| Founded | 31 May 1933 |
|---|---|
| Country | Chile |
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Number of clubs | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Primera B |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa Chile |
| International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
| Current champions | Colo-Colo (34th title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Colo-Colo (34 titles) |
| Most appearances | Adolfo Nef (624) |
| Top goalscorer | Esteban Paredes (221) |
| TV partners |
|
| Website | anfp.cl |
| Current: 2025 season | |
The Chilean Primera División (English: First Division of Chile) is Chile's premier professional football league, being the highest division of Chilean football league system. It is organized by the ANFP. Founded in 1933, the league is officially known as the Campeonato Itaú due to sponsorship by Brazilian bank Itaú.
Throughout its history, the Chilean Primera División has had different formats, structures and number of participants. The 2024 season was contested through a single tournament throughout its calendar year. A total of 16 teams participate in the competition and it works with a system of promotions and relegations with the immediately lower category, the Primera B (category with which it shares the Copa Chile).
A total of 53 clubs have played at least one season in the Primera División, and 16 have won the title at least once. Its first champion was Deportes Magallanes. Colo-Colo has been the only one to participate in all the seasons played, as well as the one with the most titles won with 34, followed by Universidad de Chile with 18, Universidad Católica with 16 and Cobreloa with 8, the latter being the team from outside the capital with the most titles.
History
Amateurism
The Asociación de Fútbol de Santiago (also known as AFS) was the first organization in Chile to organize football tournament. It was formed in 1903 and organized non-professional football in Santiago. Later on, it was the organization responsible for holding the national professional football league in Chile.
Professionalism
In 1933, eight big clubs at that time, namely, Unión Española, Badminton, Colo-Colo, Audax Italiano, Green Cross, Morning Star, Magallanes and Santiago National F.C., founded the Liga Profesional de Football de Santiago (LPF) on May 31, 1933. The newly formed body was recognized by the Football Federation of Chile on June 2, 1933. [citation needed]
The first edition of professional competition was contested by the eight founding teams and was won by Magallanes after defeating Colo-Colo in a decisive match. In the following year, according to the disposition of Federación de Fútbol de Chile, Liga Profesional returned to integrate with the AFS. As part of the negotiations for reunification, four teams from AFS, namely, Ferroviarios, Carlos Walker, Deportivo Alemán, and Santiago F.C., would join the 1934 professional competition. Moreover, it was also decided that the last six teams in the 1934 competition would be eliminated to form the new second division in 1935. The title of the expanded 1934 edition was again clinched by Magallanes, which won 10 out of the 11 matches that year.
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Colo-Colo squad in 1937
In 1937, the Santiago Professional Football Association was born - which in 1938 would be renamed the Central Football Association (ACF) - being the first association completely unrelated to the amateur sector. The 1937 championship saw for the first time a team compete outside the capital, Santiago Wanderers, which had to play all its matches in Santiago and as a guest, which meant that no points were credited to it in the standings. The tournament was finally won by Colo-Colo, who under its number one star went undefeated.
In the 1940 championship, the traditional two-wheel system was restored and Universidad de Chile had a great squad under the leadership of Luis Tirado and with players such as Víctor Alonso, the tournament's top scorer with 20 goals, Abanés Passalacqua and goalkeeper Eduardo Simián, and was crowned professional champion for the first time after only three years in the top division.
In 1947, Colo Colo got their fifth star under the guidance of their coach Enrique Sorrel and who was awarded the title of host of the South American Championship of Champions (a tournament in which the champion clubs of the official leagues of the South American continent participated). In the 1948 tournament, historic Italian players such as goalkeeper Daniel Chirinos, defender Carlos Varela and strikers Juan Zárate and Domingo Romo once again led Audax Italiano to its third professional title.
In the 1950 championship, Everton de Viña del Mar was crowned champion for the first time in its history and in the process broke the capital's hegemony, becoming the first provincial champion, after defeating Unión Española in the final match with a solitary goal from its leading striker, René Meléndez. In addition, one of the founding clubs of the First Division, Badminton, merged with Ferroviarios to form Ferrobádminton.
In 1960, Colo-Colo won its eighth title, beating Santiago Wanderers by 6 points and its archrival, Universidad de Chile, by 9 points. That tournament also marked the beginning of the crisis for Magallanes, when it was relegated for the first time in its history. However, the Carabelero team suffered relegation, due to the average of the last three years.
In the 1961 tournament, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica tied in points and forced two final matches in which, after a draw in the first leg, the Cruzados team won the return leg by 3-2, with a penalty kick by Alberto Fouillioux at 85 minutes, a score that led it to obtain its third national title. That year, Audax Italiano made a big splash in the transfer market, by bringing in Brazilian national team player and World Cup player Zizinho, who scored only 3 goals in 16 games, and also his compatriot Ceninho, who scored only 8 goals (5 more than Zizinho).
In 1962, Universidad de Chile —the team that provided the most players to the Chilean national team in the World Cup held in Chile— took revenge and won the final match of that year's championship against Universidad Católica, semifinalist of the 1962 Copa Libertadores, equaling both with three titles up to that point. Thus, Chilean football was marked in that decade by parties and the Clásico Universitario.
The arrival of the 1970s saw Colo-Colo, in the national championship, obtain its tenth star after seven years, by beating Unión Española in a close final, counting on great figures such as Francisco Valdés, Carlos Caszely, Leonel Sánchez (who arrived as a reinforcement for Colo-Colo that year), Humberto Cruz, Juan Carlos Gangas, Víctor Zelada, the Uruguayan José María Piriz and the Brazilian Elson Beyruth.
In 1971, the tournament returned to the round-robin system, with the Unión San Felipe team, coached by Luis Santibáñez, winning the championship. After beating Universidad de Chile in the final stretch, it lifted its first and, to date, only title, holding to this day the record of being the only team to win consecutive Second Division and First Division tournaments, respectively.
The 1972 national tournament, with a total attendance of over 3,000,000, is the tournament with the largest attendance in the history of Chilean football. In this tournament, Colo-Colo won its eleventh title, after relegating Unión Española to second place, by three points in the general table, using almost the same squad that was champion in 1970, but with the technical figure of Luis Álamos, who became the technical director with the most First Division titles, to date. That year was also marked by Everton's relegation, finishing last in that tournament and the return of Palestino, who won the Second Division title, returning directly to the top flight, after 2 years of absence.
Present
On February 10, 2021, during the 2020 Official Tournament, postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Universidad Católica won the first three-time championship in its history, obtaining the fifteenth title, and the fifth of the last seven official tournaments in Chile. They achieved this after obtaining 17 wins, 11 draws and 5 losses. At the bottom of the table, Colo-Colo had to play a match to stay in the top flight for the first time in its history, which it managed to overcome after beating Universidad de Concepción 1-0, with a goal from Argentine Pablo Solari, in a duel that was played on February 17, 2021, at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca.
The 2024 tournament is considered by fans and analysts as the best of the long tournaments, after a fierce fight between Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile (the first between the two since 1998) obtaining almost 20 points over the third place, which was the surprising Deportes Iquique of Miguel Ramírez (who was returning to the top flight and who snatched Chile 3 for the 2025 Copa Libertadores from Universidad Católica, which occurred on Saturday of the Telethon). The Cruzados team led by Brazilian Tiago Nunes and who lost at home 2-1 to Coquimbo Unido, had to settle for securing their ticket to the 2025 Copa Sudamericana. The only thing worth mentioning about the Cruzados team is that Argentine striker Fernando Zampedri not only became the top five scorer in the national tournament; but also the top historical scorer for the team from the stripe. The title finally fell to the side of the white team, led by the Argentine Jorge Almirón, after tying 1-1 on the last date as a visitor against the relegated Deportes Copiapó and given that the blue team led by his compatriot Gustavo Álvarez, could not win their home game against Everton, tying by the same score, which would have forced a final match. It was also marked by the relegation of Cobreloa, who had to return to the Primera B, after being only one year in the top category, being their second relegation in history, after having been relegated in mid-2015.
Division levels
| Year | Level | Relegation to |
|---|---|---|
| 1933–1934 | 1 |
(None) |
| 1935–1942 | 1 |
Serie B Profesional |
| 1943–1951 | 1 |
División de Honor Amateur |
| 1952–1995 | 1 |
Segunda División |
| 1996–present | 1 |
Primera B |
Format
Since 2018, 16 teams compete in the league, playing against each other twice, once at home and once away. The team that places first at the end of the season becomes champions, while the bottom two teams will be relegated.
Relegation and promotion
Currently, the two teams that place bottom in the season, are relegated to Primera B de Chile, and replaced by the champions and the playoff winners of this division.
Qualification for international competitions
Chile is given 8 total berths to CONMEBOL competitions, 4 for Copa Libertadores and 4 for Copa Sudamericana. The league champions qualify for the following year's Copa Libertadores, as well as the runners-up and the third-placed team. The fourth berth is given to the champions of the Copa Chile. The teams placing fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh qualify for the following year's Copa Sudamericana.
Sponsorships
| Year | Sponsor |
|---|---|
| 1933–1992 | (None) |
| 1993–2009 | Banco Estado |
| 2010–2013 | Petrobras |
| 2014–2018 | Scotiabank |
| 2019–2022 | AFP PlanVital |
| 2023 | Betsson |
| 2024–present | Itaú |
Rivalries
- Colo-Colo – Universidad de Chile (National derby)
- Universidad de Chile – Universidad Católica (Universitario derby)
- Colo-Colo – Universidad Católica (Albo-Cruzado derby)
- Colo-Colo – Cobreloa (Loíno-Albo derby)
- Santiago Wanderers – Everton (Porteño derby)
- Unión Española – Audax Italiano – Palestino (Colonias derby)
- Deportes Iquique – San Marcos de Arica (Northern derby)
- Cobreloa – Cobresal (Cobre derby)
- Rangers – Curicó Unido (Maule derby)
Current teams
A total of 54 teams (considering mergers and name changes) have participated throughout the 94 seasons of the Primera División, of which 16 have won the championship at some point. Only Colo-Colo has played all 94 seasons of Chilean football in the Primera División. Close behind is Unión Española, which did not play in 1939 due to the Spanish Civil War, and played in Primera B between 1998 and 1999.
16 teams will take part in the league for the 2025 season: the top 14 teams from the 2024 tournament, plus the 2024 Primera B champions Deportes La Serena and the winners of the promotion play-offs. La Serena secured promotion to the top tier after two years on 29 September 2024, winning the Primera B tournament with a 1–0 win over Deportes Recoleta. The promoted teams will replace Cobreloa and Deportes Copiapó, who were relegated to Primera B at the end of the 2024 season.
Stadia and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audax Italiano | Santiago (La Florida) | Bicentenario de La Florida | 12,000 |
| Cobresal | El Salvador | El Cobre | 12,000 |
| Colo-Colo | Santiago (Macul) | Monumental David Arellano | 47,347 |
| Coquimbo Unido | Coquimbo | Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso | 18,750 |
| Deportes Iquique | Iquique | Tierra de Campeones | 13,171 |
| Deportes La Serena | La Serena | La Portada | 18,243 |
| Everton | Viña del Mar | Sausalito | 22,360 |
| Huachipato | Talcahuano | Huachipato-CAP Acero | 10,500 |
| Ñublense | Chillán | Nelson Oyarzún Arenas | 12,000 |
| O'Higgins | Rancagua | El Teniente | 13,849 |
| Palestino | Santiago (La Cisterna) | Municipal de La Cisterna | 8,000 |
| Unión Española | Santiago (Independencia) | Santa Laura-Universidad SEK | 19,000 |
| Unión La Calera | La Calera | Nicolás Chahuán Nazar | 9,200 |
| Universidad Católica | Santiago (Las Condes) | San Carlos de Apoquindo | 20,000 |
| Universidad de Chile | Santiago (Ñuñoa) | Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos | 48,665 |
- Notes
- ^ Universidad Católica play their home matches at Estadio Santa Laura-Universidad SEK in Santiago since Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo is closed for remodeling works.
Season in Primera División
Most seasons
Below is the list of clubs that have appeared in Primera División since its inception in 1933 until the 2025 season. The teams in bold compete in Primera División currently. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level.
- 94 seasons: Colo-Colo (2025)
- 91 seasons: Unión Española (2025)
- 88 seasons: Universidad de Chile (2025)
- 85 seasons: Universidad Católica (2025)
- 80 seasons: Audax Italiano (2025)
- 71 seasons: Palestino (2025)
- 69 seasons: Everton (2025)
- 62 seasons: O'Higgins (2025), Santiago Wanderers (2021)
- 52 seasons: Huachipato (2025)
- 50 seasons: Magallanes (2023)
- 46 seasons: Santiago Morning (2011), Rangers (2014)
- 44 seasons: Deportes La Serena (2025)
- 39 seasons: Cobreloa (2024)
- 34 seasons: Cobresal (2024), Deportes Concepción (2008)
- 33 seasons: Deportes Antofagasta (2022)
- 32 seasons: Deportes Temuco (2018)
- 30 seasons: Coquimbo Unido (2025)
- 28 seasons: Unión La Calera (2025)
- 27 seasons: Deportes Iquique (2025)
- 25 seasons: Green Cross (1964)
- 24 seasons: Unión San Felipe (2012)
- 21 seasons: San Luis (2018)
- 18 seasons: Universidad de Concepción (2020)
- 17 seasons: Ñublense (2025), Bádminton (1949), Ferrobádminton (1966)
- 16 seasons: Naval (1990)
- 13 seasons: Lota Schwager (2013)
- 10 seasons: Deportes Puerto Montt (2007), Santiago National (1948)
- 9 seasons: Iberia (1954), Fernández Vial (1992), Provincial Osorno (2008)
- 8 seasons: Curicó Unido (2023)
- 7 seasons: Deportes Aviación (1980), San Marcos de Arica (2016)
- 6 seasons: Regional Atacama (1996)
- 5 seasons: Deportes Melipilla (2021)
- 2 seasons: Deportes Valdivia (1989), Deportes Copiapó (2024), Deportes Ovalle (1977), Morning Star (1934), Santiago (1935), Santiago National Juventus (1941), Trasandino (1984)
- 1 season: Carlos Walker (1934), Ferroviarios (1934), Deportivo Alemán (1934), Metropolitano (1939), Barnechea (2015)
List of seasons
Source (not for goalscorers): rsssf.com
Titles by club
- Teams in bold compete in the Primera División as of the 2025 season.
- Italics indicates clubs that no longer exist or disaffiliated from the ANFP.
Source:
| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colo-Colo | 34 | 22 | 1937, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1953, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 Clausura, 1998, 2002 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2007 Apertura, 2007 Clausura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Clausura, 2014 Clausura, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Transición, 2022, 2024 | 1933, 1943, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1973, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 Apertura, 2003 Apertura, 2003 Clausura, 2008 Apertura, 2010, 2015 Clausura, 2016 Clausura, 2017 Clausura, 2019, 2021 |
| 2 | Universidad de Chile | 18 | 9 | 1940, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004 Apertura, 2009 Apertura, 2011 Apertura, 2011 Clausura, 2012 Apertura, 2014 Apertura, 2017 Clausura | 1957, 1961, 1963, 1971, 1980, 1998, 2005 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2024 |
| 3 | Universidad Católica | 16 | 21 | 1949, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1984, 1987, 1997 Apertura, 2002 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2010, 2016 Clausura, 2016 Apertura, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 | 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 Clausura, 1999, 2001, 2002 Clausura, 2007 Apertura, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Transición, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Clausura, 2015 Apertura |
| 4 | Cobreloa | 8 | 8 | 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2003 Apertura, 2003 Clausura, 2004 Clausura | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1993, 2000, 2004 Apertura, 2011 Clausura |
| 5 | Unión Española | 7 | 10 | 1943, 1951, 1973, 1975, 1977, 2005 Apertura, 2013 Transición | 1945, 1948, 1950, 1970, 1972, 1976, 2004 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2012 Clausura, 2017 Transición |
| 6 | Audax Italiano | 4 | 8 | 1936, 1946, 1948, 1957 | 1934, 1935, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1947, 1951, 2006 Clausura |
| Magallanes | 4 | 4 | 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938 | 1936, 1937, 1942, 1946 | |
| Everton | 4 | 2 | 1950, 1952, 1976, 2008 Apertura | 1977, 1985 | |
| 9 | Santiago Wanderers | 3 | 4 | 1958, 1968, 2001 | 1949, 1956, 1960, 2014 Apertura |
| Huachipato | 3 | — | 1974, 2012 Clausura, 2023 | — | |
| 11 | Palestino | 2 | 4 | 1955, 1978 | 1953, 1974, 1986, 2008 Clausura |
| 12 | Cobresal | 1 | 3 | 2015 Clausura | 1984, 1988, 2023 |
| Santiago Morning | 1 | 2 | 1942 | 1939, 1941 | |
| O'Higgins | 1 | 1 | 2013 Apertura | 2012 Apertura | |
| Green Cross | 1 | — | 1945 | — | |
| Unión San Felipe | 1 | — | 1971 | — |
Titles won by club (%)
Titles by region
| Region | Nº of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitana | 87 | Colo-Colo (34), Universidad de Chile (18), Universidad Católica (16), Unión Española (7), Magallanes (4), Audax Italiano (4), Palestino (2), Santiago Morning (1), Green Cross (1) |
| Antofagasta | 8 | Cobreloa (8) |
| Valparaíso | 8 | Everton (4), Santiago Wanderers (3), Unión San Felipe (1) |
| Biobío | 3 | Huachipato (3) |
| Atacama | 1 | Cobresal (1) |
| O'Higgins | 1 | O'Higgins (1) |
All-time goalscorers
| Rank | Country | Player | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteban Paredes | 221 | 2000-2022 | |
| 2 | Francisco Valdés | 215 | 1961-1983 | |
| 3 | Pedro González | 214 | 1985-2006 | |
| 4 | Honorino Landa | 193 | 1959-1974 | |
| 5 | Óscar Fabbiani | 188 | 1974-1987 | |
| 6 | Marcelo Corrales | 188 | 1990-2007 | |
| 7 | Carlos Campos | 184 | 1956-1969 | |
| 8 | Jaime Riveros | 175 | 1990-2011 | |
| 9 | Atilio Cremaschi | 174 | 1941-1960 | |
| 10 | Carlos Caszely | 171 | 1967-1986 | |
| 11 | José Fernández | 171 | 1948-1961 | |
| 12 | Luis Hernán Álvarez | 168 | 1958-1969 | |
| 13 | Juan Soto | 166 | 1957-1969 | |
| 14 | Leonel Sánchez | 161 | 1953-1970 | |
| 15 | Anibal González | 156 | 1983-2001 | |
| 16 | Julio Crisosto | 154 | 1969-1983 |
See also
References
- ^ [Los grandes récords del fútbol chileno], as chile, 25 September 2015.
- ^ [Los grandes récords del fútbol chileno], as chile, 25 Sep 2015
- ^ "Betsson queda en el pasado: la ANFP cierra al nuevo sponsor del Campeonato Nacional para la temporada 2024" [Betsson is left in the past: ANFP reaches a deal with the new Campeonato Nacional sponsor for the 2024 season] (in Spanish). La Tercera. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Chilean League 1934
- ^ "Fiesta en La Portada: Deportes La Serena vence a Recoleta, grita campeón y logra su ascenso a Primera División" [Party at La Portada: Deportes La Serena beat Recoleta, shout champion, and clinch their promotion to Primera División] (in Spanish). ADN Radio. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "La U y la UC aseguran la localía en el estadio Santa Laura para la temporada 2023" [The U and UC secure Santa Laura stadium as their home venue for the 2023 season] (in Spanish). La Tercera. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ Andrés, Juan Pablo (December 11, 2009). "Chile – List of Topscorers". RSSSF.
- ^ Juan Pablo Andrés and Eric Boesenberg (11 December 2014). "Chile – List of Champions and Runners Up". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ Juan Pablo Andrés and Eric Boesenberg (23 December 2015). "Chile - List of Champions and Runners Up". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 March 2016.