There's little time left before the new LaLiga season kicks off and, as usual, there are two favorites to win it: Barça and Real Madrid. The most recent champion hopes to win another league title, while the white team will try everything possible to prevent it. A step below is Atlético de Madrid, intending to fight until the end whenever possible, in another season of significant spending.
Maldini takes the floor
On his YouTube channel, the renowned Spanish journalist, Maldini, has spoken clearly about it. He hasn't held back and, by creating a "tier list," has ranked all the teams in Spain.
Between Barça and Real Madrid, Maldini has no doubt: Hansi Flick's side will win this league. "I see Barça above the rest," the Spaniard said.
This way, he has placed Barcelona as the champion, with Real Madrid having to settle for second place. Meanwhile, behind them are Atlético and Athletic Club, closing out the Champions League spots.
"In the end, the league, if we analyze recent times, those at the top are always the same. I think Atlético will be closer to the title than last season, but it won't get there," Maldini pointed out.
Maldini is clear: this is how LaLiga will end
CHAMPION: Barça.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Real Madrid, Atlético, Athletic Club.
EUROPA LEAGUE: Villarreal, Betis.
MID-TABLE: Real Sociedad, Valencia, Celta, Mallorca, Rayo Vallecano, Osasuna.
STRUGGLING: Getafe, Sevilla, Girona, Espanyol, Oviedo.
RELEGATION: Alavés, Levante, Elche.
Historic rivalry
The rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is much more than a sporting clash. It's the most iconic duel in LaLiga and, probably, in world soccer. Both clubs represent two ways of understanding the game, competition, and identity. In Spain, their battle for league dominance has been a constant for over 90 years.
In LaLiga's honors list, Real Madrid leads with 36 titles, being the most decorated club in the competition. Meanwhile, Barça has 27 championships, the most recent won in the 2024/25 season under Hansi Flick. Every title won by one of these giants is a response to the other, a constant battle for national supremacy.
This historic rivalry goes beyond the Clásicos that stop the world. It sets the pace of the competition year after year and generates a competitive tension that raises LaLiga's level compared to other major European leagues. In Madrid, every victory is also measured by what happens in Barcelona, and vice versa.
Internationally, no matchup has as much impact as a Real Madrid-Barça. Two clubs with millions of fans, two playing philosophies, two cities that live soccer with passion. LaLiga can't be understood without them. As long as one adds titles, the other will respond. Because the rivalry between Madrid and Barça doesn't stop, it reinvents itself season after season.