The Toplyga, previously the A Lyga (2001–2025), is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation.
History The first football league in Lithuania was established in 1924, and in various forms existed until 1939. Due to the Polish–Lithuanian War, clubs from Vilnius did not take part in early period of the Lithuanian football competitions.
Later during the period of Soviet occupation, a Lithuanian amateur top division existed, while professional players played in USSR football competitions. The Lithuanian professional top division was restored in 1990. The naming convention changed several times, but since 1999 the league is consistently referred to as A lyga.
On 5 February 2026, it was officially announced that the new name of the Lithuanian football championship would be renamed to TOPLYGA.Naujasis Lietuvos futbolo čempionato pavadinimas – TOPLYGA
Format The league system and size have also stabilized since 1999. League size varied mostly between 8 and 10 teams, with the exceptions of 2011 A Lyga featuring 12 teams, and 2020 A Lyga record low of only 6 teams. The teams play 4 rounds in regular season. The bottom placed team is relegated, while the 9th placed team contests a play-off with the 2nd placed team from the I lyga. The final list of participants often did not correlate to the final results of the previous season, as the participation were rather finalized through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process.
The season usually kicks off in February or March and ends in November. Because of the harsh climate, there are no games in winter until early spring (April/March) and it depends on the weather and temperature. Games are played in indoor arenas on artificial grass. The winter transfer window opens in early January and lasts until mid March, while the summer transfer window lasts for most of July.
European competitions Lithuania sought to participate in the UEFA club competitions immediately after regaining the independence. However, due to political reasons, in 1991 Lithuania was banned by UEFA from continental competitions and Žalgiris was refused licensing to compete as a Lithuanian club rather than a Soviet club. Eventually, Lithuania became affiliated with UEFA in 1992. The A Lyga champion secures the right to play in UEFA Champions League qualification. The runner up and the 3rd-place team secure right to play in UEFA Europa Conference League qualification.
The best Lithuanian club result in UEFA competitions was achieved in 2022-23 UEFA club competition season by FK Žalgiris. The Lithuanian champions reached the group stage in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League. After the 2022-23 UEFA season, FK Žalgiris was the best performing A lyga club in Europe, taking #130 in UEFA Club Coefficients table.
Clubs
Club Location Position in 2024 First season in A Lyga Seasons in top division First season of current spell Top division titles Last title Banga Gargždai 5th 1994 12 2020 — DFK Dainava Alytus 4th 2021 4c 2023 Džiugasb Telšiai 6th 2021 5 2021 Hegelmannb Kaunas District 2nd 2021 5 2021 Kauno Žalgirisb Kaunas 3rd 2015 11 2015 Panevėžysb Panevėžys 8th 2019 7 2019 1 2023 Riteriai Vilnius I Lyga, 1st 2014 11 2025 — Sūduvaa Marijampolė 9th 1990 24 2002 3 2019 FA Šiauliaib Šiauliai 7th 2022 4 2022 — Žalgirisa Vilnius 1st 1990 34 2010 11 2024
a Founding member of the A Lyga b Never been relegated from the A Lyga c Two former clubs, named FK Dainava have participated in A lyga in 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Sponsorship
PeriodSponsorName1991–1999No sponsor Lietuvos Lyga1999–2000LFF Lyga2001–2003LFF A Lyga2004–2008NFKA A Lyga2009–2011LFF A Lyga2012General Financing LFF General Financing A Lyga2013–2016Credit Service SMScredit.lt A Lyga2017–2020No sponsor LFF A Lyga2021–2023Baltic Bet Optibet A Lyga2024–2025TOPsport TOPsport A Lyga2026–TOPLYGA The official ball supplier for the A lyga games in 2023 is Adidas. Nike held this contract between 2013 and 2022, when they took over from Adidas.
Hall of Fame
Interbellum and WWII After Lithuania gained independence in 1918, the first ever football tournament was held in 1922.
Seasons SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird placeInterbellum (Independent Lithuania)1922LFLS KaunasLFLS Šančiai LFLS-2 Kaunas1923LFLS KaunasKSK KaunasKovas Kaunas1924Kovas KaunasSportverein KlaipėdaLFLS Kaunas / MTV Klaipėda1925Kovas KaunasLFLS ŠiauliaiFreya Klaipėda1926Kovas KaunasKSS KlaipėdaLFLS Šiauliai1927LFLS KaunasSportverein PagėgiaiLFLS Šiauliai1928KSS KlaipėdaLFLS KaunasLDS Šiauliai1929KSS KlaipėdaLFLS KaunasKSK Kultus Kaunas / Freya Klaipėda1930KSS KlaipėdaLFLS KaunasSveikata Kybartai / Makabi Šiauliai1931KSS KlaipėdaKovas KaunasFreya Klaipėda1932LFLS KaunasKSS KlaipėdaLGSF Kaunas1933Kovas KaunasLFLS KaunasLGSF Kaunas1934MSK KaunasLFLS KaunasLGSF Kaunas1935Kovas KaunasKSS KlaipėdaSakalas Šiauliai / Šaulys Ukmergė1936Kovas KaunasLFLS KaunasLGSF Kaunas1937KSS KlaipėdaKovas KaunasLFLS Kaunas1937–38KSS KlaipėdaLGSF KaunasŠvyturys KlaipėdaLGSF KaunasKovas KaunasKSS Telšiai1939–40Competition abandonedWorld War II (1st Soviet and German Occupations)1941Competition not finished due to World War II (Spartakas Kaunas had the best record)1942LFLS KaunasMSK PanevėžysGubernija Šiauliai / LFLS Vilnius1942–43Tauras KaunasMSK PanevėžysGubernija Šiauliai / LGSF Vilnius1943–44Competition not finished due to World War II (Tauras Kaunas had the best record)
Note: In 1924–1930, 1935, 1942, 1942–1943 and 1945 seasons there was no unified league and winners were decided using either a play–off format or a single game between winners of separate divisions.
Performance by club ClubWinnerRunner-up3rdWinning seasonsKovas Kaunas6411924, 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935, 1936KSS Klaipėda6311928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1937–38LFLS Kaunas5621922, 1923, 1927, 1932, 1942LGSF Kaunas1141938–39MSK Kaunas1––1934Tauras Kaunas1––1942–43 All champions from this period are defunct.
Post-War period and the Lithuanian SSR Championship
During the Lithuania's Soviet occupation, each soviet republic ran their separate football championship. The clubs could either participate in the competition of the soviet republic, or in the Soviet Union football league system.
Seasons SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird placeTop scorer (Team)Goals1945Spartakas KaunasDinamo VilniusSodyba Klaipėda / Spartakas Šiauliai?1946Dinamo KaunasSpartakas KaunasLokomotyvas Panevėžys?1947Lokomotyvas KaunasSpartakas ŠiauliaiŽalgiris Klaipėda?1948Elnias ŠiauliaiŽalgiris TauragėSpartakas Vilnius?1949Elnias ŠiauliaiInkaras KaunasVėliava Šiauliai?1950Inkaras KaunasElnias ŠiauliaiAudra Klaipėda?1951Inkaras KaunasElnias ŠiauliaiAudiniai Kaunas?1952Karininkų Namai VilniusInkaras KaunasElnias Šiauliai?1953Elnias ŠiauliaiInkaras KaunasLima Kaunas?1954Inkaras KaunasLima KaunasElnias Šiauliai?1955Lima KaunasRaudonasis Spalis KaunasElfa Vilnius?1956Linų Audiniai PlungėElnias ŠiauliaiMSK Panevėžys Algimantas Lucinavičius (MSK Panevėžys)281957Elnias ŠiauliaiInkaras KaunasLinų Audiniai Plungė Petras Škėlovas (Raudonasis Spalis Kaunas)221958Elnias ŠiauliaiRaudonoji Žvaigždė VilniusSpartakas Vilnius Petras Škėlovas (Raudonasis Spalis Kaunas)11Raudonoji Žvaigždė VilniusKKI KaunasElnias Šiauliai?1959–60Elnias ŠiauliaiRaudonoji Žvaigždė VilniusLinų Audiniai Plungė Raimondas Prikockis (Elnias Šiauliai) A. Stankevičius (Spartakas-2 Vilnius)151960–61Elnias ŠiauliaiBaltija KlaipėdaInkaras Kaunas Algimantas Lucinavičius (Laisvė Kretinga)221961–62FK Atletas KaunasGranitas KlaipėdaInkaras Kaunas Romualdas Kazlauskas (MSK Panevėžys)221962–63Statyba PanevėžysPolitechnika KaunasInkaras Kaunas Vytautas Juknys (Politechnika Kaunas)231964Inkaras KaunasStatyba PanevėžysFK Minija Kretinga Petras Siniakovas (Inkaras Kaunas)261965Inkaras KaunasSaliutas VilniusStatyba Panevėžys Petras Siniakovas (Inkaras Kaunas)261966Nevėžis KėdainiaiStatybininkas ŠiauliaiSaliutas Vilnius Petras Siniakovas (Inkaras Kaunas)191967Saliutas VilniusInkaras KaunasNevėžis Kėdainiai S. Kuncevičius (Žalgiris Naujoji Vilnia) J. Mėlinauskas (Inkaras Kaunas) Kornelijus Skeivys (Statybininkas Šiauliai) Romas Skeivys (Statybininkas Šiauliai) 131968Statyba PanevėžysNevėžis KėdainiaiStatybininkas Šiauliai Romas Jokubaitis (Statyba Panevėžys)181969Statybininkas ŠiauliaiNevėžis KėdainiaiInkaras Kaunas V. Paura (Nevėžis Kėdainiai)171970FK Atletas KaunasPolitechnika KaunasNevėžis Kėdainiai Vytautas Dirmeikis (FK Atletas Kaunas)201971Pažanga VilniusAtlantas KlaipėdaVienybė Ukmergė R. Daunoravičius (Vienybė Ukmergė) E. Milius (FK Minija Kretinga)131972Nevėžis KėdainiaiPažanga VilniusDainava Alytus R. Balčiūnas (Pažanga Vilnius)131973Nevėžis KėdainiaiAtlantas KlaipėdaDainava Alytus?1974Tauras ŠiauliaiVienybė UkmergėAtmosfera Mažeikiai R. Daunoravičius (Vienybė Ukmergė)201975Dainava AlytusPažanga VilniusSūduva Kapsukas Eugenijus Kurguznikovas (Sūduva Kapsukas) V. Ščerbakovas (Atletas Kaunas) 171976Atmosfera MažeikiaiVienybė UkmergėPažanga Vilnius?1977Statybininkas ŠiauliaiKelininkas KaunasAtmosfera Mažeikiai R. Daunoravičius (Vienybė Ukmergė) Romas Šiaulys (Atmosfera Mažeikiai)151978Atlantas KlaipėdaStatybininkas ŠiauliaiBanga Kaunas R. Nausėda (Atletas Kaunas)131979Atmosfera MažeikiaiKelininkas KaunasNevėžis Kėdainiai?1980Atlantas KlaipėdaTauras ŠiauliaiPolitechnika Kaunas Edvardas Maliauskas (Atlantas Klaipėda)161981Atlantas KlaipėdaKelininkas KaunasPažanga Vilnius Vitalijus Stankevičius (Inkaras Kaunas)211982Pažanga VilniusAtlantas KlaipėdaTauras Šiauliai Edvardas Maliauskas (Atlantas Klaipėda)171983Pažanga VilniusAtlantas KlaipėdaTauras Šiauliai Rimantas Viktoravičius (Tauras Šiauliai)211984Atlantas KlaipėdaEkranas PanevėžysSRT Vilnius Jurijus Gordejevas (Atlantas Klaipėda)171985Ekranas PanevėžysAtlantas KlaipėdaSRT Vilnius K. Valantiejus (SRT Vilnius)161986Banga KaunasAtlantas KlaipėdaEkranas Panevėžys G. Anilionis (Banga Kaunas)171987Tauras TauragėSRT VilniusInkaras Kaunas Jurijus Gordejevas (SRT Vilnius)231988SRT VilniusInkaras KaunasEkranas Panevėžys Remigijus Bubliauskas (Tauras Tauragė) Jurijus Gordejevas (SRT Vilnius) Saulius Vertelis (Atmosfera Mažeikiai)201989Banga KaunasEkranas PanevėžysSirijus Klaipėda A. Vertelis (Atmosfera Mažeikiai)17Transitional competitions in 1990 included "Baltic League"1990Sirijus KlaipėdaEkranas PanevėžysŽalgiris Vilnius Dalius Bajorūnas (Tauras Šiauliai)22
Note: The biggest and most notable clubs, such as Žalgiris Vilnius played in Soviet Union's Football Premier League instead of Lithuanian SSR Divisions.
Performance by club ClubWinnerRunner-up3rdWinning seasonsElnias Šiauliai†7331948, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959–60, 1960–61Inkaras Kaunas†5651950, 1951, 1954, 1964, 1965Atlantas Klaipėda47-1978, 1980, 1981, 1984Karininkų Namai / Raudonoji Žvaigždė / Saliutas Vilnius†3311952, 1958–59, 1967Nevėžis Kėdainiai3231966, 1972, 1973Pažanga Vilnius†3221971, 1982, 1983Statybininkas Šiauliai†2211969, 1977Statyba Panevėžys†2131962–63, 1968FK Atletas Kaunas†21-1961–62, 1970Atmosfera Mažeikiai†2-21976, 1979Banga Kaunas†2-11986, 1989Ekranas Panevėžys†1221985Tauras Šiauliai†1121974SRT Vilnius†1121988Lima Kaunas†1111955Spartakas Kaunas†11-1945Tauras Tauragė†11-1987Linų Audiniai Plungė1-21956Dainava Alytus1-21975Dinamo Kaunas†1--1946Lokomotyvas Kaunas†1--1947 Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are written in Bold. † - Defunct clubs.
Regained Independence and the A Lyga - present
As Lithuania regained the independence in 1991,A lyga . lfe.lt. the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) was re-established, and A Lyga was shaped same year. The Soviet football divisions dissolved, and the teams that participated in them returned to the Lithuania's national championship.
List of champions (1991–present)
Seasons