FC Barcelona Crowned Winter Champions for 28th Time

FC Barcelona has officially claimed the title of winter champions, a designation awarded to the team leading the league standings at the halfway point. This marks the 28th occasion that Barcelona has achieved this feat, and historically, they have secured the LALIGA EA SPORTS trophy 18 times when sitting at the top, representing a success rate of 67%.

Recent Historical Context

The last season in which this Catalan club claimed both the winter and summer championships was in 2022/23. Under the management of Xavi Hernández and propelled by a stellar performance from Robert Lewandowski in his inaugural season in Spain, the team amassed 50 points in the first half of the year and concluded the season with a total of 88 points, finishing 10 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.

Since the competition’s inception in 1929 and entering its 95th season, 52 out of 94 winter champions (55%) have finished the season in first place. This trend has strengthened in the modern three-points-for-a-win format, with 23 of 30 winter champions (77%) since 1995/96 ultimately claiming the title.

Challenges from Rivals

Over the past decade, there have only been two instances where the winter champion did not secure the league title. One such occurrence took place last season when Atlético de Madrid was in front after 19 games, but FC Barcelona emerged victorious in the latter part of the season. The only other year this happened in the last ten years was during the 2019/20 season, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In that case, Barcelona led the winter standings, yet Real Madrid snatched the title.

Path Ahead for Barcelona

FC Barcelona is keen to avoid repeating past mistakes, particularly those from the 2019/20 season. Currently, they are just four points ahead of Real Madrid, who hold the tiebreaker advantage due to their recent victory in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabéu. Other competitors like Villarreal CF and Atlético de Madrid are also in contention, with the latter sitting in third with 37 points from 18 matches, while Villarreal is in fourth place with 35 points having played only 16 games.

Entering 2026, FC Barcelona is in excellent form, having secured wins in their last eight league fixtures, earning a maximum of 24 points since their loss in El Clasico. Their home performance at the Spotify Camp Nou has been remarkable, winning all four league matches they’ve played there thus far. If they maintain this level, they have a strong opportunity to achieve their 19th winter and summer championship title.