Latvian Higher League or Virslīga, also known as TonyBet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Latvia and the highest level of the Latvian football league system. Organised by the Latvian Football Federation, the league is contested by ten clubs.
History and league format
History The first all-national, regular Latvian championship – the Virslīga – which succeeded the Riga Football League and other, parallel regional leagues, was organized in 1927. It succeeded the previous Latvian Championship () that was held from 1922 to 1926 in various formats, usually involving irregular games or knockout tournaments between the best team from Riga and regional champions.
The Virslīga lasted until the Soviet occupation and annexation of Latvia in 1940. A Latvian championship was organized in 1942 and 1943 during the German occupation of Latvia during World War II, with tournaments interrupted by fighting in 1941 and 1944. After World War II, between 1945 and 1991 the championship of the Latvian SSR was the main footballing competition in Soviet-occupied Latvia.
With Latvia restoring full independence in August 1991, the newly re-established Latvian Football Federation (LFF) decided to reorganise its competitions within the Virslīga from 1992. The same year Latvia returned to FIFA and became a member of UEFA.
Format Latvian Higher League is usually played from early March till November. Although the team count in the league has changed multiple times (10 in 2007 and 2020, 9 in 2019 and 2021, and 8 in 2015–2018), since 2022, a total of 10 teams participate in the Virslīga. Each side plays 36 games during the season, with 18 games being played at home and the other 18 away.
At the end of each season, the lowest placed team in the league gets automatically relegated to the Optibet Nākotnes Līga, with Nākotnes Līga winner replacing them, while the second lowest placed team gets to play in a 2 leg relegation playoff (Pārspēles) against the runner-up of the Nākotnes Līga, for the last spot in the league. The winner of Virslīga qualifies for the UEFA Champions League first qualification round, while runners-up and 3rd place teams qualify for the UEFA Conference League first qualification round.
A winter off-season league cup, the Virslīga Winter Cup, was played in January of each year from 2013 to 2017, which was replaced in 2018 by the Virslīga Cup (). However, since 2024, a revamped off-season tournament, Livonia Cup, is being played from January till February, with teams from Latvia's and Estonia's leagues taking part.
Sponsorships and name changes The League has changed sponsors for several times. From 2006 until 2010 it was known as the LMT Virslīga. No sponsorships were established for the 2011 season. Starting from the 2012 season, the league was reorganised in partnership with an NGO as "Latvijas Futbola virslīga", adopting the NGO's name in the 2012 season. From 2013 to 2015, the league was known as the SMScredit.lv Virslīga due to a contract with the online microfinance company SMScredit. In March 2016, it was announced that the Virslīga would be sponsored by SynotTip Sports Bar on a three-year contract. They were succeeded by betting firm Optibet on a two-year contract, beginning with the Optibet Virslīga 2019 season, which lasted until 2024. In 2024 Optibet was replaced by TonyBet.
Clubs (2026)
ClubPosition in 2025 Latvian Higher LeagueFirst Latvian Higher League seasonNumber of seasons in Latvian Higher LeagueFirst season of current spellNumber of seasons of current spellLatvian Higher League titlesNational titlesLast title BFC Daugavpils 4th 2014 11 2019 8 0 0 2018 FK Auda 5th 1986 11 2022 4 0 2 2025 Grobiņas SC 9th 2024 2 2024 2 0 0 2023 FS Jelgava 6th 2023 3 2023 3 0 0 2022 FK Liepāja 3rd 2014 12 2014 12 1 2 2020 Ogre United 1st 2026 1 2026 1 0 0 2025 FK RFS 2nd 2008 11 2016 10 3 3 2024 Riga FC 1st 2016 10 2016 10 4 2 2026 SK Super Nova 8th 2022 4 2025 2 0 0 2024 FK Tukums 2000 7th 2020 6 2022 5 0 0 2019
Titles by year Source:
Riga Football League
1908 British FC 1909 RV Union 1910 RV Union 1911 Britannia FC 1912 RV Union 1913 Kaiserwald Riga 1914 Britannia FC 1915 Britannia FC
Latvian Championship 1922–1940 (independent)
1922 Kaiserwald Riga 1923 Kaiserwald Riga 1924 RFK Riga 1925 RFK Riga 1926 RFK Riga 1927 Olimpija Liepāja 1928 Olimpija Liepāja 1929 Olimpija Liepāja 1930 RFK Riga 1931 RFK Riga 1932 ASK Riga 1933 Olimpija Liepāja 1934 RFK Riga 1935 RFK Riga 1936 Olimpija Liepāja 1937 Not played 1938 Olimpija Liepāja 1939 Olimpija Liepāja 1940 RFK Riga
Football Championship of Latvian SSR 1942–1991
1942 ASK Riga 1943 ASK Riga 1944 ASK Riga 1945 Dinamo Riga 1946 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1947 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1948 SA Riga 1949 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1950 AVN Riga 1951 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1952 AVN Riga 1953 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1954 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepāja 1955 Darba rezerves (local Trudovye Rezervy section) 1956 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepaja 1957 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepaja 1958 Sarkanais Metalurgs Liepaja 1959 RER Riga 1960 SKA Riga 1961 SKA Riga 1962 SKA Riga 1963 SKA Riga 1964 SKA Riga 1965 SKA Riga 1966 ESR-Enerģija Riga 1967 ESR-Enerģija Riga 1968 Starts Brocēni 1969 Venta Ventspils 1970 VEF Riga 1971 VEF Riga 1972 Jūrnieks Riga 1973 VEF Riga 1974 VEF Riga 1975 VEF Riga 1976 Enerģija Riga 1977 Enerģija Riga 1978 Ķīmiķis Daugavpils 1979 Elektrons Riga 1980 Ķīmiķis Daugavpils 1981 Elektrons Riga 1982 Elektrons Riga 1983 VEF Riga 1984 Torpedo Riga 1985 Alfa Riga 1986 Torpedo Riga 1987 Torpedo Riga 1988 RAF Jelgava 1989 RAF Jelgava 1990 Gauja Valmiera 1991 Skonto Riga
Since independence in 1991
1992 Skonto Riga 1993 Skonto Riga 1994 Skonto Riga 1995 Skonto Riga 1996 Skonto Riga 1997 Skonto Riga 1998 Skonto Riga 1999 Skonto Riga 2000 Skonto Riga 2001 Skonto Riga 2002 Skonto Riga 2003 Skonto Riga 2004 Skonto Riga 2005 Liepajas Metalurgs 2006 FK Ventspils 2007 FK Ventspils 2008 FK Ventspils 2009 Liepajas Metalurgs 2010 Skonto Riga 2011 FK Ventspils 2012 Daugava Daugavpils 2013 FK Ventspils 2014 FK Ventspils 2015 FK Liepaja 2016 JPFS/FK Spartaks Jurmala 2017 JPFS/FK Spartaks Jurmala 2018 Riga FC 2019 Riga FC 2020 Riga FC 2021 RFS 2022 Valmiera 2023 RFS 2024 RFS 2025 Riga FC
Topscorers (1992–present) YearTop scorersClubGoals1992 Vjačeslavs Ževnerovičs FK VEF Rīga 191993 Aleksandrs Jeļisejevs Skonto FC 201994 Vladimirs Babičevs Skonto FC 141995 Vitālijs Astafjevs Skonto FC 191996 Mihails Miholaps Daugava Riga 331997 David Chaladze Skonto FC 251998 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 231999 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 222000 Vladimirs Koļesņičenko Skonto FC 172001 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 242002 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 232003 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 362004 Aleksandr Katasonov FK Liepājas Metalurgs 212005 Viktors Dobrecovs Igors Sļesarčuks FK Liepājas MetalurgsFK Venta/FK Ventspils 182006 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 152007 Vīts Rimkus FK Ventspils 202008 Vīts Rimkus FK Ventspils 142009 Kristaps Grebis FK Liepājas Metalurgs 302010 Deniss Rakels Nathan Júnior FK Liepājas MetalurgsSkonto FC 182011 Nathan Júnior Skonto FC 222012 Mamuka Ghonghadze FC Daugava 182013 Artūrs Karašausks Andrejs Kovaļovs Skonto FCFC Daugava 162014 Vladislavs Gutkovskis Skonto FC 282015 Dāvis Ikaunieks FK Liepāja 152016 Ģirts Karlsons FK Ventspils 172017 Yevgeni Kozlov Artūrs Karašausks Adeleke Akinjemi FK Spartaks JūrmalaFK LiepājaFK Ventspils 102018 Darko Lemajić Riga FC 152019 Darko Lemajić Riga FC/RFS 152020 Dodô FK Liepāja 182021 Leonel Wamba FK Spartaks Jūrmala 142022 Raimonds Krollis Valmiera FC 242023 Marko Regža Riga FC 192024 Reginaldo Ramires FK Auda/Riga FC 252025 Darko Lemajić FK RFS 29
Notable managers and players
Most titles This is a list of clubs, in order of most titles won in championships in independent Latvia (1922–1940 and 1991 to date). Teams in bold are part of 2025 Virslīga.
By club
Club No. of Titles Years won Skonto Riga 15 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010 RFK Riga 8 1924, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1940 Olimpija Liepāja 7 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1939 Ventspils 6 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 Riga FC 4 2018, 2019, 2020, 2025 ASK Riga 3 1932, 1942, 1944 FK RFS 3 2021, 2023, 2024 Kaiserwald Riga 2 1922, 1923 Liepājas Metalurgs 2 2005, 2009 JPFS/Spartaks Jūrmala 2 2016, 2017 Valmiera 12022 FK Liepāja 1 2015 Daugava Daugavpils 1 2012
Transfers Virslīga
Transfers from Virslīga #PlayerFromToSeasonFee 1 Tolu Arokodare Valmiera FC Amiens SC 2022/2023 2,50 mln € 2 Māris Verpakovskis Skonto FC FC Dynamo Kyiv 2003/2004 2,00 mln € 3 Andrej Ilić RFS Vålerenga Fotball 2023/2024 1,60 mln € 4 Raimonds Krollis Valmiera FC Spezia Calcio 2022/2023 1,52 mln € 5 Gabriel Charpentier FK Spartaks Jūrmala Genoa CFC 2020/2021 1,50 mln € Patrick Twumasi FC Astana 2014/2015 1,50 mln €7 Borys Tashchy JFK Olimps Dynamo Moscow2011/2012 1,00 mln € 8 Darko Lemajić RFS K.A.A. Gent 2021/2022900 tys. € 9 Chinonso Offor RFS Chicago Fire FC 2020/2021760 tys. € 10 Aleksandrs Koliņko Skonto FC Crystal Palace F.C. 2000/2001750 tys. €
Transfers to Virslīga #PlayerFromToSeasonFee 1 Hrvoje Babec NK Vihor Jelisavac Riga FC 2022/2023 1,60 mln € 2 Gustavo Dulanto FC Sheriff Tiraspol 2022/2023 1,00 mln € Anthony Contreras C.S. Herediano 2022/2023 1,00 mln €4 Luis Iberico FBC Melgar 2022/2023 900 tys. €5 Borys Tashchy FC Chornomorets Odesa JFK Olimps 2011/2012600 tys. € 6 Rifet Kapić FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Valmiera FC 2023/2024500 tys. € 7 Cédric Gogoua FK Partizan Riga FC2016/2017 350 tys. € Lasha Odisharia FC Dinamo Tbilisi RFS 2023/2024350 tys. € 9 Douglas Aurélio Pafos FC Riga FC 2022/2023300 tys. € Audrius Kšanavičius FBK Kaunas Skonto FC 2001/2002300 tys. €
Rivalries The most well-known rivalry is the Kurzeme derby (Kurzemes derbijs) between Ventspils and Liepāja. The two biggest clubs in Kurzeme have played 86 matches between themselves with a record of 31–28–27 (including Metalurgs) in favor of Liepāja prior to the 2019 Virslīga.
Since 2016, the Riga Derby (Rīgas derbijs) was started between Riga FC and Rīgas FS as two clubs were promoted at the same time. A 2019 match in Skonto Stadium between the two sides broke a ten-year attendance record.
Virslīga clubs in international competitions
UEFA competitions
Ventspils was the Latvian first club who qualified for the group stage of a UEFA club competition, reaching the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Skonto reached the UEFA Champions League last qualifying stage for a number of times in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but lost to teams like Barcelona in 1997, Inter Milan in 1998 and Chelsea in 1999.
RFS qualified for the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, finishing in fourth place with 2 points.
Most recently, FK RFS qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League
Commonwealth of Independent States Cup Skonto Runners-up (3): 2001, 2003, 2004. Ventspils Runners-up (1): 2007.
Baltic League Metalurgs Champions (1): 2007. Ventspils Champions (1): 2010. Runners-up (2): 2007, 2011. Skonto Champions (1): 2011. Runners-up (1): 2008.
References
External links https://www.futbolavirsliga.tv Association Virsliga in Latvia Current Virsliga table at eurorivals Virsliga fixtures, including kick off times, at worldfootball.net Topscorers at RSSSF
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