Villarreal CF will conclude the 2025/26 season ahead of Valencia CF in the La Liga standings. This result allows the club from La Plana Baixa to match the Mestalla team in a historic balance since Villarreal began competing in the top Spanish football division.

Out of the 26 seasons in which Villarreal has played in La Liga, the 'Groguet' team has finished ahead of Valencia 13 times. In the other 13 seasons, Valencia CF was the team that finished the league above Villarreal. This absolute tie in the classification rivalry demonstrates a balance that, not long ago, seemed very uneven.

This equilibrium represents much more than a mere statistic, confirming that Villarreal CF has earned the right to challenge the football hegemony in the Valencian Community. For decades, Valencia was the undisputed reference in the territory due to its history, titles, social dimension, and institutional weight. However, the emergence and, above all, the continuity and sporting achievements of the Vila-real club in the elite have changed the landscape.

Villarreal has built this growth on stability, planning, and competitive performance. It has not been a one-off appearance but a sustained trajectory that has allowed it to consolidate its position in La Liga, frequently compete in Europe, winning the Europa League in the 2020/21 season, and reaching the semifinals of the Champions League twice.

Villarreal first surpassed Valencia in the 2004-05, 2007-08, and 2008-09 seasons. Subsequently, they did so again in the 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 campaigns. The most recent streak further reinforces this trend, as Villarreal has finished ahead of Valencia in the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 seasons.

Having achieved the tie, Villarreal's next challenge is to break the equality and move ahead of Valencia in the historical balance since their arrival in La Liga. This would be another giant step for an entity that has ceased to be an aspirant and has become a reference in Valencian football.