Sunday, December 21, 2025, 8:52 p.m.
Barcelona, with its victory at La Cerámica against Villarreal, is already the winter champion of the 2025-26 season. Although there is still one day left to officially complete half of the championship, the Barça team has already mathematically secured the so-called winter championship.
Neither Real Madrid nor Atlético de Madrid, second and third in the standings respectively, can catch up with the Barça team. Both teams, which are also competing in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, are four and nine points behind Barça. Nor does Villarreal, currently fourth classified and who were defeated by Barcelona this Sunday, have any real chance of overcoming it. Even adding the nine points that are still at stake before closing the first round (Levante Villarreal was suspended and will be played in February), they would not be able to surpass the team led by Hansi Flick.
However, leading the standings at the end of the first half does not entail any trophy, it is usually an encouraging sign. The recent history of the Spanish championship shows that, on numerous occasions, whoever rules in winter ends up celebrating the title in May, but this does not always happen. Barça knows that path well: the last time it reached this position was in the 2022-23 season, a year that ended with the league title in its showcases.
Last year it was not fulfilled
In total, the Barça club has been winter champion 28 times, including this campaign. Of them, 17 ended with winning the League and the last time that happened was in the 2022-23 campaign under the direction of Xavi Hernández. However, mid-season leadership does not guarantee ultimate success. Barça itself suffered it in the 2019-20 campaign, when despite closing the first round at the top, it was Real Madrid who ended up being crowned champions.
In fact, in the last ten seasons, the trend has been clear: the winter leader has almost always won the championship, with specific exceptions. In addition to the already mentioned one for Barcelona in the 2019-20 campaign, the other occurred last year, when Atlético dominated the standings in winter, but Barcelona had an outstanding second round to turn the situation around and lift the title.
Winter and League Champions
1928-29: Real Madrid – Barcelona
1929-30: Athletic – Athletic
1930-31: Real Sociedad – Athletic
1931-32: Athletic – Real Madrid
1932-33: Espanyol – Athletic
1933-34: Real Sociedad – Athletic
1934-35: Betis – Betis
1935-36: Real Madrid – Athletic
1939-40: Espanyol – Atlético de Madrid
1940-41: Seville – Atlético de Madrid
1941-42: Atlético de Madrid – Valencia
1942-43: Athletic – Athletic
1943-44: Valencia – Valencia
1944-45: Athletic – Barcelona
[1945-46:Barcelona-Seville
1946-47: Atlético de Madrid – Valencia
1947-48: Valencia – Barcelona
1948-49: Real Madrid – Barcelona
1949-50: Real Madrid – At. Madrid
1950-51: Sevilla – At. Madrid
1951-52: Athletic – Barcelona
1952-53: Espanyol – Barcelona
1953-54: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1954-55: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1955-56: Athletic – Athletic
1956-57: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1957-58: Atlético de Madrid – Real Madrid
1958-59: Barcelona – Barcelona
1959-60: Real Madrid – Barcelona
1960-61: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1961-62: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1962-63: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1963-64: Barcelona – Real Madrid
1964-65: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1965-66: Atlético de Madrid – Atlético de Madrid
1966-67: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1967-68: Atlético de Madrid – Real Madrid
1968-69: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1969-70: Athletic – Atlético de Madrid
1970-71: Barcelona – Valencia
1971-72: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1972-73: Barcelona – Atlético de Madrid
1973-74: Barcelona – Barcelona
1974-75: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1975-76: Atlético de Madrid – Real Madrid
1976-77: Barcelona – Atlético de Madrid
1977-78: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1978-79: Sporting Gijón – Real Madrid
1979-80: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1980-81: Atlético de Madrid – Real Sociedad
1981-82: Barcelona – Real Sociedad
1982-83: Real Madrid – Athletic
1983-84: Real Madrid – Athletic
1984-85: Barcelona – Barcelona
1985-86: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1986-87: Barcelona – Real Madrid
1987-88: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1988-89: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1989-90: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1990-91: Barcelona – Barcelona
1991-92: Real Madrid – Barcelona
1992-93: Barcelona – Barcelona
1993-94: Sports – Barcelona
1994-95: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1995-96: Atlético de Madrid – Atlético de Madrid
1996-97: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
1997-98: Barcelona – Barcelona
1998-99: Barcelona – Barcelona
1999-00: Sports – Sports
2000-01: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2001-02: Real Madrid – Valencia
2002-03: Real Sociedad – Real Madrid
2003-04: Valencia – Valencia
2004-05: Barcelona – Barcelona
2005-06: Barcelona – Barcelona
2006-07: Barcelona – Real Madrid
2007-08: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2008-09: Barcelona – Barcelona
2009-10: Barcelona – Barcelona
2010-11: Barcelona – Barcelona
2011-12: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2012-13: Barcelona – Barcelona
2013-14: Barcelona – Atlético de Madrid
2014-15: Real Madrid – Barcelona
2015-16: Barcelona – Barcelona
2016-17: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2017-18: Barcelona – Barcelona
2018-19: Barcelona – Barcelona
2019-20: Barcelona – Real Madrid
2020-21: Atlético de Madrid – Atlético de Madrid
2021-22: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2022-23: Barcelona – Barcelona
2023-24: Real Madrid – Real Madrid
2024-25: Atlético – Barcelona
2025-26: Barcelona –
