The Esiliiga is the second division in the Estonian football league system. The Esiliiga is ranked below the Meistriliiga and above the Esiliiga B.
As in most countries with low temperatures in winter time, the season starts in March and ends in November. The league features several reserve teams of Meistriliiga clubs. According to the rules set by the Estonian Football Association, reserve teams are ineligible for promotion to the Meistriliiga, but can play in the Estonian Cup.
Competition format During the season, the teams play each of the other four times twice at home and twice away. This makes for a total of 36 games played each season. The teams gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a defeat. Promotion and relegation between divisions is a central feature of the league. At the end of the season, clubs at the top of their division win promotion to the next higher division, while those at the bottom will be relegated to the next lower one. At the end of a season, the top Esiliiga club gains promotion to the Meistriliiga, provided it meets the licensing criteria of the Meistriliiga. Reserve teams in Estonia play in the same league system as the senior team, however, they must play at least one level below their main side, and are thus ineligible for promotion to the Meistriliiga. Two bottom end clubs of the Esiliiga are relegated to the Esiliiga B, and two top clubs of Esiliiga B are promoted to the Esiliiga. The two-legged play-offs for the Meistriliiga spot are contested between the ninth placed (second bottom) club in the Meistriliiga and the second in the Esiliiga, and the two-legged play-offs for the Esiliiga spot are contested between the eighth placed (third bottom) club in the Esiliiga and the third in the Esiliiga B.
Clubs Current clubs The following clubs are competing in the Esiliiga during the 2026 season.
ClubPositionin 2025Seasons inEsiliigaFirst season ofcurrent spellTitlesLast titleElvab4th1520170FC Tallinna,b8th420230Flora U21 Tallinna,b,c5th21200622015Levadia U21 Tallinna,b,c7th23200472013Maardu Linnameeskond1st in the Esiliiga B6202632021Nõmme Kalju U21b,c6th620250Nõmme United U21a,b,c2nd in the Esiliiga B120260Tallinna Kaleva10th in the Premium Liiga9202612011Viimsia,b2nd520220Welcob3rd720240 a – never been relegated from Esiliiga b – never played in Meistriliiga c – ineligible for promotion to Meistriliiga
Champions SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeTop goalscorerGoals1992Kreenholm NarvaTempo TallinnValga Lokomotiiv 1992–93Pärnu TervisTallinna SadamKreenholm Narva 1993–94Pärnu JK/KalevVall TallinnPena Jõhvi Vadim Dolinin (Kalev Pärnu)211994–95Tallinna DünamoTallinna JalgpallikoolPena Jõhvi LellePärnu TervisViljandi Tulevik 1995–96Norma TallinnVall TallinnTallinna Jalgpallikool 1996–97Tallinna Dünamo ()Tallinna JalgpallikoolPärnu Igor Bratšuk (Olümp Maardu)81997–98Vall TallinnOlümpia MaarduDokker Tallinn Andrei Afanassov (Vall Tallinn) Aleksei Titov (Vall Tallinn)131998Levadia MaarduVigri TallinnLootus Kohtla-Järve Igor Bratšuk (Levadia Maardu)91999KuressaareLootus Kohtla-JärveVigri Tallinn Svajūnas Raučkis (Kuressaare)272000MaarduPärnu TervisViljandi Vladimir Tšelnokov (Maardu)262001Levadia PärnuValgaS.C. Real Maardu Andrei Afanassov (S.C. Real Maardu)262002ValgaKuressaareMaardu Andrei Afanassov (Maardu)252003Lootus Kohtla-JärvePärnu TervisM.C. Tallinn Aleksei Titov (Ajax Lasnamäe)292004Tartu TammekaLevadia II TallinnPärnu Tervis Oliver Konsa (Tartu Tammeka)252005Pärnu VaprusLevadia II TallinnAjax Lasnamäe Nikita Andreev (Ajax Lasnamäe)292006Levadia II Tallinn ()KuressaareTallinna Kalev Kaimar Saag (Levadia II Tallinn)372007Levadia II Tallinn ()Flora II TallinnSillamäe Kalev Andrus Mitt (Nõmme Kalju)242008Levadia II Tallinn ()KuressaareFlora II Tallinn Sergei Jegorov (TVMK II Tallinn)202009Levadia II Tallinn ()Lootus Kohtla-JärveWarrior Valga Tõnis Starkopf (Kiviõli Tamme Auto/Levadia II Tallinn)322010Levadia II Tallinn ()Flora II TallinnAjax Lasnamäe Tõnis Starkopf (Kiviõli Tamme Auto)282011Tallinna KalevInfonet TallinnKiviõli Tamme Auto Maksim Rõtškov (Infonet Tallinn)402012Infonet TallinnFlora II TallinnRakvere Tarvas Manucho (Infonet Tallinn)312013Levadia II Tallinn ()Jõhvi LokomotivFlora II Tallinn Tõnis Starkopf (Irbis Kiviõli)282014Flora II TallinnLevadia II TallinnPärnu Linnameeskond Kristen Saarts (Pärnu Linnameeskond/Levadia II Tallinn)312015Flora II Tallinn ()Levadia II TallinnInfonet II Tallinn Eduard Golovljov (Infonet II Tallinn)412016Viljandi TulevikFlora U21 TallinnInfonet II Tallinn Eduard Golovljov (Infonet II Tallinn)392017Maardu LinnameeskondTallinna KalevRakvere Tarvas Vitali Gussev (Maardu Linnameeskond)382018Maardu Linnameeskond (2)Flora U21 TallinnLevadia U21 Tallinn Vitali Gussev (Maardu Linnameeskond)432019TJK LegionFlora U21 TallinnPärnu Vaprus Rejal Alijev (TJK Legion)382020Pärnu Vaprus (2)Maardu LinnameeskondNõmme United Kevin Mätas (Nõmme United)222021Maardu Linnameeskond (3)Tallinna KalevPaide Linnameeskond U21 Robi Saarma (Nõmme United)282022Harju JKLevadia U21 TallinnElva Egert Õunapuu (Nõmme United)362023Nõmme UnitedViimsiFlora U21 Tallinn Egert Õunapuu (Nõmme United)322024Harju JK (2)ViimsiFlora U21 Tallinn Gregor Lehtmets (Viimsi)312025Nõmme United (2)ViimsiTartu Welco Egert Õunapuu (Nõmme United)23
Total titles won ClubWinning seasonsLevadia U21 Tallinn7512000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013Maardu Linnameeskond3102017, 2018, 2021Flora U21 Tallinn2642014, 2015Pärnu Vaprus2012005, 2020Nõmme United2012023, 2025Tallinna Dünamo2001994–95, 1996–97Harju JK2002022, 2024Pärnu Tervis1311992–93Kuressaare1301999Järve Kohtla-Järve1212003Tallinna Kalev1212011Vall Tallinn1201997–98Valga Warrior1112002Infonet Tallinn1102012Kreenholm Narva1011992Pärnu1011993–94Viljandi Tulevik1012016Lelle1001994–95Norma Tallinn1001995–96Levadia Tallinn1001998Levadia Pärnu1002001Tartu Tammeka1002004TJK Legion1002019Viimsi030Tallinna Jalgpallikool021Vigri Tallinn011Tempo Tallinn010Tallinna Sadam010Olümpia Maardu010Jõhvi Lokomotiv010Pena Jõhvi002Maardu002Ajax Lasnamäe002Infonet II Tallinn002Rakvere Tarvas002Valga Lokomotiiv001Dokker Tallinn001Viljandi001M.C. Tallinn001Sillamäe Kalev001Kiviõli Irbis001Pärnu Linnameeskond001Paide Linnameeskond U21001Elva001Tartu Welco001
All-time Esiliiga table The table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Esiliiga since its inception in 1992. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2021 season. Teams in bold played in the Esiliiga 2021 season. Numbers in bold are the record (highest) numbers in each column.
In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. Promotion matches and relegation matches involving clubs of higher or lower leagues are not counted.
The table is sorted by all-time points.
Club Seasons Titles 1FCI Levadia U212076883861201821722885+83712781.86 2FC Flora U211325633021011601195706+48910071.79 3JK Tallinna Kalev812821475481614431+1834951.76 4Rakvere JK Tarvas10036013264164556731-1754601.28 5FC Kuressaare912781364199568482+864491.62 6Kiviõli FC Irbis8028811051124556542+143811.32 7Maardu Linnameeskond531701122038468235+2333562.09 8FC Elva1003319945187437706-2693421.03 9Kohtla-Järve FC Lootus71214972790411400+113181.4910Lasnamäe FC Ajax60200933770449311+1383161.5811Pärnu JK Vaprus62204923874400343+573141.5412Tartu JK Tammeka U21702428649107385447-623071.2713Viljandi JK Tulevik71166903056320250+703001.8114Pärnu KEK81188862377416370+462811.4915FC Valga81164791461304276+282511.5316Tallinna FC TVMK II50172632386302363-612121.2317Valga FC Warrior602006129110285438-1532121.0618Tartu FC Santos50216592794290388-982040.9419Tallinna JK Legion41144602163291296-52011.4020Tallinna JK Dünamo72144581967276319-431931.3421JK Sillamäe Kalev70162562474232303-711921.1922Vändra JK Vaprus50174523092259375-1161861.0723FCI Tallinn U2130108511245266214+521651.5324Tartu JK Merkuur60122491855199238-391651.3525Nõmme Kalju FC U2140144482175218293-751651.1526Pärnu JK61122442149224227-31531.2527FCI Tallinn217245161119580+1151512.1028FC Puuma40144372879208372-1641390.9729Pärnu Linnameeskond30108372349207213-61341.2430Tallinna Jalgpalliklubi40120342264164300-1361241.0331FC M.C. Tallinn3084341733167189-221191.4232Tallinna JK Vall41583671517180+911151.9833Maardu FK Olümpia5178331629158152+61151.4734Tartu SK 102072321228123125-21081.5035Viljandi JK Tulevik U2130108282456139215-761081.0036Nõmme Kalju FC2072311427145149-41071.4937Tartu JK Tammeka3184291837165199-341051.2538Tartu JK Welco40138272487143345-2021050.7639Tallinna Jalgpallikool5072311031117141-241031.4340FC Nõmme United2062281222155110+44961.5541Maardu S.C. Real2056271316144102+42941.6842Jõhvi FC Lokomotiiv2072261333115121-6911.2643Tartu KSK Vigri204226979840+58872.0744Narva Kreenholm4158251023120125-5851.4745Kiviõli JK Irbis40582382799117-18771.3346Kohtla-Järve JK Järve30102211368106270-164760.7547Kohtla-Järve JK Pena3046227179585+10731.5948JK Tallinna Kalev U21207218134175134-59670.9349Paide Linnameeskond U211030173108556+29541.8050Paide Linnameeskond10361412105844+14541.5051Pärnu FC Levadia112815766739+28521.8652Tallinna FC Norma2128152117744+33471.6853Viimsi JK1028124124350-7401.4354FC Viljandi1028124123146-15401.4355JK Tallinna Sadam101612225214+38382.3856Paide KEK2028106125664-8361.2957Keila JK1036105214188-47350.9758Lelle SK10361112449100-51340.9459FC Kuressaare II102883173579-44270.9660Kehra JK Paber102073103347-14241.2061Kallaste JK Peipsi Kalur202873183675-39240.8662Tallinna JK Metallist10127053025+5211.7563Tallinna JK Dokker10146353026+4211.5064Tallinna JK Tempo10126152926+3191.5865Tallinna FC Arsenal10145092631-5151.0766Tartu JK Merkuur-Juunior103635282797-70140.3967Põltsamaa JK Sport1010109627-2130.3068Tartu FC DAG10140131267-5510.07
See also Esiliiga Player of the Year Meistriliiga Esiliiga B
References
External links