Spanish La Liga: Head-to-Head Tiebreaker, Promotion, Relegation and European Places
La Liga has remained at the pinnacle of European football throughout its history. Its unique rules and season structure ensure that the league is followed worldwide. In this guide, we will explain the league's operation throughout the season, the head-to-head rule used in case of a points tie, and the promotion and relegation processes of teams. This way, you can learn the league's system and start betting on La Liga matches through the VivatBet sports betting section.
What is La Liga?
Based in Spain, La Liga is one of Europe’s top-tier leagues. Founded in 1929, this competition features 20 clubs, and each team plays 38 matches by the end of the season. You can witness the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, which have left their mark on European football. Real Madrid, in particular, stands out with 15 UEFA Champions League titles and 36 La Liga titles. Barcelona, meanwhile, has won 29 league titles, leading to the emergence of a fierce rivalry. Spain finished second behind England in the 2025/26 seasonal association club coefficient ranking. If you want to bet on highly competitive La Liga matches, create an account now and join VivatBet.
History: From 1929 to Barcelona's Dominance
Starting in 1929, La Liga changed the course of football in Spain and became one of Europe’s most important competitions for nearly a century. Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Atletico Madrid dominated in the early years. However, when looking at all the seasons up to 2026, Real Madrid has 36 titles. We compare Real Madrid’s championship record to the 36 titles won by Juventus, which we mentioned in the Italian Serie A guide.
Barcelona, on the other hand, rose to prominence from the mid-2000s onwards. The great success of the Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi trio, in particular, can be said to have carried the team. In recent years, they have won the championship for the second consecutive time and for the 29th time overall, including the 2025/26 season. The league also stands out for hosting the most Ballon d'Or winners. Another noteworthy aspect is Athletic Club's policy of only fielding players of Basque origin.
How the Season Works - The Head-to-Head Rule
The La Liga season consists of 38 matchdays, with each of the 20 teams playing 38 matches between August and May. In this double round-robin system, there is a Christmas break, and ties on points are resolved under La Liga’s head-to-head tiebreaking rules.
If two teams finish level on points, aggregate goal difference in their head-to-head matches is compared first, followed by overall goal difference and goals scored. If three or more teams are level, a mini-table based on points earned in matches among those teams is used first, followed by head-to-head goal difference, overall goal difference and goals scored.
Therefore, a team with a better overall goal difference may rank lower if it lost both matches against its rival. In the Premier League, the overall goal difference is checked first. You can review this type of information in detail in the Premier League guide.
On the final day of the 2025/26 season, Elche finished on 43 points, Levante, Osasuna and Mallorca on 42, and Girona on 41. Only the three teams on 42 points were separated by a head-to-head mini-table, which placed Levante 16th, Osasuna 17th and Mallorca 18th.
How Clubs Get Promoted to La Liga
Only three teams are promoted from the Segunda Division to La Liga each season. This system, known as La Liga promotion rules, consists of two direct promotion spots and a critical playoff stage involving four teams.
First place: The team that finishes first in Segunda División is promoted directly to La Liga.
Second place: The team that finishes the league in second place also automatically earns promotion under the system.
Playoff system: The teams finishing third, fourth, fifth and sixth participate in the playoffs, which represent the final ticket to La Liga. In the two-legged knockout rounds, third faces sixth, while fourth faces fifth. The winners then meet in a two-legged final, and the winner of the final is promoted to La Liga. The playoffs take place only within Segunda División, and no La Liga clubs participate in the promotion battle.
We would also like to note that the playoffs may offer value bet opportunities for football betting because of the high level of competition.
How Relegation Works
Under La Liga relegation rules, the three clubs finishing the season in 18th, 19th and 20th place are relegated directly to the lower division, namely Segunda División. These teams are given no additional match to remain in the league. The absence of a relegation playoff in La Liga makes its system completely different from the Bundesliga, where the team finishing 16th plays the third-placed team from the second division. This difference can be examined in more detail in the German Bundesliga guide.
When points are tied in the relegation zone, the final standings are determined not by goal difference, but by the results of head-to-head matches. At the end of the 2025/26 season, Levante, Osasuna and Mallorca were tied on 42 points. The head-to-head mini-table ranked Levante 16th, Osasuna 17th and Mallorca 18th. Girona finished 19th with 41 points, while Real Oviedo finished 20th with 29 points. Mallorca, Girona and Real Oviedo were relegated.
European Competition Spots
Teams that achieve significant success in tournaments in Spain and in La Liga qualify for European competitions. The quotas are as follows:
Champions League: By finishing second in the 2025/26 seasonal association club coefficient, Spain earned a fifth direct Champions League place, known as a European Performance Spot, for the 2026/27 season.
Europa League: The team finishing sixth in the league and the Copa del Rey champion qualify.
Conference League: For 2026/27, the team finishing seventh received Spain’s Conference League berth and entered the play-off round. Depending on cup results, this spot may be transferred to the next-placed team.
Record Champions and the 2025/26 Season
Looking back, Real Madrid's dominance with 36 championships stands out. However, in recent years, Barcelona's influence has continued to grow season after season. In particular, in the 2025/26 season, Barcelona clinched the championship with three games remaining. So, which teams have won La Liga in the last five seasons? Let's take a look.
2025/26 - FC Barcelona
2024/25 - FC Barcelona
2023/24 - Real Madrid
2022/23 - FC Barcelona
2021/22 - Real Madrid
Looking at the championship race, it's clear that two big teams are dominating the league. If you enjoy this tough and competitive football of La Liga, you can download VivatBet's mobile app and place your bets while watching the matches in real-time on TV.
