La Liga 2025/26: The season that gave us everything

There are seasons that just pass. Then there are seasons that get stuck. La Liga 2025/26 was one of the last. A season with a champion who confirmed his greatness, a rival who never quite found peace, a yellow submarine that refused to sink, a bottomless battle that was almost impossible to breathe in, and several predictions that were both frighteningly accurate and so wrong that it almost became comical.

Before the season, we wrote that La Liga can never be predicted with one hundred percent certainty. It wasn't just a safe formulation. It became the very answer. Because yes, Barcelona was the favorite. Yes, Real Madrid was the closest challenger. Yes, Real Oviedo had it brutal as newly promoted. But who would have really imagined that Villarreal would finish ahead of Atlético Madrid? That Getafe would play their way into Europe? That Girona would fall completely down? Or that Athletic Club, after a fantastic 4th place the season before, would end up in the bottom half?

This was a season where expectations were tested, shattered, confirmed and ridiculed. Just like La Liga should be.

This is how we imagined La Liga before the season

Barcelona: The champion team that answered everything

We have to start with Barcelona. It is impossible to summarize La Liga 2025/26 without starting with the team that was at the top when it was all over. Before the season, we wrote that Barcelona had the continuity, attacking power and coaching stability to defend the league title. It was a prediction that was right.

Hansi Flick's team entered the season as the reigning champions, and it was precisely that confidence that set them apart from their rivals. Barcelona didn't always look perfect, but they had a clarity of play that few others could match. They had enough width to withstand periods of injury, enough quality to decide close games and enough attacking play to tear opponents apart once the rhythm was set.

The title was secured in the most symbolic way possible: with a victory over Real Madrid in El Clásico. It wasn't just three points. It was a period. A confirmation that Barcelona had not only held out, but that they had taken another step under Flick. They finished with 94 points, eight ahead of Real Madrid, and emerged as deserving champions.

Lamine Yamal continued to be the symbol of the new Barcelona generation, but this was not a team carried by one player alone. Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Lewandowski, Rashford and several others contributed to Barcelona having multiple paths to goal. That was perhaps the biggest difference from previous periods: when one solution was closed, they found another.

The expectation before the season was clear: Barcelona would win La Liga. They did. Here we hit the mark.

Real Madrid: Close enough to threaten, not good enough to win

Real Madrid were tipped to finish second before the season, and that's where they ended up. On paper, that sounds like an accurate prediction, but their season was more complicated than the table alone suggests.

Xabi Alonso came in with high expectations. The squad was full of stars, and with players like Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., Bellingham and the new defensive reinforcements, there was no doubt about the quality. At the same time, there were also clear questions before the season: a new coach, a short warm-up after the Club World Cup, injuries and the need to find balance in a team full of strong individual profiles.

That was precisely where Real Madrid fell short. They had enough quality to be Barcelona's closest challenger, but not enough consistency to go all the way. They could look brilliant at times, but they also had matches where the structure cracked, where the attack became too individual, and where Barcelona looked more coordinated.

Kylian Mbappé finished as the league's top scorer with 24 goals, but even that wasn't enough to tip the title race in Madrid's favor. That says a lot about Real Madrid's season: individual highlights, but not quite the collective confidence required to win La Liga over 38 rounds.

Before the season, we wrote that Real Madrid could push Barcelona all the way, but that the combination of a new coach, injuries and a hectic start made them a tricky second-place team. It almost became a literal reality.

Villarreal: The big correction of the season

Then comes the team that forced us to take out the red pen: Villarreal.

Before the season, Villarreal were considered a team with enough quality to make the top six, but also a potential disappointment. The reasoning was understandable. They had lost Álex Baena, were dealing with the pressure of the Champions League, and there were questions about the breadth of their squad. We tipped them for 8th place.

It was a mistake. A big mistake.

Villarreal finished in 3rd place with 72 points, ahead of Atlético Madrid, and delivered one of the strongest performances of the season. What looked like a vulnerable squad before the season became a team that found new solutions. Marcelino got structure, flow and offensive power out of a group that many underestimated. Players like Nicolas Pépé, Alberto Moleiro, Pape Gueye and the established profiles helped Villarreal not only survive the strain – they used it as fuel.

The final impression of the season was also symbolic: Villarreal crushed Atlético Madrid 5-1 in the final round of the league. It wasn't just a victory. It was a statement. Atlético was pushed off the podium, and Villarreal was left as the team that had fooled everyone who thought they would fall back.

This was one of the biggest misses in the August prediction. But it's also the kind of misses that make a season summary interesting. Villarreal reminded us that continuity, coaching quality and a clear plan sometimes mean more than star names disappearing.

Atlético Madrid: Good enough for the top four, but no more

Atlético Madrid were tipped to finish third but finished fourth. On the surface, it's not a disaster. A Champions League spot was secured and the team was still among the league's best. But the sentiment around Atlético was more mixed.

Pre-season was all about a revamped squad. Atlético had brought in more creative and technical players, and there was hope that Diego Simeone would have more strings to play on. But big changes take time, and Atlético spent too much of the season searching for the perfect balance.

They had periods of strong form. They also had moments when they looked like a real title contender. But defensively they were not as fearsome as previous Simeone teams, and in the biggest moments they were often a bit too unstable. The 5-1 defeat to Villarreal in the last round was a brutal picture of that: Atlético were still good, but no longer untouchable.

The prediction of a top four finish was correct, but their third-place finish was beaten by a Villarreal team that was better than expected.

Real Betis and Celta Vigo: The green stories

Behind the top four came Real Betis and Celta Vigo, two teams that in their own way added color to the season.

Betis were tipped for 7th place and finished fifth. It's a strong season, especially considering the club also had Europe to contend with. Manuel Pellegrini once again made the team look mature and competitive, and Betis continued to be one of the teams in La Liga that best balances aesthetics and results. Before the season we wrote that the ambition was to stay in the top six. They did that.

Celta Vigo were even more interesting. We were sceptical before the season. They had delivered a fantastic 2024/25 season, but were now going to combine league and Europe. The fear was that a small squad and increased workload could send them down the table. Instead, Celta finished 6th and secured Europa League play after a strong final sprint.

It was a clear failure in the “possible disappointment team” category. Celta handled the pressure far better than expected. Claudio Giráldez and the group of players showed that last year’s rise was not just a fluke. They didn’t lose their identity. They built on it.

Getafe: From bottom prediction to European adventure

Getafe was tipped for 16th place. They finished in 7th place.

It's perhaps the most impressive single story of the entire La Liga season. José Bordalás did what José Bordalás does: He built a team that was unpleasant to face, difficult to break down and brutally effective when the games were tilting. It wasn't always pretty, but it was fiercely effective.

Before the season, we wrote that Getafe had made a balanced transfer window, with more experience and more useful pieces. However, they were placed far down because the questions surrounding goal production and the quality of the squad seemed big. It turned out that the structure was better than expected, and that the sum of the team was far stronger than the individual players on paper.

Getafe played their way into the Conference League, and that alone makes them one of the clear winners of the season. A 7th place for Getafe is not just a good table position. It's a reminder that La Liga still has room for teams that win on collective strength, clarity and pure unpleasantness.

Rayo Vallecano: Fears of European pressure didn't quite hit home

Rayo Vallecano were highlighted before the season as a team that could have problems. They had secured European play, the squad was not among the league's broadest, and the risk of attrition was obvious. In the table prediction, they were placed at number 13.

They finished in 8th place.

It's strong. Very strong. Rayo didn't manage to copy everything from last season's adventure, but they didn't collapse as many feared either. Íñigo Pérez kept the team's intensity up, and even though they didn't get the full benefit of the fight for Europe via the league, this was another season in which the Vallecas club showed how much identity matters.

We were too cautious here. The concern was logical, but Rayo showed more robustness than expected.

Real Sociedad: The league disappointed, the cup saved everything

Real Sociedad were tipped for 4th place. They finished 10th in La Liga. In isolation, it is a clear failure and a clear disappointment.

But their season cannot be judged solely by the league table.

Real Sociedad won the Copa del Rey after a dramatic final against Atlético Madrid, which went to penalties after a 2-2 draw. It gave the club a trophy, a huge emotional boost and a Europa League spot. For a club that had lost Martín Zubimendi and entered the season with a new coach and big questions in midfield, the cup triumph was a rescue that changed the entire narrative.

In the league they were nowhere near what we expected. That's where we missed the mark. But the assessment that the club still had the quality, identity and talent to do something big wasn't entirely wrong. It just came in the wrong tournament.

Sevilla, Valencia and Athletic Club: Three teams that did not live up to expectations

Sevilla were tipped for 5th place. They finished 13th. It's brutal.

Before the season, the idea was that Matías Almeyda, lower expectations and the absence of Europe could give Sevilla a boost. They had a spectacular single match with a 4-1 win against Barcelona early in the season, but over 38 rounds it became too uneven. Financial problems, registration chaos, lack of stability and a squad lacking enough quality over time meant that Sevilla never became the team the prediction hoped for.

Valencia were tipped for 6th place and ended up in 9th place. It's not a disaster, but it was lower than expected. Valencia showed signs of improvement and had a stronger season than many previous years, but they lacked the final step to make the European race serious. Here the prediction was a little too optimistic.

Athletic Club was tipped for 9th place, but was also mentioned as a possible disappointment team after last season's 4th place and Champions League qualification. There the concerns were well-founded. Athletic finished in 12th place, and it became clear that the pressure from several tournaments, combined with a narrower recruitment model and defensive challenges, made it difficult to maintain the same level in La Liga.

This was one of the areas where the preliminary analysis was most accurate: Athletic had a high risk of relapse. It happened.

The bottom line: Five teams, one chaos and a completely brutal ending

If the title fight gave us quality, the bottom battle gave us pure pulse.

Towards the end, Elche, Girona, Mallorca, Levante and Osasuna were all involved in a survival battle where every goal could send a team up or down, making for one of the most intense finishes to a La Liga season in a long time.

Real Oviedo finished last with 29 points. That was the part of the relegation prediction that was right. Before the season we wrote that any position above the line would be a great achievement for Oviedo, and so it turned out. The transition back to La Liga after 24 years was simply too brutal. The home support was strong, but the level difference over 38 rounds was too great.

Mallorca and Girona followed them down. There the prediction was wrong. Mallorca was tipped as number 12, Girona as number 14. Both were considered teams that could end up in the middle tier, but both ended up falling through in the most brutal part of the table.

Mallorca actually won 3-0 against Oviedo in the last round, but were still relegated after the mutual soliloquy. It is almost impossible to find a more painful way to lose their place. Girona finished one point behind the line, after a season in which the margins were constantly tilting the wrong way. For a team that had recently been one of La Liga's great projects, it was a terrible fall.

Elche and Alavés survived, despite both being tipped to be relegated. Elche finished on 43 points, Alavés on the same score, and both found just enough structure, cynicism and points at crucial moments. It may not have been dazzlingly beautiful, but at the bottom it's all about one thing: survival.

Levante and Osasuna both finished on 42 points and also stayed just above the line. The last round was a drama where mobile phones, live scores, stands and benches around Spain were connected in the same nervous chaos. It was La Liga at its most brutal.

The talents: Lamine Yamal was not just a talent anymore

Before the season we also wrote about the biggest young talents in La Liga. There, Lamine Yamal was of course impossible to ignore. But after 2025/26 it is almost wrong to call him a talent. He is an established star.

Yamal once again became one of Barcelona's most important players, and the season confirmed that he is not just the future. He is the present. The same goes for several young names who stepped up, whether in bigger or smaller roles. Arda Güler continued to show flashes of magic at Real Madrid, Pablo Barrios became an important piece at Atlético, and Jon Martín became a part of Real Sociedad history through a season that ended with a cup title.

The pre-season talent list hit on one important thing: La Liga 2025/26 was a season where young players not only filled the squads, but actually shaped the narrative.

How were the expectations before the season?

Before the season, our table prediction was as follows:

Barcelona as champions. Real Madrid in second place. Atlético Madrid in third place. Real Sociedad and Sevilla high up. Valencia as a possible positive story. Betis in the Europa League. Villarreal a little further down. Athletic, Celta, Rayo and Girona around the middle. Getafe near the bottom. Alavés, Real Oviedo and Elche down.

Something hit very well.

Barcelona as league champions was right. Real Madrid as second was right. Atlético as top four was right. Betis as a team in the European competition was right. Real Oviedo as a relegated team was right too.

Something partially hit.

Valencia took steps, but not quite enough. Athletic had a difficult season, as the risk analysis suggested, but the table prediction was still not entirely accurate. Real Sociedad disappointed in the league, but saved the season with the Copa del Rey. Rayo were considered vulnerable, but proved stronger than feared.

And something completely missed.

Villarreal were underestimated. Getafe were grossly underestimated. Celta Vigo were considered a possible disappointment, but ended up as one of the season's winners. Sevilla were overestimated. Girona were overestimated. Mallorca were overestimated. Alavés and Elche were relegated, but refused to leave La Liga.

It's tempting to get annoyed by the failures, but in reality, that's what makes La Liga worth following. If everything had gone according to plan, the season would have been boring. Instead, we got a league where teams like Getafe and Celta exceeded expectations, where Villarreal entered the Champions League with authority, and where the battle for the bottom was decided with a bang.

A season that showed why La Liga is still unique

La Liga 2025/26 had it all. It had Barcelona as the champion team. It had Real Madrid chasing, but never quite finding their way past. It had Villarreal proving the doubters wrong. It had Getafe defying all the pretty football ideals and still winning our respect. It had Celta Vigo building on the adventure. It had Real Sociedad making a weak league season unforgettable with cup gold. It had Sevilla showing once again how hard it can be to get up when the structure around the club is faltering. It had Athletic feeling the price of European strain. And it had a bottom-of-the-table battle so dramatic that it almost felt written for TV.

But most of all, the season reminded us: Expectations are just the starting point. They say something about where we think teams will be in August. They say nothing about injuries, peaks of form, coaching moves, breakthroughs, collapses, confidence, fear, margins and all the unpredictability that makes football football.

Before the season we tried to read the map. By the end of the season, La Liga had torn the map up, drawn a new one and laughed at us a bit along the way.

And thank goodness for that.

Because that's exactly why we come back.

Next season we will do the same again. We will analyze the transfers, evaluate the talents, predict the table and point out the teams we think can surprise or disappoint. We will hit something. We will miss something. And La Liga will once again remind us that nothing is certain until the final whistle.

That's exactly how it should be.