The Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), Spain’s governing body for football, was officially founded on September 29, 1913, having evolved from its predecessor, the Federación Española de Clubs de Football (FECF), established in Madrid in October 1909. Headquartered at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas since 2003, it affiliates with FIFA, UEFA, and the Spanish Olympic Committee, and by May 2019 boasted over 21,000 clubs and more than 1 million registered players, making it the country's largest sports federation.

However, its early history was turbulent, marked by a split when major clubs like Barcelona and Real Sociedad broke away to form the rival Unión Española de Clubs (UECF) in November 1912, leading to parallel editions of the Spanish national championship in 1910 and 1913. This royal rivalry even saw King Alfonso XIII grant the "Royal" title to the UECF in February 1913, while Queen Victoria Eugenia sponsored separate trophies. Despite these disputes—which produced dual champions like Athletic Club and Barcelona—the RFEF eventually unified Spanish football, becoming the central authority that now organizes Spain's national teams and professional leagues.