Which teams have never been relegated from La Liga? Meet the clubs that have always stayed in the top flight

La Liga began in 1928 with 10 teams and has been running for almost a century. Over the years, many clubs have been promoted and relegated, but three teams have never dropped out of the top flight in their history. Below, soccerwayuk.com answers the question: which teams have never been relegated from La Liga?

Which teams have never been relegated from La Liga?

The first team on the list is Real Madrid, the most successful club in La Liga history. In 98 seasons (including 2025/26), Real Madrid have won 36 league titles and finished as runners-up 26 times, accounting for more than one-third of all championships. Their most dominant period came in the 1960s, when they won the league eight times in ten years, including five consecutive titles from 1961 to 1965.

Another golden era followed between 1986 and 1990, during the “Quinta del Buitre” generation led by the legendary Emilio Butragueño, when the club secured five consecutive league titles again. In the 21st century, although they have not matched the dominance of earlier generations, Real Madrid have continued to win multiple titles. Their best season was 2011/12, when they collected 100 points and scored 121 goals. Their lowest league finish was 11th place in 1947/48.

The second team in this trio is Barcelona. They were the first champions in La Liga history (1928/29) and have won 28 titles as of the end of the 2024/25 season. One of their most successful periods came under head coach Johan Cruyff, who led the club to four consecutive league titles from 1991 to 1994.

In the 21st century, Barcelona entered another successful era led by Lionel Messi. From 2004 to 2019, the club won La Liga 10 times in 15 seasons. Barcelona also set a record of 100 points in 2012/13 and scored 115 goals in 2016/17. In addition, they hold the record for the longest winning streak (16 matches in 2010/11) and the longest unbeaten run (43 matches from April 2017 to May 2018).

The final team on the list is Athletic Bilbao, one of the strongest clubs in the early years of the league. Bilbao are well known for their Cantera policy, which allows only players born or trained in the Basque Country (Euskal Herria) to represent the club. In the modern era of heavy spending, they have remained competitive in the top division with homegrown players.

Although Barcelona were the first champions, Bilbao dominated the 1930s, winning four titles (1930, 1931, 1934, 1936) under coach Fred Pentland. Their next major success came in the 1980s under coach Javier Clemente, when they won back-to-back titles in 1982/83 and 1983/84, ending the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona. The club also recorded one of the biggest wins in La Liga history, defeating Barcelona 12-1 in 1931.

Which teams have played the most seasons besides those mentioned?

Fourth on the list is Valencia CF, who missed only one season (1986/87). Their most successful period was in the 1940s, when they won three titles with the attacking trio of Epi, Amadeo and Mundo. Valencia returned to the top in the early 2000s, winning La Liga in 2001/02 and 2003/04, breaking the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Valencia once held the record for the longest consecutive clean sheet run in La Liga, reflecting their strong defensive style under coaches such as Claudio Ranieri and Rafa Benítez. In recent years, however, the club have faced financial and management problems under owner Peter Lim. They are currently in the lower half of the table and still face the risk of relegation.

Next is Atlético Madrid, a club that has experienced several difficult periods, including relegations between 1930 and 1934 and again from 2000 to 2002. Despite this, they are the third most successful club in La Liga history with 11 titles.

Their first strong period came from 1939 to 1941, when they won two titles after the Spanish Civil War. They added four more championships in 1966, 1970, 1973 and 1977. In the modern era, under coach Diego Simeone, Atlético won the league in 2013/14 and 2020/21, competing successfully during the era dominated by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Finally, Espanyol are the only club on this list that have never won La Liga. Their best achievement is finishing third four times (1933, 1967, 1973, 1987). They were first relegated in 1961/62 and returned after one season. Since then, they have been relegated in 1969, 1989, 1993, 2020 and 2023.

Despite multiple relegations, Espanyol are often called the “king of promotion” because they usually return to La Liga quickly. This shows that while they are strong enough to compete for promotion from the Second Division, they have struggled to maintain long-term stability in the top flight.

In this article, SoccerWay UK answers the question of which teams have never been relegated from La Liga and highlights other clubs that have spent the most seasons in the competition. To stay updated with future football results, follow our page.