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This page is part of the WikiProject on Football and provides a list of known fully professional leagues , and also those that are known to not be fully professional.
The lists are currently incomplete and some entries are lacking sources. Players who have not played in a fully professional league listed below may meet Wikipedia's General notability guideline . Failing to meet the criteria in this guideline means that notability will need to be established in other ways. See Category:Wikipedia notability guidelines .
If the source indicating the status is in a PDF document or other long article, please indicate the page number or sub-section. If the source is not in the English language please list the foreign-language text that confirms the fact, and provide an English-language translation.
Of FIFA's 211[1] current member associations, 210 have men's leagues which are currently included in this list. Liechtenstein does not have its own national league.[2]
What is a "fully professional" league?A fully professional league is one in which virtually all[quantify ] adult players are paid a salary that they can live on and do not need additional sources of income.[3] This salary should be a living wage in the nation where the league is based, and preferably around or above the average or median national wage. The professionalism of the league should also extend to sufficient contact hours, and facilities, equipment, expenses and other support as necessary to allow full-time pursuit of the sport.[4]
List of fully professional leagues Men's leagues Albania – Albanian Superliga ,[5] Albanian First Division [5] Algeria – Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 ,[6] Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 2 [6] Argentina – Argentine Primera División (since 1931),[7] Primera B Nacional ,[8] Primera B Metropolitana [9] Australia – A-League Men [10] Austria – Austrian Football Bundesliga ,[11] Austrian Football Second League [11] Azerbaijan – Azerbaijan Premier League (from ~2013)[dubious – discuss ] [12] [13] Belarus – Belarusian Premier League ,[14] Belgium – Belgian First Division A (also know as Belgian Pro League ) (from ~1960)[dubious – discuss ] ,[15] Belgian First Division B (from 2016–17)[16] Bolivia – Bolivian Primera División [17] Bosnia and Herzegovina – Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from the 2016–17 season)[18] [19] Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro Série A ,[20] Campeonato Brasileiro Série B ,[21] Campeonato Brasileiro Série C ,[22] Campeonato Paulista ,[23] Campeonato Mineiro ,[24] Campeonato Carioca ,[25] Campeonato Gaúcho ,[26] Campeonato Paraibano ,[27] Campeonato Pernambucano ,[28] [29] Campeonato Paranaense [30] [31] Bulgaria – First Professional Football League [32] Canada – Canadian Premier League ,[33] [34] Major League Soccer ,[35] [36] USL Championship (formerly United Soccer League, USL Pro),[37] USL League One ,[38] [39] [40] [41] North American Soccer League (2011–2017) [42] Chile – Chilean Primera División [43] China PR – Chinese Super League ,[44] [45] China League One , China League Two (2004–2010, 2014–present)[46] Colombia – Categoría Primera A [47] Costa Rica – Liga FPD [48] Croatia – Croatian First Football League [49] Cyprus – Cypriot First Division [timeframe? ] [50] Czech Republic – Czech First League ,[51] [52] Czech National Football League [52] [53] [54] [55] Denmark – Danish Superliga [timeframe? ] [56] [57] Dominican Republic – Liga Dominicana de Fútbol [58] Ecuador – Ecuadorian Serie A [59] [60] Egypt – Egyptian Premier League [61] (since 1990)[62] England – Premier League ,[63] English Football League [63] [64] [66] Finland – Veikkausliiga [timeframe? ] [67] [68] France – Ligue 1 ,[69] Ligue 2 (from 1993–94 season)[69] Germany – Bundesliga ,[timeframe? ] [70] 2. Bundesliga ,[70] 3. Liga [71] [72] [73] Greece – Super League Greece ,[74] [75] Super League Greece 2 ,[76] Football League (until 2019),[74] [77] Gamma Ethniki (formerly Football League 2, only from 1983 to 2013)[77] [78] Hong Kong – Hong Kong Premier League ,[45] Hong Kong First Division League (until 2014)[45] Hungary – Nemzeti Bajnokság I [82] India – Indian Super League ,[83] I-League [84] Indonesia – Liga 1 [85] [45] (from 2008) Iran – Persian Gulf Pro League (formerly Iran Pro League)[86] [45] Israel – Israeli Premier League ,[87] Liga Leumit (only until 2008–09 season)[87] Italy – Serie A ,[88] Serie B ,[89] Serie C [90] Japan – J1 League ,[91] [45] J2 League ,[91] J3 League [92] [93] [94] [95] [96] [97] Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan Premier League [98] Malaysia – Malaysia Super League [45] Mexico – Liga MX ,[20] Ascenso MX (until 2020) [99] Moldova – Moldovan National Division [100] [101] Morocco – Botola (from 2011–12)[102] [103] Myanmar – Myanmar National League [104] [105] Netherlands – Eredivisie (at some point after 1980),[106] [unreliable source? ] [107] Eerste Divisie [106] New Zealand – A-League [10] Nigeria – Nigerian Professional Football League (formerly Nigerian Premier League)[108] Norway – Eliteserien (formerly Tippeligaen)[citation needed ] (from 2001)[disputed – discuss ] Paraguay – Paraguayan Primera División ,[109] Paraguayan División Intermedia [109] Peru – Peruvian Primera División ,[110] Peruvian Segunda División [111] Philippines – Philippine Premier League (2019),[112] Philippines Football League [113] [114] [115] [116] [117] Poland – Ekstraklasa ,[118] I liga [119] [120] [121] [122] [123] [124] Portugal – Primeira Liga ,[125] LigaPro [125] Qatar – Qatar Stars League [126] Romania – Liga I [82] [127] Russia – Russian Premier League ,[129] Russian Football National League [130] Saudi Arabia – Saudi Professional League (since 2007)[131] [132] Scotland – Scottish Premiership ,[timeframe? ] [133] Scottish Championship [timeframe? ] [134] [135] [136] [137] [138] [139] [140] [failed verification ] [141] [142] (until 2019–20 season)[143] [144] [145] Serbia – Serbian SuperLiga ,[146] [147] [148] Serbian First League (since 2016)[149] Singapore – Singapore Premier League (formerly S.League)[150] [151] [45] Slovakia – Slovak Super Liga (since 2009)[152] [153] Slovenia – Slovenian PrvaLiga [154] [155] [156] South Africa – South African Premier Division (also known as Premier Soccer League, since 1996–97),[157] National First Division [158] [159] South Korea – K League 1 ,[160] K League 2 [160] [161] Spain – La Liga ,[162] Segunda División [162] Sweden – Allsvenskan [timeframe? ] [163] Switzerland – Swiss Super League [timeframe? ] [164] Syria – Syrian Premier League (approximately 2003–2011 only)[165] Thailand – Thai League 1 [166] [45] Tunisia – Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 [167] Turkey – Süper Lig [168] Ukraine – Ukrainian Premier League ,[20] Ukrainian First League ,[170] Ukrainian Second League [170] United Arab Emirates – UAE Pro-League [171] United States – Major League Soccer ,[35] USL Championship (formerly United Soccer League, USL Pro),[37] USL League One [38] [39] [40] [41] Defunct leagues that were fully professional in the United States – USSF Division 2 Professional League ,[172] USL First Division ,[37] North American Soccer League (1968–84) ,[173] North American Soccer League (2011–2017) ,[42] American Soccer League (1921–33) ,[174] American Soccer League (1988–89) ,[175] Eastern Professional Soccer League (1928–29) ,[176] United Soccer League (1984–85) ,[177] National Professional Soccer League (1967) ,[178] United Soccer Association ,[178] American Professional Soccer League ,[179] A-League (1995–2004) ,[180] 1995 USISL Professional League ,[180] 1996 USISL Professional League ,[181] 1996 USISL Select League [181] Uruguay – Uruguayan Primera División ,[182] Uruguayan Segunda División [182] Venezuela – Venezuelan Primera División ,[183] [184] Venezuelan Segunda División [184] Vietnam – V.League 1 (from 2015)[185] [186] Former countries Women's leagues
Top level leagues which are not fully professional
Men's leagues Associated to FIFA confederations Non-FIFA Women's leagues
See also
References