The Slovak First Football League (), officially known as Niké liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Slovakia and the highest level of the Slovak football league system. It was formed in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The record for most titles is sixteen, held by Slovan Bratislava, who are the current title holders.
History The current independent top football division in Slovakia was formed in 1993 as a result of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The predecessors of the current top football division in Slovakia were Zväzové Majstrovstvá Slovenska (1925–1933) and Slovenská liga (1938–1944).
Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia (1918–1939 and 1945–1993) and the best Slovak clubs played in the joint Czechoslovak First League. Three Slovak clubs managed to win it.
Zväzové Majstrovstvá Slovenska (1925–1933) Season Champions (number of titles) Runners-up Third place1925–261. ČsŠK Bratislava1926–271. ČsŠK Bratislava1927–28SK Žilina1928–29SK Žilina1929–301. ČsŠK Bratislava1930–31Ligeti SC1931–321. ČsŠK Bratislava1932–33SC Rusj Uzhorod
Slovenská liga (1938–1944) Season Champions (number of titles) Runners-up Third place1938–39AC Sparta Považská BystricaŠK BratislavaMŠK Žilina1939–40ŠK BratislavaAC Sparta Považská BystricaMŠK Žilina1940–41ŠK BratislavaFC VrútkyAC Sparta Považská Bystrica1941–42ŠK BratislavaFC VrútkyMŠK Žilina1942–43OAP BratislavaŠK BratislavaAC Sparta Považská Bystrica1943–44ŠK BratislavaOAP BratislavaTSS Trnava1944–45
Slovak winners of the Czechoslovak 1. League (1945–1993) Club Winners Winning seasons Slovan Bratislava 1949, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1991–92 Spartak Trnava 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 Inter Bratislava 1958–59
Competition format Over the years, the number of teams competing in the top division has varied. The current number of 12 teams has been in effect since the 2006–07 season. However, there were also changes in the playing format afterwards. In the current format, which has been in effect since the 2017–18 season, teams play home-and-away against every other team in the regular stage, for a total of 22 matches each. The table is then divided into two halves of 6 teams each – the top 6 play in the championship group and the bottom 6 play in the relegation group. Within these groups, teams again play home-and-away against each other, for a total of 10 matches each.
PeriodNumber of teams1993–1996121996–2000162000–2006102006–present12
Sponsorship
PeriodSponsorName1993–1997No sponsor1. liga1997–2002ReemtsmaMars superliga2002–2003No sponsor1. liga2003–2014HeinekenCorgoň liga2014–2023FortunaFortuna liga2023–presentNikéNiké liga
Clubs Champions SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeTop scorerGoalsTeam1993–94Slovan Bratislava (1)Inter BratislavaDAC Dunajská Streda Pavol Diňa19DAC Dunajská Streda1994–95Slovan Bratislava (2)1. FC KošiceInter Bratislava Robert Semenik18Dukla Banská Bystrica1995–96Slovan Bratislava (3)1. FC KošiceSpartak Trnava Robert Semenik291. FC Košice1996–971. FC Košice (1)Spartak TrnavaSlovan Bratislava Jozef Kožlej221. FC Košice1997–981. FC Košice (2)Spartak TrnavaInter Bratislava Ľubomír Luhový17Spartak Trnava1998–99Slovan Bratislava (4)Inter BratislavaSpartak Trnava Martin Fabuš19Trenčín1999–2000Inter Bratislava (1)1. FC KošiceSlovan Bratislava Szilárd Németh16Inter Bratislava2000–01Inter Bratislava (2)Slovan BratislavaRužomberok Szilárd Németh23Inter Bratislava2001–02Žilina (1)PúchovInter Bratislava Marek Mintál21Žilina2002–03Žilina (2)PetržalkaSlovan Bratislava Martin Fabuš Marek Mintál20Trenčín, ŽilinaŽilina2003–04Žilina (3)Dukla Banská BystricaRužomberok Roland Števko17Ružomberok2004–05Petržalka (1)ŽilinaDukla Banská Bystrica Filip Šebo22Petržalka2005–06Ružomberok (1)PetržalkaSpartak Trnava Róbert Rák Erik Jendrišek21NitraRužomberok2006–07Žilina (4)PetržalkaSlovan Bratislava Tomáš Oravec 16Petržalka2007–08Petržalka (2)ŽilinaNitra Ján Novák 17Košice2008–09Slovan Bratislava (5)ŽilinaSpartak Trnava Pavol Masaryk15Slovan Bratislava2009–10Žilina (5)Slovan BratislavaDukla Banská Bystrica Róbert Rák 18Nitra2010–11Slovan Bratislava (6)SenicaŽilina Filip Šebo22Slovan Bratislava2011–12Žilina (6)Spartak TrnavaSlovan Bratislava Pavol Masaryk18Ružomberok2012–13Slovan Bratislava (7)SenicaTrenčín David Depetris16Trenčín2013–14Slovan Bratislava (8)TrenčínSpartak Trnava Tomáš Malec14Trenčín2014–15Trenčín (1)ŽilinaSlovan Bratislava Matej Jelić Jan Kalabiška 19ŽilinaSenica2015–16Trenčín (2)Slovan BratislavaSpartak Myjava Gino van Kessel17Trenčín2016–17Žilina (7)Slovan BratislavaRužomberok Filip Hlohovský Seydouba Soumah20ŽilinaSlovan Bratislava2017–18Spartak Trnava (1)Slovan BratislavaDAC Dunajská Streda Samuel Mráz21Žilina2018–19Slovan Bratislava (9)DAC Dunajská StredaRužomberok Andraž Šporar29Slovan Bratislava2019–20Slovan Bratislava (10)ŽilinaDAC Dunajská Streda Andraž Šporar12Slovan Bratislava2020–21Slovan Bratislava (11)DAC Dunajská StredaSpartak Trnava Dawid Kurminowski 19Žilina2021–22Slovan Bratislava (12)RužomberokSpartak Trnava Jakub Kadák13Trenčín2022–23Slovan Bratislava (13)DAC Dunajská StredaSpartak Trnava Nikola Krstović18DAC Dunajská Streda2023–24Slovan Bratislava (14)DAC Dunajská StredaSpartak Trnava Róbert Polievka Tigran Barseghyan 13Banská BystricaSlovan Bratislava2024–25Slovan Bratislava (15)ŽilinaSpartak Trnava Tigran Barseghyan David Strelec20Slovan Bratislava2025–26Slovan Bratislava (16)DAC Dunajská StredaSpartak Trnava Michal Faško14Žilina
Source for list of championship winners:
Performance by club Clubs in bold currently play in the top division. Club Winners Runners-up Championship seasons Runners-up seasons Slovan Bratislava 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26 2000–01, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 Žilina 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–17 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2024–25 VSS Košice 1996–97, 1997–98 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000 Artmedia Bratislava 2004–05, 2007–08 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07 Inter Bratislava 1999–2000, 2000–01 1993–94, 1998–99 Trenčín 2014–15, 2015–16 2013–14 Spartak Trnava 2017–18 1996–97, 1997–98, 2011–12 Ružomberok 2005–06 2021–22 DAC Dunajská Streda –2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025–26 Senica –2010–11, 2012–13 Púchov – 2001–02 Dukla Banská Bystrica –2003–04
Titles by city
City Titles Winning clubs Bratislava Slovan Bratislava (16), Inter Bratislava (2), Artmedia Bratislava (2) Žilina Žilina (7) Košice VSS Košice (2) Trenčín Trenčín (2) Ružomberok Ružomberok (1) Trnava Spartak Trnava (1)
2025–26 season Twelve clubs competed in the 2025–26 season.
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityDAC Dunajská Streda Dunajská StredaMOL Aréna12,700Tatran PrešovPrešovFutbal Tatran Arena6,500KošiceKošiceKošická futbalová aréna12,555PodbrezováPodbrezováZELPO Aréna4,000Ružomberok RužomberokŠtadión pod Čebraťom4,876SkalicaSkalicaŠtadión MFK Skalica2,600Slovan Bratislava BratislavaTehelné pole22,500Spartak TrnavaTrnavaŠtadión Antona Malatinského18,200TrenčínTrenčínŠtadión Sihoť10,000Zemplín MichalovceMichalovceMestský futbalový štadión4,440Komárno KomárnoViOn Aréna4,008Žilina ŽilinaŠtadión pod Dubňom10,897
All-time league table The all-time league table is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in Slovak I. liga since its inception in 1993. The table as of the end of 2025–26 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2026–27 Niké liga. There is no club that played all seasons in top-flight. The best clubs in that respect, Žilina and Spartak Trnava, missed 1 season, Slovan Bratislava missed 2 seasons.
PosTeamSPWDLFAGDPts1Slovan Bratislava311006584222200184799185619742MŠK Žilina3210705142393171827120662117813Spartak Trnava3210624882393311491115633516514MFK Ružomberok29976369276331125612045213835AS Trenčín26869329190340124712252212056DAC Dunajská Streda 23730272186272926989(-63)938 *7Dukla Banská Bystrica22712229190293860943(-83)8778VSS Košice19616241148227835799368639FC Petržalka1446320411414567656111572610Inter Bratislava1445420310214966751914869311FC Nitra18572177128299607875(-268)64412Tatran Prešov17547154155238558777(-219)60713FK Senica14448147113186510619(-138)55614ViOn Zlaté Moravce17545139135273553859(-306)55215MFK Dubnica13424119117188436604(-168)47316Zemplín Michalovce1237810995172428605(-177)42217Železiarne Podbrezová92889265121354420(-66)30418MŠK Púchov6216705393235294(-59)26319Chemlon Humenné72167143102238323(-85)24620Baník Prievidza 72165944113239369(-130)21221Spartak Myjava5132552750167177(-10)19222ŠKF Sereď5155493967176237(-61)18623MFK Skalica5161463976173228(-55)17724Lokomotíva Košice 5156483771180241(-61)17425Partizán Bardejov5154452485159232(−73)15926FC Rimavská Sobota4126352962129193(−64)13427FK Pohronie4123264255128179(-51)12028FC Košice396312144123149(-26)11429FC Senec 39118284585152(−67)8230KFC Komárno2641914317094(-24)7131Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš 26414163466116(-50)58 S = Number of seasons; P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
aSpartak Myjava withdrew from the league on 21 December 2016, and their results from season 2016-17 were annulled. DAC had 6 points deducted in 2013/14 season.
League or status: 2026–27 Slovak First Football League 2026–27 2. Liga (Slovakia) 2026–27 3. Liga (Slovakia) 4. Liga (Slovakia) Below 4th tier Defunct
European competitions
UEFA coefficients
The following data indicates Slovak coefficient rankings between European football leagues.
Country ranking UEFA League Ranking as of the end 2023/24 season for the period of 2019-2024:
20. (22) Serbian SuperLiga (23.675) 21. (20) Ukrainian Premier League (22.800) 22. (28) Slovak I. Liga (21.250) 23. (21) Nemzeti Bajnokság I (21.000) 24. (23) Allsvenskan (20.000)
Club ranking UEFA 5-year Club Ranking as of the August 30 2024 season: 54. Slovan Bratislava (33.500) 158. Spartak Trnava (8.500) 163. DAC Dunajská Streda (8.000) 265. Žilina (5.000) 266. Ružomberok (5.000)
Players The clubs sell their players to financially stronger clubs from western Europe. Examples of players that have succeeded in notable leagues are Marek Hamšík, who was captain of Italian club SSC Napoli, Peter Pekarík who captained Bundesliga side Hertha BSC or Martin Škrtel, a well-known former Liverpool centre-back who is now the Sporting director of FC Spartak Trnava. Moreover, over the last few years more and more youngsters have been given chances to perform regularly in the league and as the result, many transfers were to be seen. For example Leon Bailey, Milan Škriniar, Stanislav Lobotka or Samuel Kalu could have been seen playing football at Slovak stadiums recently.
Top scorers As of the end of the 2017–18 season. GoalsName Clubs/goals for the club125Juraj HalenárInter Bratislava 35, Petržalka 33, Slovan Bratislava 57120Róbert SemeníkDukla Banská Bystrica 72, 1. FC Košice 43, Nitra 586Marek UjlakySpartak Trnava 79, Slovan Bratislava 2, Senec 3, Zlaté Moravce 286Pavol MasarykSpartak Trnava 10, Slovan Bratislava 45, Ružomberok 28, Senica 2, Skalica 185Szilárd NémethSlovan Bratislava 25, 1. FC Košice 21, Inter Bratislava 3983Vladimír KožuchSpartak Trnava 61, Tatran Prešov 2281Martin FabušODu/AS Trenčín 59, Žilina 17, Dukla Banská Bystrica 578Tomáš Oravec1. FC Košice 4, Ružomberok 19, Petržalka 28, Žilina 24, Spartak Trnava 378Róbert RákNitra 61, Ružomberok 1776Marek MintálŽilina 76
Transfers
Record departures