The Liga FUTVE is the top-flight professional football league of Venezuela. It was created in 1921 and turned professional in 1957. It is organized by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol (Venezuelan Football League). In 2017, the league rebranded to its current name.
Format Starting in the 2020 season, 20 teams play in a home-and-away round-robin tournament, with the top eight teams advancing to the semi-final stage.
At the semi-final stage, the eight teams are divided into two groups of four teams each, facing the other teams in their group twice. The two group winners advance to the Serie Final to decide the league champions.
International qualification The champions and runners-up qualify to the group phase of the Copa Libertadores. The team with the most points in the entire season qualifies to the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 3. The second and third team with the most points in the entire season qualifies to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2. If a team won both tournaments that team qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 1, then the first and second team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Libertadores as Venezuela 2 and Venezuela 3 and the fourth and fifth team with the most points in the entire season qualify to the Copa Sudamericana as Venezuela 1 and Venezuela 2. If the winner of the Copa Venezuela does not qualify to the Copa Libertadores through the aforementioned manners or through the point total in the entire season, they take the Venezuela 2 spot in the Copa Sudamericana.
Relegation The two lowest placed teams in the entire season are automatically relegated to the Segunda División.
2026 teams
TeamCityStadiumCapacity Academia Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello Complejo Deportivo Socialista 7,500 Anzoátegui Puerto La Cruz José Antonio Anzoátegui 37,485 Carabobo Valencia Misael Delgado 10,400 Caracas Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Deportivo La Guaira Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Deportivo Táchira San Cristóbal Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo 38,755 Estudiantes de Mérida Mérida Metropolitano de Mérida 42,200 Metropolitanos Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Monagas Maturín Monumental de Maturín 51,796 Portuguesa Acarigua General José Antonio Páez 18,000 Rayo Zuliano Maracaibo José "Pachencho" Romero 40,800 Trujillanos Valera José Alberto Pérez 25,000 Universidad Central Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Zamora Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800
List of champions List of champions since the first championship held in 1920. The Primera División turned professional on 21 February 1957. Amateur era
SeasonChampion Runner-up 1921 América Centro Atlético 1922 Centro Atlético América 1923 América Centro Atlético 1924 Centro Atlético Vargas 1925 Loyola Venzóleo 1926 Centro Atlético Venzóleo 1927 Venzóleo Centro Atlético 1928 Deportivo Venezuela Centro Atlético 1929 Deportivo Venezuela Unión 1930 Centro Atlético Unión 1931 Deportivo Venezuela Centro Atlético 1932 Unión Dos Caminos 1933 Deportivo Venezuela Dos Caminos 1934 Unión Dos Caminos 1935 Unión Dos Caminos 1936 Dos Caminos Centro Atlético 1937 Dos Caminos Litoral 1938 Dos Caminos Litoral 1939 Unión Litoral 1940 Unión Dos Caminos 1941 Litoral Dos Caminos 1942 Dos Caminos Loyola 1943 Loyola Litoral 1944 Loyola Dos Caminos 1945 Dos Caminos Loyola 1946 Deportivo Español Centro Atlético 1947 Unión Universidad Central 1948 Loyola Unión 1949 Dos Caminos Universidad Central 1950 Unión La Salle 1951 Universidad Central Loyola 1952 La Salle Loyola 1953 Universidad Central La Salle 1954 Deportivo Vasco Loyola 1955 La Salle Deportivo Español 1956 Banco Obrero La Salle
Professional era
SeasonChampion Runner-upWinning managerTop scorer 1957Universidad Central La Salle Orlando Fantoni Tonho (Universidad Central, 12 goals) 1958Deportivo Portugués Deportivo Español Orlando Fantoni René Irazque (Portugués, 6 goals) 1959Deportivo Español Deportivo Portugués Delfín Benítez Cáceres Abel Benítez (Deportivo Español, 15 goals) 1960Deportivo Portugués Deportivo Español Javier Ferreira José Luis Iglesias (Deportivo Portugués, 9 goals) 1961Deportivo Italia Banco Agrícola y Pecuario Orlando Fantoni Antonio Ravelo (Banco Agrícola y Pecuario, 11 goals) 1962Deportivo Portugués Universidad Central Emilio Huguet Jaime da Silva (Universidad Central, 16) 1963Deportivo Italia Deportivo Portugués Orlando Fantoni Nino (Deportivo Portugués, 15 goals) 1964Deportivo Galicia Tiquire Flores Julio César Britos Helio Rodrigues (Tiquire Flores, 12 goals) 1965Lara Deportivo Italia Gaetano Pintón Mario Mateo (Lara, 16 goals) 1966Deportivo Italia Deportivo Portugués Orlando Fantoni Ratto (Deportivo Portugués, 20 goals) 1967Deportivo Portugués Deportivo Galicia José Julián Hernández Joao Ramos (Deportivo Portugués, 28 goals) 1968Unión Deportiva Canarias Deportivo Italia Manuel Arias Raimundinho (Deportivo Portugués, 21 goals) 1969Deportivo Galicia Valencia Julio César Britos Eustaquio Batista (Deportivo Italia, 19 goals) Lelo (Valencia, 19 goals) 1970Deportivo Galicia Deportivo Italia Silvio Leite Roland Langon (Deportivo Galicia, 13 goals) 1971Valencia Deportivo Italia Walter Roque Agostinho Sabara (Tiquire Aragua, 20 goals) 1972Deportivo Italia Deportivo Galicia Elmo Correa Francisco Rodriguez (Anzoátegui FC, 18 goals) 1973Portuguesa Valencia Walter Roque Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 14 goals) 1974Deportivo Galicia Portuguesa Walter Roque Jose Chiazzaro (Estudiantes de Mérida, 15 goals) Sergio Hugo Castillo (Anzoátegui FC, 15 goals) 1975Portuguesa Estudiantes de Mérida Vladica Popović Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 20 goals) 1976Portuguesa Estudiantes de Mérida Benjamín Fernández Pedro Pascual Peralta (Portuguesa, 25 goals) 1977Portuguesa Estudiantes de Mérida Vladica Popović Jairzinho (Portuguesa, 20 goals) Juan Cesar Silva (Portuguesa, 20 goals) 1978Portuguesa Deportivo Galicia Celino Mora Andrade (ULA Mérida, 23 goals) 1979Deportivo Táchira Deportivo Galicia Esteban Beracochea Omar Ferrari (Deportivo Táchira, 15 goals) 1980Estudiantes de Mérida Portuguesa Ramón Rodríguez Wilfrido Campos (Portuguesa, 12 goals) 1981Deportivo Táchira Estudiantes de Mérida Esteban Beracochea Rafael Angulo (Deportivo Táchira, 14 goals) 1982San Cristóbal Deportivo Táchira Walter Roque German Montero (Estudiantes, 21 goals) 1983Universidad de Los Andes Portuguesa Iván García Johnny Castellanos (Atlético Zamora, 13 goals) 1984Deportivo Táchira Deportivo Italia Carlos Horacio Moreno Sergio Meckler (Zamora, 15 goals) 1985Estudiantes de Mérida Deportivo Táchira Iván García Sergio Meckler (Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals) 1986Unión Atlético Táchira Estudiantes de Mérida Carlos Horacio Moreno Wilton Arreaza (Caracas, 8 goals) 1986–87Marítimo Unión Atlético Táchira Rafael Santana Johnny Castellanos (Portuguesa, 16 goals) 1987–88Marítimo Unión Atlético Táchira Alfredo López Miguel González (Unión Atlético Táchira, 22 goals) 1988–89Mineros de Guayana Pepeganga Margarita Alfredo López Johnny Castellanos (Mineros, 24 goals) 1989–90Marítimo Unión Atlético Táchira Rafael Santana Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 19 goals) 1990–91Universidad de Los Andes Marítimo Carlos Diéz Alexander Bottini (Monagas, 15 goals) 1991–92Caracas Minervén Manuel Plasencia Andreas Vogler (Caracas, 25 goals) 1992–93Marítimo Minervén Miguel Sabina Herbert Márquez (Marítimo, 21 goals) 1993–94Caracas Trujillanos Manuel Plasencia Rodrigo Soto (Trujillanos, 20 goals) 1994–95Caracas Minervén Pedro Febles Rogeiro da Silva (Mineros, 30 goals) 1995–96Minervén Mineros de Guayana Raúl Cavalleri Jose Luis Dolgetta (Caracas, 24 goals) 1996–97Caracas Atlético Zulia Manuel Plasencia Rafael Castellín (Caracas, 19 goals) 1997–98Atlético Zulia Estudiantes de Mérida Ratomir Dujkovic Jose Luis Dolgetta (Estudiantes de Mérida/Carabobo, 22 goals) 1998–99Deportivo Italchacao Unión Atlético Táchira Raúl Cavalleri Gustavo Fonseca (Internacional Lara, 24 goals) 1999–00Deportivo Táchira Deportivo Italchacao Walter Roque Juan Enrique García (Caracas, 24 goals) 2000–01Caracas Trujillanos Carlos Horacio Moreno Martín Brignani (Estudiantes de Mérida, 12 goals) 2001–02Nacional Táchira Estudiantes de Mérida Carlos Maldonado Juan Enrique García (Nacional Táchira, 34 goals) 2002–03Caracas Unión Atlético Maracaibo Noel Sanvicente Juan Enrique García (Monagas/Mineros, 19 goals) 2003–04Caracas Deportivo Táchira Noel Sanvicente Juan Enrique García (Mineros, 18 goals) 2004–05 Unión Atlético Maracaibo Caracas Carlos Maldonado Daniel Delfino (Carabobo, 19 goals) 2005–06Caracas Unión Atlético Maracaibo Noel Sanvicente Juan Enrique García (Deportivo Táchira, 21 goals) 2006–07Caracas Unión Atlético Maracaibo Noel Sanvicente Robinson Rentería (Trujillanos, 19 goals) 2007–08Deportivo Táchira Caracas Carlos Maldonado Alexander Rondon (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 19 goals) 2008–09 Caracas Deportivo Italia Noel Sanvicente Daniel Arismendi (Maracaibo/Deportivo Táchira, 17 goals) Heatklif Castillo (Aragua, 17 goals) 2009–10Caracas Deportivo Táchira Ceferino Bencomo Norman Cabrera (Atlético El Vigía, 20 goals) 2010–11Deportivo Táchira Zamora Jorge Luis Pinto Daniel Arismendi (Deportivo Anzoátegui, 20 goals) 2011–12 Deportivo Lara Caracas Eduardo Saragó Rafael Castellín (Deportivo Lara, 21 goals) 2012–13 Zamora Deportivo Anzoátegui Noel Sanvicente Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 19 goals) 2013–14 Zamora Mineros de Guayana Noel Sanvicente Juan Falcón (Zamora, 19 goals) 2014–15 Deportivo Táchira Trujillanos Daniel Farías Edwin Aguilar (Deportivo Anzoategui, 23 goals) 2016 Zamora Zulia Francesco Stifano Gabriel Torres (Zamora, 22 goals) 2017 Monagas Deportivo Lara Jhonny Ferreira Anthony Blondell (Monagas, 24 goals) 2018 Zamora Deportivo Lara Alí Cañas Anthony Uribe (Zamora, 16 goals) 2019 Caracas Estudiantes de Mérida Noel Sanvicente Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 18 goals) 2020 Deportivo La Guaira Deportivo Táchira Daniel Farías Richard Blanco (Mineros, 8 goals) Edder Farías (Atlético Venezuela, 8 goals) 2021 Deportivo Táchira Caracas Juan Domingo Tolisano Samson Akinyoola (Caracas, 18 goals) 2022 Metropolitanos Monagas José María Morr Kevin Viveros (Carabobo, 21 goals) 2023 Deportivo Táchira Caracas Eduardo Saragó Luifer Hernández (Academia Puerto Cabello, 18 goals) 2024 Deportivo Táchira Carabobo Edgar Pérez Greco Juan Camilo Zapata (Inter de Barinas/Universidad Central, 16 goals) 2025 Universidad Central Carabobo Daniel Sasso Edwuin Pernía (Academia Puerto Cabello, 15 goals) 2026
Titles by club Clubs in bold compete in Primera División as of the 2026 season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.