Players Who Dominated La Liga Awards

From the moment the La Liga Awards began in 2008–09, a few names have stamped their authority on Spain’s top flight—not just through trophies, but by sweeping the individual honours. In this article, DeutKick will take you on a journey through the legends and modern stars who truly dominated La Liga awards, dissecting how they rose, how many accolades they collected, and what made their performances unforgettable.

Table of Contents

What Are the La Liga Awards and Why They Matter

The La Liga Awards were instituted in 2008–09 to formally recognize the best players, coaches, and positional standouts in Spanish top-flight football. What sets them apart is their structured format: awards are granted for goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward, and an overall best player. Voting involves captains and vice-captains of La Liga clubs, supplemented by statistical analysis.

La Liga’s awards system was rebranded after the 2015–16 season, but the prestige remained. In the early era, Barcelona players won 32 honours across the six main categories—almost triple the haul of any other club in that same span. Also, the Awards sit alongside other Spanish individual honours like the Pichichi Trophy, Zamora Trophy, and Miguel Muñoz Trophy—each with its own legacy.

What we’re focusing on here is dominance: not just winning once, but accumulating multiple awards, over time, in multiple positions or categories. Here are the giants of La Liga awards history.

Legends Who Dominated: Messi, Iniesta & More

When talking about players who dominated La Liga awards, three names immediately stand out: Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Ramos. They not only collected multiple awards—they became benchmarks.

Lionel Messi: The Unmatched Serial Winner

Messi holds the record for the most Best Player awards, having won it six times under the old format and additional MVP titles after the rebrand.
He also holds the record for Best Forward in the original award setup, with seven wins.
Across positional and general awards, Messi accumulated around 19 La Liga Awards over more than a decade.
His consistency and influence in nearly every match made him nearly untouchable in Spanish football.

Andrés Iniesta: The Midfield Maestro

Iniesta racked up five wins in the midfielder/attacking midfielder categories.
Though he rarely got the spotlight like a goalscorer, his technical mastery, vision, and big-game performances earned deep respect in the awards circles.

Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, Victor Valdés

In the defensive and goalkee, Sergio Ramos stood out with four wins.
Iker Casillas and Víctor Valdés, stalwart keepers, each secured two wins.
Ramos’ capacity to score, defend, and lead gave him versatility that often swayed votes.

Other notable mentions include Guardiola and other defenders whose specialty performances earned them repeated acclaim.

These are the pillars that built the early narrative of La Liga individual honours. But the story doesn’t end there—modern names are making a push.

Modern Era: Stars Carving Their Own Awards Legacies

As La Liga matured, newer stars began rivalry with the giants. Their dominance may not have matched Messi’s totals yet, but they’re rewriting the landscape.

Karim Benzema & Jan Oblak

In the post-Messi era, Karim Benzema has been a standout, winning multiple Best Player / MVP awards.
Jan Oblak, the Slovenian shot-stopper at Atlético Madrid, won the goalkee.

Marc-André ter Stegen, Jude Bellingham, Raphinha

Ter Stegen became one of the few goalkeepers to win Player of the Season.
In recent seasons, Jude Bellingham and Raphinha (Barcelona) have taken the Best Player award, shifting the competitive field.
These newer names ensure the mantle of dominance isn’t static—even a Lionel Messi legacy can be challenged.

Lamine Yamal: Youth Rising

Yamal has already won consecutive U-23 Player of the Season awards in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
At his age, that kind of consistency in major awards hints at a future where he may dominate senior categories too.

Cross-Domain Dominance: Titles, Goals & Awards

An interesting dimension is how these award dominators also stack up in other metrics: league titles, goals, and “wins” in matches.

Messi leads all players in career La Liga match wins, with well over 390 wins to his name.
In terms of league titles, legends like Paco Gento (12 titles) are record-holders—though his era stretched before these awards existed.
Regarding top scorer honors, Messi also holds the record for most Pichichi Trophies, with eight awards.

So their dominance isn’t just in votes—it’s backed by real performances on the pitch.

Why Some Players Stand Out (And Others Don’t)

What sets apart the true players who dominated La Liga awards from one-time winners? Here are the factors:

Longevity – Staying at the top for many seasons gives more opportunity to collect awards.
Versatility – Players who contribute goals, assists, defense, or leadership cross into multiple categories.
Team Success – Individual awards often favor those. Consistency in Big Matches – Performing when it matters (Clásicos, title deciders) boosts reputation.
Adaptability to Voter Perception – Some players maintain a public aura, influence narratives, or have fanbase backing that helps in votes.

That’s why legends like Messi, Ramos, and Iniesta dominated—and why modern challengers have to match on multiple fronts.

Table: Top Award Dominators in La Liga History

Player	Dominant Category	Times Won / Notes
Lionel Messi	Best Player / Best Forward	~19 awards across categories
Andrés Iniesta	Best Midfielder	5 wins
Sergio Ramos	Best Defender	4 wins
Iker Casillas	Goalkeeper awards	2 wins
Víctor Valdés	Goalkeeper awards	2 wins
Karim Benzema	Post-Messi Best Player	Multiple MVP / Best Player awards
Jan Oblak	Goalkeeper MVP	Broke into overall player awards realm
Jude Bellingham	Best Player (Recent)	Winner in 2023–24 cycle
Raphinha	Best Player (2024–25)	Recent pick in award cycles
Lamine Yamal	U-23 Player	Consecutive awards reflect future promise

Future Prospects: Who Could Be Next to Dominate

Lamine Yamal is already on the clock. If he transitions.
Bellingham and Raphinha show that dominance need not stay in classic footballing hotspots—new stars.
Emerging talents like Pedri and others in Barcelona’s youth system might eventually join the elites.

The moral: dominance evolves. The stage is open for new players to become the players who dominated La Liga awards for the next decade.

Final Thoughts

In this article, DeutKick has navigated the lives and legacies of the players who dominated La Liga awards—from Messi’s reign to modern challengers like Bellingham, Benzema, and Yamal. If you love deep dives into player stats, records, and histories, stay tuned here: match analyses, transfer rumors, and stat battles await.

Now it’s your turn: which player do you think will dominate La Liga awards in the next five seasons? Let us know your pick and why in the comments, and explore our related articles for player profiles, rankings, and much more.