The 2016–17 La Liga season, also known as La Liga Santander for sponsorship reasons, was the 86th since its establishment. The season began on 19 August 2016 and concluded on 21 May 2017.
Defending champions Barcelona relinquished the title to Real Madrid, who became champions for the first time since the 2011–12 season. En route to their 33rd championship, Real Madrid became the first side to score in every match of their Liga campaign.
A total of 20 teams will contest the league, including 17 sides from the 2015–16 season and three promoted from the 2015–16 Segunda División. This will include the two top teams from the Segunda División, and the winners of the play-offs.
Deportivo Alavés was the first team from Segunda to achieve promotion, after a ten-year absence from La Liga, on 29 May 2016 after winning 2–0 against Numancia.
CD Leganés was promoted as the runners-up after winning 1–0 at CD Mirandés in the last matchday, on 4 June 2016. This was Leganés' first promotion to the top division.
Source: Soccerway Rules for classification:1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored. (C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round; (Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament
The Zamora Trophy is awarded by newspaper Marca to the goalkeeper with least goals-to-games ratio. A goalkeeper must play at least 28 games of 60 or more minutes to be eligible for the trophy.