The 2024–25 Primera División de El Salvador, also known as the Liga Pepsi, was the 26th season and 50th and 51st Primera División tournament, El Salvador's top football division, since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. Aguila and Alianza are the defending champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournament respectively. The league will consist of 11 teams. There will be two seasons conducted under identical rules, with each team playing a home and away game against the other clubs for a total of 20 games per tournament. At the end of each half-season tournament, the top six teams in that tournament's regular season standings will take part in the playoffs.
The champions of Apertura and Clausura will qualify for the CONCACAF Central American Cup, the third team to qualify is the team with better aggregate record. Should the same team win both tournaments, both runners-up will qualify for CONCACAF Central American Cup. Should the final of both tournaments features the same two teams, the semi-finalist with the better aggregate record will qualify for CONCACAF Central American Cup.
Teams
Promotion and relegation
A total of 11 teams will contest the league, including 10 sides from the 2023–24 Primera División and 1 promoted from the 2023–24 Segunda División.
Cacahuatique was promoted to the Primera División on July 1, 2024, after defeating Titan in a playoff match by a score of 4–3 in penalties, after the team were tied 1–1 after 120 minutes.
Santa Tecla was relegated to the 2024–25 Segunda División.
Jocoro withdrew from the league.
Notable events Changes for 2024-2025 Season On the 13th of June, 2024 The President of the Primera Division Samuel Gálvez announced changes for the Apertura 2024 and Clausura 2025 included the final being played over two legs instead just one game, the finals will be held at the finalist stadiums. The four foreign players quota will remain. One reserve or under 17 player must be played for 90 minutes per game.
Jocoro sold spot in primera division to Titan It was announced on July 13, 2024, that Titan had made agreement with Jocoro to acquire their spot in the Primera division.
Primera division denys Joroco selling of spot, Only 11 teams will participate FESFUT announced with Jocoro failure to meet the requirement to register in the Primera Division, they would lose their spot and therefore could sell their spot to Titan. Despite protest and pleas from Titan board to be allowed to take the spot and give a slight extension to the club for meet the requirement, on June 18, 2024, FESFUT President Humberto Sáenz Marinero announced the league will proceed with only 11 teams.
FESFUT denied double legged final On 29 September, it was announced by FESFUT that they had denied primera division decision to have two legged grand final, the grand final will remain one legged final.
Announcement no team will be relegated 2024–2025 season On 24 October 2024 it was announced by the primera division that no team will be relegated for the 2024–2025, after Jocoro FC license being suspended, and only 11 teams participating in the league, the league stated that one team will be promoted to make it even 12 teams again and no team will be relegated.
Grand Final to be played at Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González On December 3, 2024, It was announced that the final will be playing in the Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González for the first time since 2004.
FEFSUT announces the banning of multi-club ownership On April 30, 2025, FESFUT announced the banning of multi-club ownership.
Notable death from Apertura 2024 season and 2025 Clausura season The following people associated with the Primera Division have died between the middle of 2024 and middle of 2025.
Manuel Ayala (ex Luis Angel Firpo player) Joel Estrada (ex FAS player) Jose Leandro Linares (ex FAS and Gatos de Monterrey player) Juan Ramon Martinez (ex Aguila, Atletico Marte, Juventud Olimpica and Once Municipal player) Eder Renderos (ex Luis Angel Firpo, UES and Audaz player) Julio Leiva (Guatemalan ex Aguila player) Amadeo Machado (ex Aguila and Luis Angel Firpo player) Domingo Albil (Argentinian ex FAS, Alianza and Sonsonate player) Héctor Alcides Piccioni (Argentinian ex FAS player) Luis Ernesto Tapia (Panamanian ex Alianza, Atletico Marte, UES and Juventud Olimpica player) Gerson Menjívar (ex Atletico Marte player) Óscar "Chino" Portillo (ex Dragon Player) Amilcar Humana (ex Aguila and Dragon Player) Manuel Antonio Solis Chinito (ex FAS player) Norberto Huezo (ex UES, ANTEL, Atletico Marte, Cojutepeque, FAS) Armando Osma Rueda (Colombian ex Aguila coach) Ovido Mendez (ex Luis Angel Firpo player)
Managerial changes
Before the start of the season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Aguila Ernesto Corti Contract finished, May 27, 2024 Daniel Messina May 27, 2024 4th and Quarterfinalist (2024 Clausura) Fuerte San Francisco Nelson Ancheta Contract Finished May 27, 2024 Jorge Martinez Merino June 29, 2024 11th (2024 Clausura) Dragon Manuel Acevedo Mutual Consent June 7, 2024 Marvin Benítez June 7, 2024 9th (2024 Clausura) Isidro Metapan Carlos Martinez Che Returned to assistant coach role June 18, 2024 Hector Omar Mejia July 3, 2024 7th and Semi-Finalist (2024 Clausura) Cacahuatique Pablo Quiñones Mutual Consent July 4, 2024 Daniel Corti July 9, 2024 None (2024 Clausura)
During the Apertura season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table FAS Ricardo Preza Sacked August 20, 2024 Agustin Castillo August 20, 2024 7th (2024 Apertura) Municipal Limeno William Renderos Iraheta Sacked September 19, 2024 Abel Flores (Interim) September 20, 2024 7th (2024 Apertura) Dragon Marvin Benítez Resigned September, 2024 Pablo Quiñones September, 2024 12th (2024 Apertura) Municipal Limeno Abel Flores (Interim) Interimship ended October 5, 2024 Guillermo Rivera October 5, 2024 6th (2024 Apertura) Platense Jorge Abrego Mutual Consent October 11, 2024 David Hernández (Interim) October 11, 2024 11th (2024 Apertura) Fuerte San Francisco Jorge Merino Mutual Consent October 16, 2024 Ruben Alonso October 18, 2024 9th (2024 Apertura)
Between the Apertura and Clausura season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table Alianza Jorge Rodríguez Contract finished and did not renew December 12, 2024 Ernesto Corti December 15, 2024 5th (2024 Apertura) Municipal Limeno Guillermo Rivera Contract finished and not renewed December 23, 2024 Jose Romero December 23, 2024 7th (2024 Apertura) Once Deportivo Erick Prado End of contract December 28, 2025 Fabio Larramendi January 7, 2025 5th & Champion (2024 Apertura) Isidro Metapan Hector Mejia Contract Finished December 4, 2025 Erick Prado January 4, 2025 5th (2024 Apertura)
During the Clausura season
Clausura seasons
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyReplaced byDate of appointmentPosition in table FAS Agustin Castillo Sacked February 24, 2025 David Caneda (Interim) February 24, 2025 8th (2025 Clausura) Once Deportivo Fabio Larramendi Sacked March 11, 2025 Guillermo Rivera March 12, 2025 11th (2025 Clausura) Cacahuatique Daniel Corti Sacked March 25, 2025 Victor Coreas March 26, 2025 6th (2025 Clausura) Dragon Pablo Quiñones Sacked March 27, 2025 Manuel Meme Gonzalez (Interim) March 27, 2025 9th (2025 Clausura) Fuerte San Francisco Ruben Alonso Sacked April 19, 2025 Rolando Torres (Interim) April 21, 2025 9th (2025 Clausura)
Apertura League table
Apertura 2024 Records Records Best home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Best away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Most goals scored: TBD (00 goals) Fewest goals scored: TBD (00 goals) Fewest goals conceded : TBD (00 goals) Most goals conceded : TBD (00 goals)
Scoring First goal of the season: Gustavo Souza for Firpo against Platense, 6 minutes (Month day, 2024) First goal by a foreign player: Gustavo Souza for Firpo against Platense, 6th minutes (A, 2024) Fastest goal in a match: 5 Minutes Luis Enrique Vasquez for Once Deportivo against Platense (August 2, 2024) Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 94 minutes TBD goal for TBD against TBD (Month day, 2024) First penalty Kick of the season: Julian Grueso for Cacahuatique against Firpo, 43rd minutes (August 4, 2024) Widest winning margin: 4 goals TBD 5–1 TBD (August 20, 2023) First hat-trick of the season: Emiliano Villar for FAS against Alianza (November 16, 2024) First own goal of the season: Ronald Aparicio (Platense) for Aguila (August 26, 2024) Most goals in a match: 7 goals FAS 3-4 Aguila (October 20, 2024) Most goals by one team in a match: 5 goals TBD 5-3 TBD (Month day, 2024) Most goals in one half by one team: 4 goals TBD 5-0 (5–3) TBD (1st half, Month day, 2024) Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals FAS 3-4 Aguila (October 20, 2024) Most goals by one player in a single match: 4 goals Emiliano Villar for FAS against Alianza (November 16, 2024) Players that scored a hat-trick': Emiliano Villar for FAS against Alianza (November 16, 2024)
Top Goalscorer (Apertura 2024) No. Player Club Goals 1 Gustavo Moura LA Firpo 14 2 Emiliano Villar FAS 11 3 Emerson Mauricio Alianza 9 4 Alexander Marquez Cacahuatique 8 5 Blas Sosa Aguila 8 6 Yair Delgadillo Isidro Metapan 7 7 Mauricio Cerritos LA Firpo 6 8 Javier Ferman Municipal Limeno 6 9 Steven Guerra Isidro Metapan 6 10 Juan Carlos Argueta Isidro Metapan 5 10 Isaac Esquivel Isidro Metapan 5
Playoff Quarterfinals First legs
Second legs
1-1. Isidro Metapan won 5-3 on penalties
Once Deportivo won 3-2 on Aggregate
FAS won 2-1 on Aggregate
1-1. Cacahuatique won 3-1 on penalties
Semi-finals First legs
Second legs
FAS won 2-1 on aggregate
2-2. Once Deportivo won 5-3 on penalties
Final
FAS GK 1 Kevin CarabantesDF 30 Mathias Goyeni DF 4 Edson MelendezDF 22 Bryan Tamacas DF 28 Rudy Clavel MF 8 Jonathan Nolasco MF 5 Jose Portillo MF 29 Rodrigo Rivera FW 7 Rafael TejadaFW 26 Emiliano Villar FW 39 Bryan Rios Substitutes:MF 2 Jose Guevara MF 14 Emerson Rivas DF 19 Martin Correra DF 57 Samuel Rosales FW 9 German Aguila Manager: Agustin Castillo
Once Deportivo GK 1 Gerson Lopez DF 3 Miguel Murillo DF 4 Diego Chavez DF 29 Jorge CruzDF 5 Carlos AnzoraMF 8 Cesar Flores MF 10 Jomal Williams MF 12 Angel Ortega MF 17 Eduardo Gonzalez MF 32 Julio Paulino FW 26 Josue Rivera Substitutes:GK 51 Cesar Melara MF '22 Giovanni Avila MF 6 Efrain Carcamo DF 19 Luis Vasquez DF 11 Kemal Malcolm Manager: Erick Prado
Clausura League table
Clausura 2025 Records Records Best home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Best away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Worst away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points) Most goals scored: Aguila (37 goals) Fewest goals scored: Once Deportivo (12 goals) Fewest goals conceded : Alianza (11 goals) Most goals conceded : Once Deportivo (40 goals)
Scoring First goal of the season: Carlos Salazar for Alianza against Limeno, 46 minutes (January 19, 2025) First goal by a foreign player: Carlos Salazar for Alianza against Limeno, 46 minutes (January 19, 2025) Fastest goal in a match: 27 Seconds Edgar Valladares for Platense against Aguila (January 26, 2025) Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 93 minutes Dixon Rivas goal for Aguila against Isidro Metapan (February 26, 2025) First penalty Kick of the season: Bryan Paz for Platense against LA Firpo, 20th minutes (January 20, 2025) Widest winning margin: 4 goals Dragon 4-0 Once Deportivo (February 16, 2025) First hat-trick of the season: Styven Vasquez for LA Firpo against Once Deportivo (February 26, 2025)