Football in Spain

Football in Spain
CountrySpain
Governing bodyRFEF
National team(s)Spain
First played1890; 134 years ago (1890)
Registered players1,063,090
Clubs21,148
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions
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Football is the most popular sport in Spain, with 61% of the population interested in it.[1] Spain has some of the most influential teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, and others) as well as many players (mostly unprofessional) and teams registered in all categories (1,063,090 players in 21,148 clubs).[2] Moreover, football is the sport that interests the majority of Spanish people (48%) and a total of 67% of the population said they were fans of or had a liking for a particular club.

In a survey of the sports habits of the Spanish population made in 2010, football was ranked as the second most popular recreational sport practiced by the population (17.9%). 75.9% said they had purchased tickets to a football match. In addition, 67.3% of the people said they saw all, almost all, many, or some of the football matches broadcast on television.[3] In another survey undertaken in 2014, football practice decreased to 14% of the population, being overtaken by other sports such as running,[4] cycling,[5] and swimming for recreation. However, in this survey, football was still the sport that interested the most of Spain's people (48%). 67% of the population said they were fans of or sympathized with a particular club. In addition, 74.9% said they watched, whenever possible, the matches broadcast on television regarding their favourite teams, and 42.4% had flags, badges, or objects of their favourite teams. Data from this survey confirmed the widespread impression that most of Spain's people are supporters of Real Madrid (32.4%) or FC Barcelona (24.7%), and the other teams have fewer supporters nationwide, such as Atlético de Madrid (16.1%), Valencia CF (3.5%), Athletic Bilbao (3.3%), or Sevilla FC (3.2%).[6]

A relationship between football, politics, intercultural relations, identity, and attitudes toward regionalism in Spain has also been reported.[7][8][9][10][11]

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (Spanish: Real Federación Española de Fútbol) – the country's national football governing body – organizes two Cup competitions: the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España. The Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) (English: Professional Football League), integrated by a total of 42 football clubs, forms part of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) but has autonomy in its organization and functioning. It is responsible for organising state football leagues in coordination with RFEF.[12]

The Spain national football team once won the FIFA World Cup and succeeded in the UEFA European Championship and the Olympic tournament. The biggest success achieved by the national team was the historic treble of winning tournaments in a row: the

Spain lifting the 2010 World Cup after defeating the Netherlands.

UEFA European Championship in 2008,[13] the FIFA World Cup in 2010, and the UEFA European Championship in 2012.[14][15][16][17] They also won the UEFA Cup in 1964 and in 2024.[18] The Spain women's national football team became world champions following their victory in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup,[19] therefore making Spain only the second nation after Germany to win both the men's and women's senior World Cup.[20] In all categories, Spain's men's national teams have won 27 titles in FIFA, UEFA, and Olympic tournaments within the European continent and beyond.[21][22] In qualifying for the UEFA championships, the team ranked highest in the number of shots (227) and possession (70%) and completed with the highest pass percentage (91%) out of all qualifying teams. The team was also the first to retain the Henri Delaunay trophy.[23]

The First Division of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional – commonly known in the English-speaking world as La Liga – is one of the strongest football leagues in both Europe and the world.[24][25][26] At the club level, Spanish football clubs have won a total of 66 international tournaments.[27][28][29][30] They are the most successful in different current European competitions, such as UEFA Champions League,[31] UEFA Super Cup,[32] and UEFA Europa League;[33] and were also the most successful in the extinct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[30]

During its most successful time, Tiki-taka was the characteristic football style of play developed by the Spain national football team (and at the club level, by FC Barcelona). This football style is characterized by possessing the ball for large portions of the game and moving the ball quickly from one player to the next, with short and quick passes, keeping the ball away from the opponent, and then delivering an incisive pass to score a goal.[34][35]

Professional football in Spain is a sociocultural event that significantly contributes to the Spanish economy in terms of demand and supply. In economic terms, during 2013, professional football generated more than €7.6 billion, including direct, indirect, and induced effects, representing 0.75% of the Spanish GDP.[36] Moreover, due to the financial crisis in the last few years, many Spanish football clubs in the top two divisions have been facing severe economic troubles due to paying bank debts. In addition, the European Union authorities have warned the Spanish authorities to halt public funding of debt-ridden clubs.[37]

Spain's national futsal team is one of the strongest teams in the world, being six times champion in the UEFA Futsal Championship and two times champion in the FIFA Futsal World Championship.[22]

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