The Spanish football champions are the winners of La Liga, the primary football competition in Spain. The league is contested on a round-robin basis, with the title awarded to the team that finishes top at the end of the season. First established in 1929 with ten teams, La Liga has featured 20 teams since 1997. Before the league's formation, the Copa del Rey—a regionalised cup competition—was effectively considered the national championship. The league was suspended between 1936 and 1939 due to the Spanish Civil War.