Top division men's association football league in Portugal
For the former Brazilian regional cup with the same name, see Primeira Liga 5️⃣ (Brazil)
Football league
The Primeira Liga (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɾiˈmɐjɾɐ ˈliɣɐ]), also known as Liga Portugal, and officially known as Liga Portugal Betclic 5️⃣ for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, 5️⃣ it is contested by 18 teams since the 2014–15 season, with the three lowest-placed teams relegated to the Liga Portugal 5️⃣ 2 and replaced by the top-three non-reserve teams from this division.[a]
Founded in 1934 as Campeonato da Liga da Primeira Divisão, 5️⃣ it was named Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Divisão from 1938 until 1999, when it was changed to its current naming. 5️⃣ Over 70 teams have competed in the Primeira Liga, but only five have been crowned champions. Among them, the "Big 5️⃣ Three" teams – Benfica (38 wins), Porto (30) and Sporting CP (19) – have won all but two Primeira Liga 5️⃣ titles; the other winners are Belenenses (1945–46) and Boavista (2000–01).[2]
The Primeira Liga has increased its reputation in recent years, occupying 5️⃣ the sixth place of UEFA's national league ranking, as of 2024. It broke into the top five for the first 5️⃣ time in the 2011–12 season, passing the French Ligue 1, one of the historical "big five" European leagues, for the 5️⃣ first time since 1990. The Primeira Liga also reached a world ranking of fourth according to IFFHS's 2011 ranking.[3]
History [ 5️⃣ edit ]
Before the Portuguese football reform of 1938, a competition on a round-basis was already being held – the Primeira 5️⃣ Liga (Premier League) and the winners of that competition were named "League champions". Despite that, a Championship of Portugal in 5️⃣ a knock-out cup format was the most popular and defined the Portuguese champion, although the winners of this competition no 5️⃣ longer count as Portuguese football champions.[citation needed]
Then, with the reform, a round-robin basis competition was implemented as the most important 5️⃣ of the calendar and began defining the Portuguese champion. From 1938 to 1999, the name Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Divisão 5️⃣ (National Championship of the First Division) or just Primeira Divisão (First Division), was used.[4]
Porto won the inaugural edition of the 5️⃣ new league championship and successfully defended the title in the next season. In 1939–40 the tournament was expanded from eight 5️⃣ to ten clubs, due to an administrative battle between Porto and Académico do Porto, regarding a Regional Championship game that 5️⃣ ended with only 43 minutes after the start, and later repeated (which FC Porto won) according to Porto FA decision. 5️⃣ FPF came out with a decision to satisfy both clubs, expanding the championship to 10 teams (one more from Porto 5️⃣ FA and another from Setúbal FA) and annulling the result from the repetition match. With this decision, FC Porto lost 5️⃣ the Regional title and finished in 3rd, Leixões SC became the new regional champion, while Académico was 2nd place. All 5️⃣ 3 teams qualified for 1939–40 Primeira Divisão.[5]
In the 1941–42 season, it was decided to expand the championship from eight to 5️⃣ ten teams to admit Braga FA and Algarve FA champions (until this season only the top teams from Porto, Coimbra, 5️⃣ Lisboa and Setúbal were admitted).[6] Porto finished the regional championship in third place again, which did not grant entry into 5️⃣ the Primeira Liga. However, a second expand (from 10 to 12) in the same season was decided, which allowed the 5️⃣ club to participate.[8]
After the 1945–46 season, the qualifying system based on regional championships was abandoned and adopted a pyramid system, 5️⃣ with relegations and promotions between the 3 tiers. The clubs in Primeira Divisão, Segunda Divisão and Terceira Divisão no longer 5️⃣ had to play their district championships on the same season as they had been doing since the first seasons of 5️⃣ the Liga.[6] Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history;
8 clubs: 5️⃣ 1934–1939
10 clubs: 1939–1940
8 clubs: 1940–1941
12 clubs: 1941–1942
10 clubs: 1942–1945
12 clubs: 1945–1946
14 clubs: 1946–1971
16 clubs: 1971–1987
20 clubs: 1987–1989
18 clubs: 1989–1990
20 clubs: 5️⃣ 1990–1991
18 clubs: 1991–2006
16 clubs: 2006–2014
18 clubs: 2014–present
When the Portuguese League for Professional Football took control of the two nationwide leagues 5️⃣ in 1999, it was renamed "Primeira Liga" (Premier League).[citation needed]
"Big Three" performance over the last 10 seasons Season Benfica Porto 5️⃣ Sporting 2013–14 1 3 2 2014–15 1 2 3 2024–16 1 3 2 2024–17 1 2 3 2024–18 2 1 5️⃣ 3 2024–19 1 2 3 2024–20 2 1 4 2024–21 3 2 1 2024–22 3 1 2 2024–23 1 2 5️⃣ 4
Big Three [ edit ]
"The Big Three" (Portuguese: Os Três Grandes) is a nickname for the three most powerful sports 5️⃣ clubs in Portugal. With the exception of Belenenses in 1945–46 and Boavista in 2000–01, only three clubs have won the 5️⃣ Primeira Liga title – Benfica (38 times), Porto (30) and Sporting CP (19). These three clubs generally end up sharing 5️⃣ the top three positions (thus, appearing more frequently in UEFA competitions) and are the only clubs to have played in 5️⃣ every season of the competition.
These clubs dominate Portuguese football, and it has become typical for fans to support any of 5️⃣ these teams as a "first club", with a local team probably coming afterwards, if at all. The "Big Three" have 5️⃣ the highest average attendance ratings every season in Portugal, while many other teams, lacking support from the locals, have suffered 5️⃣ from poor attendance. The lack of support for local teams is considered to be one of the main reasons why 5️⃣ Portuguese Football registers one of the worst attendance ratings in European Football's best championships, alongside the broadcast of almost all 5️⃣ the games on television. In other sports, the rivalry between the big clubs is also considerable and it usually leads 5️⃣ to arguments between the fans and players.[9]
Benfica is the club with most league, cup and league cup titles, as well 5️⃣ as the most domestic titles (81) and overall titles won (83 or 84, if the Latin Cup is taken into 5️⃣ account), including back-to-back European Cup trophies. Porto is the club with most Portuguese Super Cups and international titles won (7).
Sporting 5️⃣ CP holds the third place when it comes to the most league and cup titles. Benfica is the only Portuguese 5️⃣ club to have won two consecutive European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, reaching ten European finals: seven European Cups and three 5️⃣ UEFA Cup/Europa League, and was runner-up in two Intercontinental Cups. Porto is the only Portuguese club since 1987 to have 5️⃣ won any international competition (excluding the UEFA Intertoto Cup), gathering a total of two European Cup/UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA 5️⃣ Cup/Europa Leagues, one European Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cups and finished runner-up in one European Cup Winner's Cup and 5️⃣ three UEFA Super Cups. Sporting won one European Cup Winner's Cup and was runner-up in one UEFA Cup. Apart from 5️⃣ the big three, Braga won the last UEFA Intertoto Cup and was runner-up in one UEFA Europa League.[10][11]
Galp Energia acquired 5️⃣ the naming rights to the league in 2002, titling the division SuperLiga GalpEnergia. A four-year deal with the Austrian sports 5️⃣ betting bwin was announced on 18 August 2005 amid questioning by the other gambling authorities in Portugal (the Santa Casa 5️⃣ da Misericórdia and the Portuguese Casinos Association), who claimed to hold the exclusive rights to legal gambling games in Portuguese 5️⃣ national territory. After holding the name Liga betandwin for the 2005–06 season, the name was changed to bwin LIGA in 5️⃣ July 2006.[12][13]
From the 2008–09 season to the 2009–10 season the league was named Liga Sagres due to sponsorship from Sagres 5️⃣ beer. In 2010, they renewed the sponsorship from Sagres, but also got the sponsorship from ZON Multimédia. The league was 5️⃣ named Liga ZON Sagres until 2013–14 after the sponsorship agreement between Sagres, ZON (now NOS) and the league ended. In 5️⃣ 2024, the league was named Liga NOS until the 2024–21 season.[14] From 2024 to 2024, it was known Liga Portugal 5️⃣ Bwin. Since 2024, it is called Liga Portugal Betclic.
Sponsorship names for seasons
2002–2005: SuperLiga GalpEnergia
2005–2006: Liga betandwin
2006–2008: bwin LIGA
2008–2010: Liga Sagres
2010–2014: 5️⃣ Liga ZON Sagres
2014–2024: Liga NOS
2024–2024: Liga Portugal Bwin
2024–: Liga Portugal Betclic
Official match ball [ edit ]
Competition [ edit ]
Since the 5️⃣ 2014–15 season, there are 18 clubs in the Primeira Liga, up from 16 in the previous seasons. During the course 5️⃣ of a season, each club plays all teams twice – once at their home stadium and once at their opponent's 5️⃣ stadium – for a total of 34 games. At the end of each season, the two lowest placed teams are 5️⃣ relegated to the Segunda Liga and the top two teams from Segunda Liga are promoted to the Primeira Liga.
Qualification for 5️⃣ European competitions [ edit ]
The top teams in Primeira Liga qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the top two 5️⃣ teams entering the group stage directly. The third placed team enters the playoffs for the group stage of the UEFA 5️⃣ Champions League; if they fail to qualify, they enter the UEFA Europa League, along with the fourth placed team and 5️⃣ the Taça de Portugal cup winners. If the Taça de Portugal cup winners qualify for the UEFA Champions League through 5️⃣ league placing, the berth is given to the fifth placed team.
UEFA ranking [ edit ]
UEFA League Ranking as of the 5️⃣ 2024–24 season:[17]
Clubs [ edit ]
Attendance [ edit ]
Since the beginning of the league, there are three clubs with an attendance 5️⃣ much higher than the others: Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP. They have also the biggest stadiums in Portugal, with more 5️⃣ than 50,000 seats. Other clubs, such as Vitória de Guimarães and Braga, also have good attendances. Académica de Coimbra, Vitória 5️⃣ de Setúbal, Boavista, Belenenses, and Marítimo are historical clubs, with more than 30 top-flight seasons, from the biggest Portuguese cities, 5️⃣ and have also many supporters. However, they do not have big attendances nowadays. Their stadiums have between 10,000 and 30,000 5️⃣ seats.
The 2024–18 season saw the following average attendance by club:[19]
List of champions and top scorers [ edit ]
Before 1995–96, the 5️⃣ points were awarded in a format of two points for a win. In that season, Primeira Liga switched to the 5️⃣ now standard three points for a win system.
(1) Porto saw six points subtracted for corruption allegations in the Apito Dourado,[20] 5️⃣ but they recovered those points in July 2024.
Performance by club [ edit ]
All Primeira Liga champions have come from either 5️⃣ Lisbon or Porto.
Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runner-up seasons Benfica 38 29 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1954–55, 5️⃣ 1956–57, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 5️⃣ 1990–91, 1993–94, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2024–16, 2024–17, 2024–19, 2024–23 1943–44, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1965–66, 5️⃣ 1969–70, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2024–18, 2024–20 Porto 5️⃣ 30 29 1934–35, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 5️⃣ 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2024–18, 2024–20, 2024–22 1935–36, 1937–38, 1940–41, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 5️⃣ 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2014–15, 2024–17, 2024–19, 2024–21, 5️⃣ 2024–23 Sporting CP 19 22 1940–41, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1979–80, 5️⃣ 1981–82, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2024–21 1934–35, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1976–77, 1984–85, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2005–06, 5️⃣ 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2024–16, 2024–22 Boavista 0 1 0 3 2000–01 1975–76, 1998–99, 2001–02 Belenenses 0 1 0 3 5️⃣ 1945–46 1936–37, 1954–55, 1972–73 Braga 0 0 0 1 — 2009–10 Vitória de Setúbal 0 0 0 1 — 1971–72 5️⃣ Académica 0 0 0 1 — 1966–67
All-time Primeira Liga table [ edit ]
The all-time Primeira Liga table is an overall 5️⃣ record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in Primeira Liga since its inception 5️⃣ in 1934. The table is accurate as of the end of the 2024–23 season.[21] For comparison, older seasons have been 5️⃣ calculated according to the three-points-per-win rule.
Records [ edit ]
Team records [ edit ]
In 1972–73, Benfica became the first team to 5️⃣ win the Portuguese league without defeat, with 58 points in 30 games (28 wins and 2 draws), the best efficiency 5️⃣ ever obtained (96.7%) where 2 points were awarded for a victory. In that season, Benfica set the Portuguese league and 5️⃣ European leagues record for most consecutive victories (23) – 29 wins overall, between 1971–72 and 1972–73. Benfica also set the 5️⃣ league record for the greatest margin of victory in points over the second-placed team (18 points) in a 2 points 5️⃣ per win championship.
In 1977–78, Benfica completed the Portuguese league unbeaten for the second time (21 wins and 9 draws).
In 1990–91, 5️⃣ Benfica achieved the highest number of wins in a single season – 32 (out of 38 matches).
In 1998–99, Porto became 5️⃣ the only team to win five consecutive titles.
In 2010–11, Porto won the Portuguese league without defeat, with 84 points in 5️⃣ 30 games (27 wins and 3 draws), the best efficiency ever obtained (93.3%) where 3 points were awarded for a 5️⃣ victory. That season, Porto also set the league record for the greatest margin of victory in points over the second-placed 5️⃣ team (21 points) in a 3 points per win championship.
In 2012–13, Porto won the Portuguese league unbeaten for the second 5️⃣ time (24 wins and 6 draws).
In 2024–21, Sporting CP set the record for the longest unbeaten run in a single 5️⃣ season with 32 matches (25 wins and 7 draws) out of 34.
From 8 November 2024 to 21 April 2024, Porto 5️⃣ set the record for the longest unbeaten run in the league: 58 matches (47 wins and 11 draws).
In 2024–22, Porto 5️⃣ achieved a record 91 points in the Portuguese league (29 wins and 4 draws in 34 games).
Individual records [ edit 5️⃣ ]
Player transfer fees [ edit ]
Television [ edit ]
2024–24 until 2025–26 [ edit ]
The league is currently distributed internationally by 5️⃣ IMG.
Portugal [ edit ]
Within Portugal, Sport TV broadcasts all live Primeira Liga matches except Benfica's home matches, which are broadcast 5️⃣ live on Benfica TV.
International broadcasters [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
^ [1] In the 2024–19 season, 5️⃣ the three lowest placed teams were relegated to the LigaPro due to the integration of Gil Vicente in the Primeira 5️⃣ Liga in the following season. The Portuguese Football Federation appealed to proceed with this integration as soon as possible. ^ 5️⃣ plus €5 million in bonuses ^ plus €25 million in bonuses ^ plus €25 million in bonuses ^ plus €15 5️⃣ million in bonuses
References [ edit ]
Sources [ edit ]
