Champions of Spain: Every Atlético Madrid La Liga Title

Atlético Madrid have been crowned champions of Spain eleven times, a record that places them third in the history of La Liga behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona. Each title tells a different story about the club, its era and its character. This is the complete history of Atlético Madrid's La Liga championships.

The First Titles: 1940 and 1941

Atlético won their first two Spanish championships in 1939-40 and 1940-41, in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Under the management of the great goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora, the club established itself among the elite of Spanish football at a moment when the country and its game were being rebuilt.

The Early Fifties: 1950 and 1951

A decade later Atlético claimed back-to-back titles again, in 1949-50 and 1950-51, this time under the Argentine coach Helenio Herrera. Those teams played attacking football built around a formidable forward line and confirmed that the club's early success had not been an accident of circumstance.

The Sixties and Seventies: 1966, 1970, 1973, 1977

Atlético's longest sustained period of domestic success came across four titles in twelve years. The 1965-66 championship broke a fifteen-year wait, and the club followed with titles in 1969-70, 1972-73 and 1976-77. This was the era of Luis Aragonés as a player and later as a coach, a figure explored in our profile of the Sage of Hortaleza.

1996: The Double

After nineteen years without a championship, Radomir Antić's side won La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the same season. It remains the club's most complete domestic campaign and is covered in full in our article on the 1995-96 double.

2014: The Miracle Title

Eighteen years later, Diego Simeone's Atlético broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly in the most dramatic way possible, securing the title with a draw at the Camp Nou on the final day. Diego Godín's header sealed a championship that shocked European football and confirmed the arrival of Cholismo as a genuine force.

2021: Champions Again

Atlético's eleventh title came in the 2020-21 season, played largely behind closed doors during the pandemic. Luis Suárez's goals and Jan Oblak's consistency carried the team through a tense run-in, with the championship confirmed on the final matchday at Valladolid. It proved 2014 had not been a one-off.

Atlético in the La Liga Record Books

Eleven La Liga titles place Atlético third all-time, and no club outside the traditional big two has won more. Combined with ten Copa del Rey trophies, detailed in our Copa del Rey history, the domestic record is one of the strongest in Spanish football.

Conclusion

Eleven championships across eight decades tell the story of a club that has never accepted its place in anyone else's shadow. Explore the full history of Atlético Madrid in our dedicated book.

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