La Liga has remained one of Europe’s most compelling competitions in recent years, even amid the continued dominance of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, who have combined to win nine of the last ten league titles. In the first full era without Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, league president Javier Tebas addressed the state of Spanish soccer, taking a pointed swipe at the Saudi Pro League in the process.
Despite the Barca-Madrid duopoly, the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo became the defining global storyline of 21st-century soccer. That draw began to fade when Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in 2018, and later when Messi departed Barcelona in 2021.
Speaking at the Olé Sports Summit in Argentina, Tebas was asked about La Liga’s standing without its two biggest icons. He was firm in his response: “I would prefer to have Messi, Cristiano, Mourinho, Guardiola, all of them… But that’s not the key to sustaining growth. Players are temporary; what makes you great are the clubs and a strong competition.”
Addressing the narrative that leagues depend on superstar names to thrive, Tebas pointed to Cristiano Ronaldo’s new home as an example of the opposite. “Take the case of the Saudi league, which has major stars, but still hasn’t taken off as one of the best in the world,” Tebas stated.
Javier Tebas during the SPORTEL Monaco 2025.
Part of the challenge for La Liga has been compensating for the void left by both legends. Barcelona, for example, continue benefiting from Messi’s legacy, with Diario AS reporting that Messi’s shirt remained the club’s third-most-requested replica last season (fans purchase blank kits and customize them due to licensing restrictions), only behind Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski.
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Despite the departures, Tebas insists the league’s structural model, particularly its strict salary-cap rules, has preserved growth. “From an economic standpoint, not a single broadcaster told us they would pay less for media rights after Messi left. Contracts are for five, six, seven years, so what really matters is that the league remains competitive,” the president concluded.
Is La Liga reaching the Premier League?
The Premier League is widely considered the world’s strongest domestic competition, combining star power, parity across its top clubs, financial might, and unmatched global broadcast reach. In contrast, La Liga continues to wrestle with the long-standing dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who have won 19 league titles since 2004-05, with only Atlético Madrid interrupting them twice.
Still, Tebas maintains that La Liga remains firmly the second-best league in Europe—and believes the gap is narrowing: “In Europe, the Premier League is on top, but we come right after them. Below us are the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the French league. You can also see it in followers and engagement on social media. We’re growing every day, widening the gap with other competitions and narrowing the distance with the Premier League.”
According to Transfermarkt, the Premier League leads all leagues with a combined squad valuation of €12.77 billion, with La Liga trailing in second at €5.57 billion, with Italian Serie A (€5.4B), German Bundesliga (€4.7B), and French Ligue 1 (€3.6B) rounding out the top five. For now, England’s financial supremacy shows no signs of fading, but Tebas remains optimistic about Spain’s trajectory.
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