Venezuelan Primera División

The Primera División (pronounced [pɾiˈmeɾa ðiβiˈsjon]; English: First Division), or Liga Venezolana (locally [ˈliɣa βenesoˈlana]; English: Venezuelan League) is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957. It is organized by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol.

"Venezuelan League" redirects here. For the baseball league, see Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. For the basketball league, see Liga Profesional de Baloncesto.
For other leagues called Primera División, see Primera división (disambiguation).
Liga FUTVE
Founded1921 (1921)
CountryVenezuela
ConfederationCONMEBOL
Number of teams15
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toSegunda División
Domestic cup(s)Copa Venezuela
International cup(s)Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Current championsMetropolitanos (1st title)
(2022 season)
Most championshipsCaracas (12 titles)
TV partnersTVes, GolTV, Star+
WebsiteLiga FUTVE (in Spanish)
Venezuelan Football Federation (in Spanish)
Current: 2023 season

Format

Starting in the 2020 season, the 20 teams play in a home-and-away round-robin tournament, with the top eight teams advancing to the semi-final stage.

In the semi-final stage, the eight teams are divided in two groups of four teams each, facing the other teams in their group twice. The two group winners will advance to the Serie Final to decide the league champions.

International qualification
  • The champions and runners-up qualify to the group phase of the Copa Libertadores.
  • The team with the most points in the entire season qualifies to the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 3.
  • The second and third team with the most points in the entire season qualifies to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.
  • If a team won both tournaments that team qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 1, then the first and second team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 2 and Venezuela 3 and the fourth and fifth team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2.
  • If the winner of the Copa Venezuela does not qualify to the Copa Libertadores through the aforementioned manners or through the point total in the entire season, they take the Venezuela 2 spot in the Copa Sudamericana.

Relegation
  • The two lowest placed teams in the entire season are automatically relegated to the Segunda División.

2023 teams
Locations of the 2023 Primera División teams
Team City Stadium Capacity
Academia Puerto CabelloPuerto CabelloLa Bombonerita7,500
AngosturaCiudad BolívarRicardo Tulio Maya2,500
CaraboboValenciaMisael Delgado10,400
CaracasCaracasOlímpico de la UCV23,940
Deportivo La GuairaCaracasOlímpico de la UCV23,940
Deportivo Rayo ZulianoMaracaiboJosé "Pachencho" Romero40,800
Deportivo TáchiraSan CristóbalPolideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo38,755
Estudiantes de MéridaMéridaMetropolitano de Mérida42,200
Hermanos ColmenarezBarinasAgustín Tovar29,800
MetropolitanosCaracasOlímpico de la UCV23,940
MinerosCiudad GuayanaPolideportivo Cachamay41,600
MonagasMaturínMonumental de Maturín51,796
PortuguesaAcariguaGeneral José Antonio Páez18,000
Universidad CentralCaracasOlímpico de la UCV23,940
ZamoraBarinasAgustín Tovar29,800

List of champions

List of champions since the first championship held in 1920. The Primera División turned professional on 21 February 1957.

Amateur era (1921–1956)
Ed. Season Champion Runner-up
1
1921AméricaCentro Atlético
2
1922Centro Atlético (1)América
3
1923AméricaCentro Atlético
4
1924Centro Atlético (2)Vargas
5
1925LoyolaVenzóleo
6
1926Centro Atlético (3)Venzóleo
7
1927VenzóleoCentro Atlético
8
1928Deportivo VenezuelaCentro Atlético
9
1929Deportivo VenezuelaUnión
10
1930Centro Atlético (4)Unión
11
1931Deportivo VenezuelaCentro Atlético
12
1932Unión (1)Dos Caminos
13
1933Deportivo VenezuelaDos Caminos
14
1934Unión (2)Dos Caminos
15
1935Unión (3)Dos Caminos
16
1936Dos CaminosCentro Atlético
17
1937Dos CaminosLitoral
18
1938Dos CaminosLitoral
19
1939Unión (4)Litoral
20
1940Unión (5)Dos Caminos
21
1941LitoralDos Caminos
22
1942Dos CaminosLoyola
23
1943LoyolaLitoral
24
1944LoyolaDos Caminos
25
1945Dos CaminosLoyola
26
1946Deportivo EspañolCentro Atlético
27
1947Unión (6)Universidad Central
28
1948LoyolaUnión
29
1949Dos CaminosUniversidad Central
30
1950Unión (7)La Salle
31
1951Universidad CentralLoyola
32
1952La SalleLoyola
33
1953Universidad CentralLa Salle
34
1954Deportivo VascoLoyola
35
1955La SalleDeportivo Español
36
1956Banco ObreroLa Salle

Professional era (1957–present)
Ed. Season Champion Runner-up Third Top scorer
37
1957Universidad CentralLa SalleBanco ObreroBrazil Tonho (Universidad Central, 12 goals)
38
1958Deportivo PortuguésDeportivo EspañolLoyolaVenezuela René Irazque (Portugués, 6 goals)
39
1959Deportivo EspañolDeportivo PortuguésDanubioSpain Abel Benítez (Deportivo Español, 15 goals)
40
1960Deportivo PortuguésDeportivo EspañolDeportivo ItaliaSpain José Luis Iglesias (Deportivo Portugués, 9 goals)
41
1961Deportivo ItaliaBanco Agrícola y PecuarioBanco Francés e ItalianoVenezuela Antonio Ravelo (Banco Agrícola y Pecuario, 11 goals)
42
1962Deportivo PortuguésUniversidad CentralDos CaminosBrazil Jaime da Silva (Universidad Central, 16)
43
1963Deportivo ItaliaDeportivo PortuguésTiquire FloresBrazil Nino (Deportivo Portugués, 15 goals)
44
1964Deportivo GaliciaTiquire FloresUnión Deportiva CanariasBrazil Helio Rodrigues (Tiquire Flores, 12 goals)
45
1965LaraDeportivo ItaliaTiquire FloresArgentina Mario Mateo (Lara, 16 goals)
46
1966Deportivo ItaliaDeportivo PortuguésDeportivo GaliciaBrazil Ratto (Deportivo Portugués, 20 goals)
47
1967Deportivo PortuguésDeportivo GaliciaLaraBrazil Joao Ramos (Deportivo Portugués, 28 goals)
48
1968Unión Deportiva CanariasDeportivo ItaliaDeportivo PortuguésBrazil Raimundinho (Deportivo Portugués, 21 goals)
49
1969Deportivo GaliciaValenciaDeportivo ItaliaBrazil Eustaquio Batista (Deportivo Italia, 19 goals)
Brazil Lelo (Valencia, 19 goals)
50
1970Deportivo GaliciaDeportivo ItaliaValenciaUruguay Roland Langon (Deportivo Galicia, 13 goals)
51
1971ValenciaDeportivo ItaliaTiquire AraguaBrazil Agostinho Sabara (Tiquire Aragua, 20 goals)
52
1972Deportivo ItaliaDeportivo GaliciaAnzoátegui FCVenezuela Francisco Rodriguez (Anzoátegui FC, 18 goals)
53
1973PortuguesaValenciaEstudiantes de MéridaUruguay Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 14 goals)
54
1974Deportivo GaliciaPortuguesaEstudiantes de MéridaUruguay Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 15 goals)
Uruguay Sergio Hugo Castillo (Anzoátegui FC, 15 goals)
55
1975PortuguesaEstudiantes de MéridaDeportivo GaliciaParaguay Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
56
1976PortuguesaEstudiantes de MéridaDeportivo PortuguésParaguay Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 25 goals)
57
1977PortuguesaEstudiantes de MéridaValenciaBrazil Jairzinho (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
Brazil Juan Cesar Silva (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
58
1978PortuguesaDeportivo GaliciaEstudiantes de MéridaBrazil Andrade (ULA Mérida, 23 goals)
59
1979Deportivo Táchira (1)Deportivo GaliciaUniversidad de Los AndesUruguay Omar Ferrari (Deportivo Táchira, 15 goals)
60
1980Estudiantes de MéridaPortuguesaValenciaBrazil Wilfrido Campos (Portuguesa, 12 goals)
61
1981Deportivo Táchira (2)Estudiantes de MéridaValenciaColombia Rafael Angulo (Deportivo Táchira, 14 goals)
62
1982San CristóbalDeportivo TáchiraUniversidad de Los AndesUruguay German Montero (Estudiantes, 21 goals)
63
1983Universidad de Los AndesPortuguesaDeportivo ItaliaVenezuela Johnny Castellanos (Atlético Zamora, 13 goals)
64
1984Deportivo Táchira (3)Deportivo ItaliaAtlético ZamoraBrazil Sergio Meckler (Zamora, 15 goals)
65
1985Estudiantes de MéridaDeportivo TáchiraNacional CaraboboBrazil Sergio Meckler (Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals)
66
1986Unión Atlético Táchira (4)Estudiantes de MéridaMarítimoVenezuela Wilton Arreaza (Caracas, 8 goals)
67
1986–87MarítimoUnión Atlético TáchiraEstudiantes de MéridaVenezuela Johnny Castellanos (Portuguesa, 16 goals)
68
1987–88MarítimoUnión Atlético TáchiraCaracasArgentina Miguel González (Unión Atlético Táchira, 22 goals)
69
1988–89Mineros de GuayanaPepeganga MargaritaMarítimoVenezuela Johnny Castellanos (Mineros, 24 goals)
70
1989–90MarítimoUnión Atlético TáchiraMinervénVenezuela Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 19 goals)
71
1990–91Universidad de Los AndesMarítimoAtlético ZamoraVenezuela Alexander Bottini (Monagas, 15 goals)
72
1991–92Caracas (1)MinervénMarítimoGermany Andreas Vogler (Caracas, 25 goals)
73
1992–93MarítimoMinervénCaracasVenezuela Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 21 goals)
74
1993–94Caracas (2)TrujillanosMinervénColombia Rodrigo Soto (Trujillanos, 20 goals)
75
1994–95Caracas (3)MinervénTrujillanosBrazil Rogeiro da Silva (Mineros, 30 goals)
76
1995–96MinervénMineros de GuayanaCaracasVenezuela Jose Luis Dolgetta (Caracas, 24 goals)
77
1996–97Caracas (4)Atlético ZuliaUnión Atlético TáchiraVenezuela Rafael Castellín (Caracas, 19 goals)
78
1997–98Atlético ZuliaEstudiantes de MéridaDeportivo ChacaoVenezuela Jose Luis Dolgetta (Estudiantes de Mérida/Carabobo, 22 goals)
79
1998–99Deportivo ItalchacaoUnión Atlético TáchiraEstudiantes de MéridaColombia Gustavo Fonseca (Internacional Lara, 24 goals)
80
1999–00Deportivo Táchira (5)Deportivo ItalchacaoEstudiantes de MéridaVenezuela Juan Enrique García (Caracas, 24 goals)
81
2000–01Caracas (5)TrujillanosDeportivo ItalchacaoArgentina Martín Brignani (Estudiantes de Mérida, 12 goals)
82
2001–02Nacional TáchiraEstudiantes de MéridaMonagasVenezuela Juan Enrique García (Nacional Táchira, 34 goals)
83
2002–03Caracas (6)Unión Atlético MaracaiboDeportivo ItalchacaoVenezuela Juan Enrique García (Monagas/Mineros, 19 goals)
84
2003–04Caracas (7)Deportivo TáchiraMineros de GuayanaVenezuela Juan Enrique García (Mineros, 18 goals)
85
2004–05Unión Atlético MaracaiboCaracasDeportivo TáchiraArgentina Daniel Delfino (Carabobo, 19 goals)
86
2005–06Caracas (8)Unión Atlético MaracaiboDeportivo TáchiraVenezuela Juan Enrique García (Deportivo Táchira, 21 goals)
87
2006–07Caracas (9)Unión Atlético MaracaiboMineros de GuayanaColombia Robinson Rentería (Trujillanos, 19 goals)
88
2007–08Deportivo Táchira (6)CaracasDeportivo AnzoáteguiVenezuela Alexander Rondon (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 19 goals)
89
2008–09Caracas (10)Deportivo ItaliaDeportivo TáchiraVenezuela Daniel Arismendi (Maracaibo/Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals)
Venezuela Heatklif Castillo (Aragua, 17 goals)
90
2009–10Caracas (11)Deportivo TáchiraDeportivo ItaliaColombia Norman Cabrera (Atlético El Vigía, 20 goals)
91
2010–11Deportivo Táchira (7)ZamoraCaracasVenezuela Daniel Arismendi (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 20 goals)
92
2011–12Deportivo LaraCaracasDeportivo AnzoáteguiVenezuela Rafael Castellín (Deportivo Lara, 21 goals)
93
2012–13ZamoraDeportivo AnzoáteguiCaracasPanama Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 19 goals)
94
2013–14ZamoraMineros de GuayanaDeportivo TáchiraVenezuela Juan Falcón (Zamora, 19 goals)
95
2014–15Deportivo Táchira (8)TrujillanosCaracasPanama Edwin Aguilar (Deportivo Anzoategui, 23 goals)
96
2015ZamoraDeportivo La GuairaMineros de GuayanaVenezuela Manuel Arteaga (Zulia, 17 goals)
97
2016ZamoraZuliaCaraboboPanama Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 22 goals)
98
2017MonagasDeportivo LaraCaraboboVenezuela Anthony Blondell (Monagas, 24 goals)
99
2018ZamoraDeportivo LaraCaracasVenezuela Anthony Uribe (Zamora, 16 goals)
100
2019Caracas (12)Estudiantes de MéridaDeportivo TáchiraVenezuela Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 18 goals)
101
2020Deportivo La GuairaDeportivo TáchiraDeportivo LaraVenezuela Richard Blanco (Mineros, 8 goals)
Venezuela Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 8 goals)
102
2021Deportivo Táchira (9)CaracasMonagasBenin Samson Akinyoola (Caracas, 18 goals)
103
2022Metropolitanos (1)MonagasCaraboboColombia Kevin Viveros (Carabobo, 21 goals)
104
2023

Titles by club

Clubs in bold compete in Primera División as of the current season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.

Rank Club Winners Runners-Up Winning years Runners-Up years
1 Caracas1241991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 20192004–05, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2021
2 Deportivo Táchira991979, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1999–00, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 20211982, 1985, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2020
3 Unión731932, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1947, 19501929, 1930, 1948
4 Dos Caminos671936, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1945, 19491932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1944
5 Deportivo Petare571961, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1998–991965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1984, 1999–00, 2008–09
Portuguesa531973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 19781974, 1980, 1983
7 Centro Atlético471922, 1924, 1926, 19301921, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1936, 1946
Deportivo Galicia451964, 1969, 1970, 19741967, 1972, 1978, 1979
Deportivo Portugués431958, 1960, 1962, 19671959, 1963, 1966
Marítimo411986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1992–931990–91
Zamora4[note 1]12012–13, 2013–14, 2016, 20182010–11
Deportivo Venezuela4—1928, 1929, 1931, 1933—
13 Loyola351925, 1943, 19441942, 1945, 1951, 1952, 1954
Universidad Central331951, 1953, 19571947, 1949, 1962
15 Estudiantes de Mérida281980, 19851975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2019
Deportivo Español231946, 19591955, 1958, 1960
La Salle221952, 19551950, 1953
América211921, 19231922
Universidad de Los Andes2—1983, 1990–91—
20 Litoral1419411937, 1938, 1939, 1943
Unión Atlético Maracaibo132004–052002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07
Minervén131995–961991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95
Deportivo Lara122011–122017, 2018
Mineros de Guayana121988–891995–96, 2013–14
Carabobo1219711969, 1973
Venzóleo1219271925, 1926
Atlético Zulia111997–981996–97
Monagas1120172022
Banco Obrero1—1956—
Deportivo La Guaira1—2020—
Deportivo Vasco1—1954—
Lara1—1965—
Metropolitanos1—2022—
Nacional Táchira1—2001–02—
San Cristóbal1—1982—
Unión Deportiva Canarias1—1968—
  1. Zamora won the Torneo de Adecuación in 2015, but this title is not counted as it was not a full season.

See also

References
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