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.
Founded | 1921 |
---|---|
Country | Venezuela |
Confederation | CONMEBOL |
Number of teams | 14 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Segunda División |
Domestic cup(s) | Copa Venezuela |
International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
Current champions | Deportivo Táchira (10th title) (2023 season) |
Most championships | Caracas (12 titles) |
Top goalscorer | Juan García (271 goals) |
TV partners | TVes, GolTV, Star+ |
Website | Liga FUTVE (in Spanish) Venezuelan Football Federation (in Spanish) |
Current: 2024 season |
Format
editStarting 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
edit- 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
edit- The two lowest placed teams in the entire season are automatically relegated to the Segunda División.
2024 teams
editInter de Barinas
Zamora
Caracas teams:
Caracas
Deportivo La Guaira
Metropolitanos
Universidad Central
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
editList of champions since the first championship held in 1920. The Primera División turned professional on 21 February 1957.[citation needed]
Amateur era (1921–1956)
editProfessional era (1957–present)
editTitles by club
editClubs in bold compete in Primera División as of the current season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.
- ^ Zamora won the Torneo de Adecuación in 2015, but this title is not counted as it was not a full season.
See also
editReferences
editExternal links
edit- Official website
(in Spanish)
- News in Spanish about the First Division of the Venezuelan Football/Soccer
- News and pictures (in Spanish)
- League statistics at RSSSF
- FuriaVinotinto – Unofficial Forum Archived 2008-02-14 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)