teams go into key matchups and the overall strategy.

Clubs know that squandering even a draw in a head-to-head duel can cost them the title later, so matches between title rivals carry extra weight.
Goal difference across the season still matters, especially when head-to-head doesn’t resolve the tie. So large wins, fewer losses — every goal counts.
Discipline, often overlooked, can become critical in a tight race: fewer cards & better fair-play behavior can give a slight edge.

Fans love drama — and often, these tiebreakers create it. Titles have been decided in the final matchday not on points alone, but on head-to-head. AdiyaBall loves those moments.

Common misunderstandings

Let’s clear up a few things that trip people up:

Goal difference doesn’t always come first in La Liga. Unlike some leagues (e.g. Premier League), La Liga prioritizes head-to-head record over goal difference when points are tied.
Away goals do not count in head-to-head goal difference. La Liga dropped the away goals rule in head-to-head for deciding ties (they treat the matches equally, no extra weight for scoring away).
Fair play as a decider is rare. It’s only triggered if all previous tiebreakers fail.
Mini-league for more than two teams: people sometimes expect sequential rules between pairs, but when three or more are tied, you consider all matches among them as a group first.

La Liga champion in context: what this means in modern seasons

In recent seasons, the title race in La Liga has regularly been tight among clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and occasionally others. Because head-to-head is the first tiebreaker:

Matches between these giants are more than just three points; they can define who has the advantage later.
Even if a club dominates against lesser teams, if they do poorly against direct rivals, they might lose out on the title in a tie.

In the 2024-25 season, for example, when Real Madrid and Barcelona were level on points, Barcelona was leading the table due to their head-to-head record against Madrid, not their goal difference. That situation illustrates how important these rules can be in reality.

Conclusion

How La Liga winner is decided centers first on who collects the most points over the 38-game campaign. But when points aren’t enough, La Liga leans heavily on head-to-head results, then follows with goal difference, goals scored, and only then fair play.

For fans, this means every match, every goal, every yellow card matters — especially the ones against your title rivals. AdiyaBall hopes this guide deepens your understanding of what it takes to win La Liga. Want to compare this with how other major leagues (EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga) handle ties, or see past title-deciding moments? Let us know, and we’ll dive in together!