The Chilean Primera División (English: First Division of Chile) is a professional football league, being the highest division of Chilean football league system. It is organized by the ANFP. The league was previously known as the Campeonato AFP PlanVital for sponsorship reasons. In 2023, the ANFP signed a partnership with Betsson Group to become the official naming sponsor of the competition, which became known as Campeonato Betsson.[3]
| Founded | 31 May 1933 |
|---|---|
| Country | Chile |
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Primera B |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa Chile |
| International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana |
| Current champions | Huachipato (3rd title) (2023) |
| Most championships | Colo-Colo (33 titles) |
| Most appearances | Adolfo Nef (624)[1] |
| Top goalscorer | Esteban Paredes (221)[2] |
| TV partners |
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| Website | anfp.cl |
| Current: 2024 Chilean Primera División | |
Format
As of the 2018 season, 16 teams compete in the league, playing against each other twice, once at home and once away.
Relegation and promotion
Currently, the two teams with the worst scores in the season, are relegated to Primera B, and replaced by the champions and the playoff winners of this division.
Qualification for international competitions
The league champions qualify for the following year's Copa Libertadores, as well as the runners-up and the third-placed team. The teams placing fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh qualify for the following year's Copa Sudamericana.
History
Professionalism
In 1933, eight big clubs at that time, namely, Unión Española, Badminton, Colo-Colo, Audax Italiano, Green Cross, Morning Star, Magallanes and Santiago National F.C., founded the Liga Profesional de Football de Santiago (LPF) on May 31, 1933. The newly formed body was recognized by the Football Federation of Chile on June 2, 1933. [citation needed]
The first edition of professional competition was contested by the eight founding teams and was won by Magallanes after defeating Colo-Colo in a decisive match. In the following year, according to the disposition of Federación de Fútbol de Chile, Liga Profesional returned to integrate with the AFS. As part of the negotiations for reunification, four teams from AFS, namely, Club Deportivo Ferroviarios, Carlos Walker, Deportivo Alemán, and Santiago F.C., would join the 1934 professional competition. Moreover, it was also decided that the last six teams in the 1934 competition would be eliminated to form the new second division in 1935. The title of the expanded 1934 edition was again clinched by Magallanes, which won 10 out of the 11 matches that year.[4]
Broadcasters
Current teams
There are 16 teams playing in the Primera División, as of the 2024 season.[5]
List of seasons
Source (not for goalscorers): rsssf.com[8]
Titles by club
Source:[9]
| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colo-Colo | 33 | 22 | 1937, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1953, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 Clausura, 1998, 2002 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2007 Apertura, 2007 Clausura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Clausura, 2014 Clausura, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Transición, 2022 | 1933, 1943, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1973, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 Apertura, 2003 Apertura, 2003 Clausura, 2008 Apertura, 2010, 2015 Clausura, 2016 Clausura, 2017 Clausura, 2019, 2021 |
| 2 | Universidad de Chile | 18 | 8 | 1940, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004 Apertura, 2009 Apertura, 2011 Apertura, 2011 Clausura, 2012 Apertura, 2014 Apertura, 2017 Clausura | 1957, 1961, 1963, 1971, 1980, 1998, 2005 Clausura, 2006 Apertura |
| 3 | Universidad Católica | 16 | 21 | 1949, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1984, 1987, 1997 Apertura, 2002 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2010, 2016 Clausura, 2016 Apertura, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 | 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 Clausura, 1999, 2001, 2002 Clausura, 2007 Apertura, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Transición, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Clausura, 2015 Apertura |
| 4 | Cobreloa | 8 | 8 | 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 2003 Apertura, 2003 Clausura, 2004 Clausura | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1993, 2000, 2004 Apertura, 2011 Clausura |
| 5 | Unión Española | 7 | 10 | 1943, 1951, 1973, 1975, 1977, 2005 Apertura, 2013 Transición | 1945, 1948, 1950, 1970, 1972, 1976, 2004 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2012 Clausura, 2017 Transición |
| 6 | Audax Italiano | 4 | 8 | 1936, 1946, 1948, 1957 | 1934, 1935, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1947, 1951, 2006 Clausura |
| Magallanes | 4 | 4 | 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938 | 1936, 1937, 1942, 1946 | |
| Everton | 4 | 2 | 1950, 1952, 1976, 2008 Apertura | 1977, 1985 | |
| 9 | Santiago Wanderers | 3 | 4 | 1958, 1968, 2001 | 1949, 1956, 1960, 2014 Apertura |
| Huachipato | 3 | — | 1974, 2012 Clausura, 2023 | — | |
| 11 | Palestino | 2 | 4 | 1955, 1978 | 1953, 1974, 1986, 2008 Clausura |
| 12 | Cobresal | 1 | 3 | 2015 Clausura | 1984, 1988, 2023 |
| Santiago Morning | 1 | 2 | 1942 | 1939, 1941 | |
| O'Higgins | 1 | 1 | 2013 Apertura | 2012 Apertura | |
| Green Cross | 1 | — | 1945 | — | |
| Unión San Felipe | 1 | — | 1971 | — |
All-time goalscorers
| Rank | Country | Player | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Esteban Paredes | 221 | 2000-2022 |
| 2 | | Francisco Valdés | 215 | 1961-1983 |
| 3 | | Pedro González | 214 | 1985-2006 |
| 4 | | Honorino Landa | 193 | 1959-1974 |
| 5 |  | Óscar Fabbiani | 188 | 1974-1987 |
| 6 | | Marcelo Corrales | 188 | 1990-2007 |
| 7 | | Carlos Campos | 184 | 1956-1969 |
| 8 | | Jaime Riveros | 175 | 1990-2011 |
| 9 | | Atilio Cremaschi | 174 | 1941-1960 |
| 10 | | Carlos Caszely | 171 | 1967-1986 |
| 11 | | José Fernández | 171 | 1948-1961 |
| 12 | | Luis Hernán Álvarez | 168 | 1958-1969 |
| 13 | | Juan Soto | 166 | 1957-1969 |
| 14 | | Leonel Sánchez | 161 | 1953-1970 |
| 15 | | Anibal González | 156 | 1983-2001 |
| 16 | | Julio Crisosto | 154 | 1969-1983 |