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The La Liga is a Spanish football league contested by 20 teams each season with 38 games played between August and May of the following year. A team that finishes at the top position will win the La Liga League trophy.
La Liga clubs also fight for a spot to take part in the European competitions. Teams that finish second, third and fourth positions qualify for UEFA Champions League while positions five and six get a ticket for UEFA Europa League.
In every single season, a player who scores the most goals in the La Liga is awarded the Golden Boot, the player with the most assists takes home the award of a playmaker of the season, and the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets wins the Golden Gloves.
Since La Liga was started in the year 1929, a number of players have emerged as the leading goal scorers with Paco Bienzobas of Real Sociedad being the first to win the Golden Boot. Lionel Messi is the player with a record of most awards winning it on eight occasions.
Alfredo Di Stefano, Quini, and Hugo Sanchez are other players that have finished as top scorers in five seasons. Messi scored the most goals in a single campaign during the 2011-15 season after scoring 50 goals. He is also the all-time top scorer with 474 goals.
La Liga Golden Boot Winners
| SEASON | PLAYER | COUNTRY | CLUB | GOALS | GAMES |
| 2020-21 | Lionel Messi | Uruguay | Barcelona | 27 | 31 |
| 2019-20 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 30 | 35 |
| 2018-19 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 25 | 33 |
| 2017-18 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 36 | 34 |
| 2016-17 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 37 | 34 |
| 2015–16 | Luis Suárez | Argentina | Barcelona | 40 | 35 |
| 2014–15 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid | 48 | 35 |
| 2013–14 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid | 31 | 30 |
| 2012–13 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 46 | 32 |
| 2011–12 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 50 | 37 |
| 2010–11 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Real Madrid | 40 | 34 |
| 2009–10 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Barcelona | 34 | 35 |
| 2008–09 | Diego Forlan | Uruguay | Atletico Madrid | 32 | 33 |
| 2006–08 | Daniel Guiza | Spain | Mallorca | 27 | 37 |
| 2006-07 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands | Real Madrid | 25 | 37 |
| 2005–06 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Barcelona | 26 | 34 |
| 2004–05 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Barcelona | 25 | 37 |
| 2004–05 | Diego Forlan | Uruguay | Villarreal | 25 | 38 |
| 2003–04 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Real Madrid | 24 | 32 |
| 2002–03 | Roy Makaay | Netherlands | Deportivo La Coruna | 29 | 38 |
| 2001–02 | Diego Tristan | Spain | Deportivo La Coruna | 20 | 35 |
| 2000–01 | Raul | Spain | Real Madrid | 24 | 36 |
| 1999–00 | Salva Ballesta | Spain | Racing Santander | 27 | 36 |
| 1998–99 | Raul | Spain | Real Madrid | 25 | 37 |
| 1997–98 | Christian Vieri | Italy | Atletico Madrid | 24 | 24 |
| 1996–97 | Ronaldo | Brazil | Barcelona | 34 | 37 |
| 1995–96 | Juan Antonio Pizzi | Spain | Tenerife | 31 | 41 |
| 1994–95 | Ivan Zamorano | Chile | Real Madrid | 28 | 38 |
| 1993–94 | Romario | Brazil | Barcelona | 30 | 33 |
| 1992–93 | Bebeto | Brazil | Deportivo La Coruna | 29 | 37 |
| 1991-92 | Manolo | Spain | Atletico Madrid | 27 | 36 |
| 1990-91 | Emilio Butragueno | Spain | Real Madrid | 19 | 35 |
| 1989–90 | Hugo sanchez | Mexico | Real Madrid | 38 | 35 |
| 1988–89 | Baltazar | Brazil | Atletico Madrid | 35 | 36 |
| 1987–88 | Hugo sanchez | Mexico | Real Madrid | 29 | 36 |
| 1986–87 | Hugo sanchez | Mexico | Real Madrid | 34 | 41 |
| 1985–86 | Hugo sanchez | Mexico | Real Madrid | 22 | 33 |
| 1984–85 | Hugo sanchez | Mexico | Atletico Madrid | 19 | 33 |
| 1983–84 | Juanito | Spain | Real Madrid | 17 | 31 |
| 1983–84 | Jorge da Silva | Uruguay | Valladolid | 17 | 30 |
| 1982–83 | Poli Rincon | Spain | Real Betis | 20 | 30 |
| 1981-82 | Quini | Spain | Barcelona | 27 | 32 |
| 1980-81 | Quini | Spain | Barcelona | 20 | 30 |
| 1979-80 | Quini | Spain | Sporting Gijon | 24 | 34 |
| 1978-79 | Hans Krankl | Austria | Barcelona | 29 | 30 |
| 1977-78 | Mario Kempes | Argentina | Valencia | 28 | 34 |
| 1976-77 | Mario Kempes | Argentina | Valencia | 24 | 34 |
| 1975-76 | Quini | Francoist Spain | Sporting Gijon | 21 | 34 |
| 1974-75 | Carlos | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 19 | 32 |
| 1973-74 | Quini | Francoist Spain | Sporting Gijon | 20 | 34 |
| 1972-73 | Marianin | Francoist Spain | Oviedo | 19 | 32 |
| 1971-72 | Enrique Porta | Francoist Spain | Granada | 20 | 31 |
| 1970-71 | Carles Rexach | Francoist Spain | Barcelona | 17 | 28 |
| 1970-71 | Jose Eulogio Garate | Francoist Spain | Atletico Madrid | 17 | 28 |
| 1969-70 | Amancio | Francoist Spain | Real Madrid | 16 | 30 |
| 1969-70 | Luis Aragones | Francoist Spain | Atletico Madrid | 16 | 30 |
| 1969-70 | Jose Eulogio Garate | Francoist Spain | Atletico Madrid | 16 | 29 |
| 1968-69 | Jose Eulogio Garate | Francoist Spain | Atletico Madrid | 14 | 30 |
| 1968-69 | Amancio | Francoist Spain | Real Madrid | 14 | 29 |
| 1967-68 | Fidel Uriarte | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 22 | 24 |
| 1966-67 | Waldo | Brazil | Valencia | 24 | 30 |
| 1965-66 | Luis Aragones | Francoist Spain | Atletico Madrid | 18 | 28 |
| 1964-65 | Cayetano Re | Paraguay | Barcelona | 26 | 30 |
| 1963-64 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | Real Madrid | 21 | 25 |
| 1962-63 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | Real Madrid | 26 | 30 |
| 1961-62 | Juan Seminario | Peru | Zaragoza | 25 | 30 |
| 1960-61 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | Real Madrid | 28 | 28 |
| 1959-60 | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | Real Madrid | 25 | 24 |
| 1958-59 | Alfredo di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid | 23 | 28 |
| 1957-58 | Ricardo Alos | Francoist Spain | Valencia | 19 | 29 |
| 1957-58 | Alfredo di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid | 19 | 30 |
| 1957-58 | Manuel Badenes | Francoist Spain | Valladolid | 19 | 29 |
| 1956-57 | Alfredo di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid | 31 | 30 |
| 1955-56 | Alfredo di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid | 24 | 30 |
| 1954-55 | Juan Arza | Francoist Spain | Sevilla | 28 | 29 |
| 1953-54 | Alfredo di Stefano | Argentina | Real Madrid | 27 | 28 |
| 1952-53 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 24 | 29 |
| 1951-52 | Pahino | Francoist Spain | Real Madrid | 28 | 27 |
| 1950-51 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 38 | 30 |
| 1949-50 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 24 | 26 |
| 1948-49 | Cesar | Francoist Spain | Barcelona | 27 | 24 |
| 1947-48 | Pahino | Francoist Spain | Celta Vigo | 20 | 22 |
| 1946-47 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 33 | 24 |
| 1945-46 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 24 | 18 |
| 1944-45 | Telmo Zarra | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 20 | 26 |
| 1943-44 | Mundo | Francoist Spain | Valencia | 28 | 26 |
| 1942-43 | Mariano Martin | Francoist Spain | Barcelona | 30 | 23 |
| 1941-42 | Mundo | Francoist Spain | Valencia | 27 | 25 |
| 1940-41 | Pruden | Francoist Spain | Athletic Madrid | 33 | 22 |
| 1939-40 | Víctor Unamuno | Francoist Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 20 | 22 |
| 1935-36 | Isidro Langara | Spanish Republic | Oviedo | 28 | 21 |
| 1934-35 | Isidro Langara | Spanish Republic | Oviedo | 27 | 22 |
| 1933-34 | Isidro Langara | Spanish Republic | Oviedo | 26 | 18 |
| 1932-33 | Manuel Olivares | Spanish Republic | Real Madrid | 16 | 14 |
| 1931-32 | Bata | Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 13 | 18 |
| 1930-31 | Bata | Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 27 | 17 |
| 1929-30 | Guillermo Gorostiza | Spain | Athletic Bilbao | 20 | 18 |
| 1929 | Paco Bienzobas | Spain | Real Sociedad | 17 | 18 |