Venezuelan Primera División

This article is about the association football league. For the baseball league, see Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. For the basketball league, see Liga Profesional de Baloncesto.
Liga FUTVE
Founded1921; 103 years ago (1921)
CountryVenezuela
ConfederationCONMEBOL
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toSegunda División
Domestic cup(s)Copa Venezuela
International cup(s)Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Current championsDeportivo Táchira (10th title)
(2023 season)
Most championshipsCaracas (12 titles)
Top goalscorerJuan García
(271 goals)
TV partnersTVes, GolTV, Star+
WebsiteLiga FUTVE (in Spanish)
Venezuelan Football Federation (in Spanish)
Current: 2024 season

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.

Format

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

At the semi-final stage, the eight teams are divided into two groups of four teams each, facing the other teams in their group twice. The two group winners 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.

2024 teams

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Locations of the 2024 Primera División teams
Team City Stadium Capacity
Academia Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello La Bombonerita 7,500
Angostura Ciudad Bolívar Ricardo Tulio Maya 2,500
Carabobo Valencia Misael Delgado 10,400
Caracas Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940
Deportivo La Guaira Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940
Deportivo Táchira San Cristóbal Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo 38,755
Estudiantes de Mérida Mérida Metropolitano de Mérida 42,200
Inter de Barinas Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800
Metropolitanos Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940
Monagas Maturín Monumental de Maturín 51,796
Portuguesa Acarigua General José Antonio Páez 18,000
Rayo Zuliano Maracaibo José "Pachencho" Romero 40,800
Universidad Central Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940
Zamora Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800

List of champions

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

Amateur era (1921–1956)

Ed. Season Champion Runner-up
1
 1921 América (1) Centro Atlético
2
 1922 Centro Atlético (1) América
3
 1923 América (2) Centro Atlético
4
 1924 Centro Atlético (2) Vargas
5
 1925 Loyola (1) Venzóleo
6
 1926 Centro Atlético (3) Venzóleo
7
 1927 Venzóleo (1) Centro Atlético
8
 1928 Deportivo Venezuela (1) Centro Atlético
9
 1929 Deportivo Venezuela (2) Unión
10
 1930 Centro Atlético (4) Unión
11
 1931 Deportivo Venezuela (3) Centro Atlético
12
 1932 Unión (1) Dos Caminos
13
 1933 Deportivo Venezuela (4) Dos Caminos
14
 1934 Unión (2) Dos Caminos
15
 1935 Unión (3) Dos Caminos
16
 1936 Dos Caminos (1) Centro Atlético
17
 1937 Dos Caminos (2) Litoral
18
 1938 Dos Caminos (3) Litoral
19
 1939 Unión (4) Litoral
20
 1940 Unión (5) Dos Caminos
21
 1941 Litoral (1) Dos Caminos
22
 1942 Dos Caminos (4) Loyola
23
 1943 Loyola (2) Litoral
24
 1944 Loyola (3) Dos Caminos
25
 1945 Dos Caminos (5) Loyola
26
 1946 Deportivo Español (1) Centro Atlético
27
 1947 Unión (6) Universidad Central
28
 1948 Loyola (4) Unión
29
 1949 Dos Caminos (6) Universidad Central
30
 1950 Unión (7) La Salle
31
 1951 Universidad Central (1) Loyola
32
 1952 La Salle (1) Loyola
33
 1953 Universidad Central (2) La Salle
34
 1954 Deportivo Vasco (1) Loyola
35
 1955 La Salle (2) Deportivo Español
36
 1956 Banco Obrero (1) La Salle

Professional era (1957–present)

Ed. Season Champion Runner-up Top scorer
37
 1957 Universidad Central (3) La Salle Brazil Tonho (Universidad Central, 12 goals)
38
 1958 Deportivo Portugués (1) Deportivo Español Venezuela René Irazque (Portugués, 6 goals)
39
 1959 Deportivo Español (2) Deportivo Portugués Spain Abel Benítez (Deportivo Español, 15 goals)
40
 1960 Deportivo Portugués (2) Deportivo Español Spain José Luis Iglesias (Deportivo Portugués, 9 goals)
41
 1961 Deportivo Italia (1) Banco Agrícola y Pecuario Venezuela Antonio Ravelo (Banco Agrícola y Pecuario, 11 goals)
42
 1962 Deportivo Portugués (3) Universidad Central Brazil Jaime da Silva (Universidad Central, 16)
43
 1963 Deportivo Italia (2) Deportivo Portugués Brazil Nino (Deportivo Portugués, 15 goals)
44
 1964 Deportivo Galicia (1) Tiquire Flores Brazil Helio Rodrigues (Tiquire Flores, 12 goals)
45
 1965 Lara (1) Deportivo Italia Argentina Mario Mateo (Lara, 16 goals)
46
 1966 Deportivo Italia (3) Deportivo Portugués Brazil Ratto (Deportivo Portugués, 20 goals)
47
 1967 Deportivo Portugués (4) Deportivo Galicia Brazil Joao Ramos (Deportivo Portugués, 28 goals)
48
 1968 Unión Deportiva Canarias (1) Deportivo Italia Brazil Raimundinho (Deportivo Portugués, 21 goals)
49
 1969 Deportivo Galicia (2) Valencia Brazil Eustaquio Batista (Deportivo Italia, 19 goals)
Brazil Lelo (Valencia, 19 goals)
50
 1970 Deportivo Galicia (3) Deportivo Italia Uruguay Roland Langon (Deportivo Galicia, 13 goals)
51
 1971 Valencia (1) Deportivo Italia Brazil Agostinho Sabara (Tiquire Aragua, 20 goals)
52
 1972 Deportivo Italia (4) Deportivo Galicia Venezuela Francisco Rodriguez (Anzoátegui FC, 18 goals)
53
 1973 Portuguesa (1) Valencia Uruguay Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 14 goals)
54
 1974 Deportivo Galicia (4) Portuguesa Uruguay Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 15 goals)
Uruguay Sergio Hugo Castillo (Anzoátegui FC, 15 goals)
55
 1975 Portuguesa (2) Estudiantes de Mérida Paraguay Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
56
 1976 Portuguesa (3) Estudiantes de Mérida Paraguay Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 25 goals)
57
 1977 Portuguesa (4) Estudiantes de Mérida Brazil Jairzinho (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
Brazil Juan Cesar Silva (Portuguesa, 20 goals)
58
 1978 Portuguesa (5) Deportivo Galicia Brazil Andrade (ULA Mérida, 23 goals)
59
 1979 Deportivo Táchira (1) Deportivo Galicia Uruguay Omar Ferrari (Deportivo Táchira, 15 goals)
60
 1980 Estudiantes de Mérida (1) Portuguesa Brazil Wilfrido Campos (Portuguesa, 12 goals)
61
 1981 Deportivo Táchira (2) Estudiantes de Mérida Colombia Rafael Angulo (Deportivo Táchira, 14 goals)
62
 1982 San Cristóbal (1) Deportivo Táchira Uruguay German Montero (Estudiantes, 21 goals)
63
 1983 Universidad de Los Andes (1) Portuguesa Venezuela Johnny Castellanos (Atlético Zamora, 13 goals)
64
 1984 Deportivo Táchira (3) Deportivo Italia Brazil Sergio Meckler (Zamora, 15 goals)
65
 1985 Estudiantes de Mérida (2) Deportivo Táchira Brazil Sergio Meckler (Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals)
66
 1986 Unión Atlético Táchira (4) Estudiantes de Mérida Venezuela Wilton Arreaza (Caracas, 8 goals)
67
 1986–87 Marítimo (1) Unión Atlético Táchira Venezuela Johnny Castellanos (Portuguesa, 16 goals)
68
 1987–88 Marítimo (2) Unión Atlético Táchira Argentina Miguel González (Unión Atlético Táchira, 22 goals)
69
 1988–89 Mineros de Guayana (1) Pepeganga Margarita Venezuela Johnny Castellanos (Mineros, 24 goals)
70
 1989–90 Marítimo (3) Unión Atlético Táchira Venezuela Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 19 goals)
71
 1990–91 Universidad de Los Andes (2) Marítimo Venezuela Alexander Bottini (Monagas, 15 goals)
72
 1991–92 Caracas (1) Minervén Germany Andreas Vogler (Caracas, 25 goals)
73
 1992–93 Marítimo (4) Minervén Venezuela Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 21 goals)
74
 1993–94 Caracas (2) Trujillanos Colombia Rodrigo Soto (Trujillanos, 20 goals)
75
 1994–95 Caracas (3) Minervén Brazil Rogeiro da Silva (Mineros, 30 goals)
76
 1995–96 Minervén (1) Mineros de Guayana Venezuela Jose Luis Dolgetta (Caracas, 24 goals)
77
 1996–97 Caracas (4) Atlético Zulia Venezuela Rafael Castellín (Caracas, 19 goals)
78
 1997–98 Atlético Zulia (1) Estudiantes de Mérida Venezuela Jose Luis Dolgetta (Estudiantes de Mérida/Carabobo, 22 goals)
79
 1998–99 Deportivo Italchacao (5) Unión Atlético Táchira Colombia Gustavo Fonseca (Internacional Lara, 24 goals)
80
 1999–00 Deportivo Táchira (5) Deportivo Italchacao Venezuela Juan Enrique García (Caracas, 24 goals)
81
 2000–01 Caracas (5) Trujillanos Argentina Martín Brignani (Estudiantes de Mérida, 12 goals)
82
 2001–02 Nacional Táchira Estudiantes de Mérida Venezuela Juan Enrique García (Nacional Táchira, 34 goals)
83
 2002–03 Caracas (6) Unión Atlético Maracaibo Venezuela Juan Enrique García (Monagas/Mineros, 19 goals)
84
 2003–04 Caracas (7) Deportivo Táchira Venezuela Juan Enrique García (Mineros, 18 goals)
85
 2004–05 Unión Atlético Maracaibo (1) Caracas Argentina Daniel Delfino (Carabobo, 19 goals)
86
 2005–06 Caracas (8) Unión Atlético Maracaibo Venezuela Juan Enrique García (Deportivo Táchira, 21 goals)
87
 2006–07 Caracas (9) Unión Atlético Maracaibo Colombia Robinson Rentería (Trujillanos, 19 goals)
88
 2007–08 Deportivo Táchira (6) Caracas Venezuela Alexander Rondon (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 19 goals)
89
 2008–09 Caracas (10) Deportivo Italia Venezuela Daniel Arismendi (Maracaibo/Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals)
Venezuela Heatklif Castillo (Aragua, 17 goals)
90
 2009–10 Caracas (11) Deportivo Táchira Colombia Norman Cabrera (Atlético El Vigía, 20 goals)
91
 2010–11 Deportivo Táchira (7) Zamora Venezuela Daniel Arismendi (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 20 goals)
92
 2011–12 Deportivo Lara (1) Caracas Venezuela Rafael Castellín (Deportivo Lara, 21 goals)
93
 2012–13 Zamora (1) Deportivo Anzoátegui Panama Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 19 goals)
94
 2013–14 Zamora (2) Mineros de Guayana Venezuela Juan Falcón (Zamora, 19 goals)
95
 2014–15 Deportivo Táchira (8) Trujillanos Panama Edwin Aguilar (Deportivo Anzoategui, 23 goals)
96
 2015 Zamora[note 1] Deportivo La Guaira Venezuela Manuel Arteaga (Zulia, 17 goals)
97
 2016 Zamora (3) Zulia Panama Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 22 goals)
98
 2017 Monagas (1) Deportivo Lara Venezuela Anthony Blondell (Monagas, 24 goals)
99
 2018 Zamora (4) Deportivo Lara Venezuela Anthony Uribe (Zamora, 16 goals)
100
 2019 Caracas (12) Estudiantes de Mérida Venezuela Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 18 goals)
101
 2020 Deportivo La Guaira (1) Deportivo Táchira Venezuela Richard Blanco (Mineros, 8 goals)
Venezuela Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 8 goals)
102
 2021 Deportivo Táchira (9) Caracas Benin Samson Akinyoola (Caracas, 18 goals)
103
 2022 Metropolitanos (1) Monagas Colombia Kevin Viveros (Carabobo, 21 goals)
104
 2023 Deportivo Táchira (10) Caracas Venezuela Luifer Hernández (Academia Puerto Cabello, 18 goals)
105
 2024

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 Caracas 12 5 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2019 2004–05, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2021, 2023
2 Deportivo Táchira 10 9 1979, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1999–00, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2021, 2023 1982, 1985, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2020
3 Unión 7 3 1932, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1950 1929, 1930, 1948
4 Dos Caminos 6 7 1936, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1945, 1949 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1944
5 Deportivo Petare 5 7 1961, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1998–99 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1984, 1999–00, 2008–09
Portuguesa 5 3 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 1974, 1980, 1983
7 Centro Atlético 4 7 1922, 1924, 1926, 1930 1921, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1936, 1946
Deportivo Galicia 4 5 1964, 1969, 1970, 1974 1967, 1972, 1978, 1979
Deportivo Portugués 4 3 1958, 1960, 1962, 1967 1959, 1963, 1966
Marítimo 4 1 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1992–93 1990–91
Zamora 4[note 1] 1 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016, 2018 2010–11
Deportivo Venezuela 4 — 1928, 1929, 1931, 1933 —
13 Loyola 3 5 1925, 1943, 1944 1942, 1945, 1951, 1952, 1954
Universidad Central 3 3 1951, 1953, 1957 1947, 1949, 1962
15 Estudiantes de Mérida 2 8 1980, 1985 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1986, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2019
Deportivo Español 2 3 1946, 1959 1955, 1958, 1960
La Salle 2 3 1952, 1955 1950, 1953, 1956
América 2 1 1921, 1923 1922
Universidad de Los Andes 2 — 1983, 1990–91 —
20 Litoral 1 4 1941 1937, 1938, 1939, 1943
Unión Atlético Maracaibo 1 3 2004–05 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07
Minervén 1 3 1995–96 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95
Deportivo Lara 1 2 2011–12 2017, 2018
Mineros de Guayana 1 2 1988–89 1995–96, 2013–14
Carabobo 1 2 1971 1969, 1973
Venzóleo 1 2 1927 1925, 1926
Atlético Zulia 1 1 1997–98 1996–97
Monagas 1 1 2017 2022
Banco Obrero 1 — 1956 —
Deportivo La Guaira 1 — 2020 —
Deportivo Vasco 1 — 1954 —
Lara 1 — 1965 —
Metropolitanos 1 — 2022 —
Nacional Táchira 1 — 2001–02 —
San Cristóbal 1 — 1982 —
Unión Deportiva Canarias 1 — 1968 —
— Trujillanos — 3 — 1993–94, 2000–01, 2014–15
Deportivo Anzoátegui 1 2012–13
Banco Agrícola y Pecuario 1 1961
Tiquire Flores 1 1964
Pepeganga Margarita 1 1988–89
Zulia 1 2016
  1. ^ a b Zamora won the Torneo de Adecuación in 2015, but this title is not counted as it was not a full season.

See also

References