FC Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid – these are all successful football clubs in Spain currently competing in La Liga or the Primera División, the top tier of Spanish football. But which club is truly the most successful in the history of Spanish club football?
Based on titles such as league championships, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, and international titles like the Champions League or Europa League, we have compiled the top 10 most successful football clubs in Spain. Some of the teams might surprise you.
10. RCD Espanyol Barcelona
Espanyol Fans in blue and white
The club was founded on October 28, 1900, as Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona. RCD Espanyol is based in Barcelona, Catalonia, and is also known by its nickname "Periquitos" (English: “The Parakeets”).
RCD Espanyol currently uses the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, which seats 40,500 spectators, as its home stadium. The club reached the UEFA Cup Final in both 1988 and 2007 but lost each time in penalty shootouts to Bayer Leverkusen and Sevilla FC.
RCD Espanyol faces off against FC Barcelona in the “Derbi barceloní”. They have won the Spanish championship 4 times in their history.
Book tickets or a Football Trip Espanyol Barcelona.
9. Real Sociedad (San Sebastian)
Real Sociedad fans in Anoeta Stadium
The Spanish football club Real Sociedad has won a total of five national and international titles in its history. The Basque club ranks ninth in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. It was founded on September 7, 1909, as Real Sociedad de Fútbol.
Real Sociedad is based in the city of San Sebastián in the Basque Country and is also known by the nickname "Txuriurdin" or “The White and Blue.”
The club currently uses the Anoeta Stadium, which has a capacity of 32,200 spectators, as its home ground.
The Basque club has won a total of two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies, and they also won a Supercopa de España at the end of the 2021/22 football season.
Fans regularly look forward to the Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao.
Also check out our Match of the Week report “Berets and Lion Masks” by Carsten Germann.
If you’d like to experience the atmosphere at Estadio Anoeta, book a Football Trip Real Sociedad.
8. Deportivo La Coruna
Estadio Riazor Stadium of Real Sociedad
The Spanish football club Deportivo has won a total of six national and international titles in its history. They now occupy eighth place in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time.
The club was founded on March 2, 1906, as Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña. Deportivo is based in the Galician city of A Coruña and is also known by its nickname "Brancoazuis" or “The Blue and Whites.”
The club has finished in the top half of the La Liga table in 16 of the last 19 seasons. Deportivo has used the 34,600-seat Riazor Stadium as its home ground since 1944. To date, they have won one La Liga title and two Copa del Rey trophies. As of the 2025/26 season, Deportivo is not playing in the Primera División.
7. Real Zaragoza
La Romareda Stadium in Zaragoza
The Spanish football club Real Zaragoza has won a total of nine national and international titles in its history. They currently rank seventh in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. The club is based in Zaragoza, Aragón, and was founded in 1932.
Real Zaragoza is also known by its nickname "Los Maños" or “The Aragonese.” The club currently plays in the Segunda División and uses La Romareda, with a capacity of 34,596, as its home stadium. They have won a total of six Copa del Rey trophies. Starting in the 2021/22 season, Real Zaragoza also reached a Supercopa de España and won the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1995 in Paris against Arsenal (2:1 after extra time), thanks to a stunning goal from Nayim in the 120th minute.
6. FC Sevilla
This is Sevilla
The Spanish football club Sevilla has won a total of 13 national and international titles in its history. They currently occupy sixth place in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. The club is based in Seville and was officially founded on January 25, 1890 as Sevilla Football Club.
Sevilla is also known by its nickname "Los Rojiblancos" or “The Red and Whites.” They have won one La Liga title and 5 Copa del Rey trophies. Since the 2021/22 season, Sevilla has won one Supercopa de España and five UEFA Europa League titles. The club has also reached the UEFA Super Cup once.
With seven titles from seven finals since 2006, Sevilla holds the record for the most UEFA Cup/Europa League victories.
The club’s fans eagerly anticipate the fierce city derby against Real Betis (Seville) each year.
Offers for a Football Trip Sevilla FC can be found here.
5. Valencia
Estadio Mestalla in Valencia
The Spanish football club Valencia has won a total of 23 national and international titles in its history. They currently occupy fifth place in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time.
The club was founded on March 18, 1919. Fans also refer to Valencia by its nickname "Els Taronges" or “The Oranges.” They have won a total of six La Liga titles and 8 Copa del Rey trophies.
Their greatest international successes were victories in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1980, with World Cup winners Rainer Bonhof and Mario Alberto Kempes, and the UEFA Cup in 2004.
However, Valencia was denied Champions League glory in the memorable finals of 2000 against Real Madrid in Paris and 2001 against Bayern Munich in Milan.
Book tickets or a Football Trip Valencia CF.
4. Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid Fans
The Spanish football club Atlético Madrid has won a total of 31 national and international titles in its history. They now rank fourth in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. The club was founded on April 26, 1903, in Madrid.
Since September 16, 2017, Atlético has played in the Estadio Metropolitano, which holds 68,456 spectators. This state-of-the-art arena, which hosted the 2019 Champions League Final, replaced the old Vicente Calderón Stadium.
Atlético has won 11 La Liga titles and ten Copa del Rey trophies. Their most recent league title came in the 2021/22 season. Atlético Madrid has also won the Europa League three times (most recently in 2018) and claimed the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962.
Heading to Madrid to watch Atlético live? Here are the Football Trips Atlético Madrid.
3. Athletic Bilbao
Goal celebration at San Mamés in Bilbao
The Spanish football club Athletic Bilbao has won a total of 35 national and international titles in its history. They currently hold third place in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. The club is based in the beautiful city of Bilbao in the Basque Country. Athletic Bilbao was founded in 1898 and plays at the Estadio de San Mamés.
Fans refer to Athletic Bilbao as "Los Leones" or “The Lions.” The club is one of only three teams never to have been relegated from La Liga.
They have won a total of eight La Liga titles and 24 Copa del Rey trophies. It took 40 years between their last two Copa del Rey victories, with their most recent title coming in 2024 after a final win against RCD Mallorca (4:2 on penalties).
In the legendary Basque Derby, Athletic Bilbao regularly faces Real Sociedad.
You can now book a Football Trip Athletic Bilbao with us.
2. FC Barcelona
Impressive Camp Nou Stadium of FC Barcelona
The Spanish football club Barcelona has won a total of 95 national and international titles in its history. They currently hold second place in our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. The club was founded on November 29, 1899, as Futbol Club Barcelona. Barça plays its home matches at the world-famous Camp Nou stadium, which after renovation from 2023 will have a capacity of 105,000 spectators.
The club has won five UEFA Champions League titles and reached four Cup Winners' Cup finals. Since its founding, Barcelona has also won the UEFA Super Cup five times, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup three times, and the FIFA Club World Cup three times.
In the legendary El Clásico, Barcelona’s football magicians often meet Real Madrid more than twice a year.
Want to be there live at Camp Nou for FC Barcelona? Here are the Football Trips FC Barcelona.
1. Real Madrid
La Décima! Choreography by Real Madrid fans at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
The Spanish football club Real Madrid tops our list of the top 10 most successful Spanish football clubs of all time. Real Madrid was founded on March 6, 1902. After renovation, the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is now one of the most modern stadiums in Europe.
Real Madrid is the record European Cup winner and the club with the most domestic titles in Spain. Almost every great player of his era once wore the jersey of "Los Blancos."
If you want to experience Real Madrid live at the Bernabéu, here are the Football Trips Real Madrid.
Der Autor: Carsten Germann berichtet seit 2002 aus erster Hand über den englischen Fußball, u. a. für DIE WELT, BILD am SONNTAG und seit April 2021 auch als leitender Redakteur beim Portal Fussballdaten.de. Zudem gab er mit den Büchern Football’s home (2007) und Absolute Dynamite! (2010) zwei Sammelbände mit seinen Fußball-Reiseerlebnissen aus Großbritannien heraus. Für DIE FUSSBALLREISE schreibt er regelmäßig über den Insel-Kick.