Chilean Primera División facts for kids
| 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) |
| Top goalscorer | Esteban Paredes (221) |
| TV partners |
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The Chilean Primera División is the top professional football league in Chile. It is like the main championship for football clubs in the country. The league is organized by the ANFP.
For a while, the league was called Campeonato AFP PlanVital because of a sponsor. In 2023, the ANFP partnered with Betsson Group. This made the league officially known as Campeonato Betsson.
Contents
How the League Works
Since 2018, 16 teams play in the league. Each team plays against every other team twice. They play one game at home and one game away. This means a lot of exciting matches throughout the season!
Moving Up and Down (Relegation and Promotion)
At the end of each season, the two teams with the lowest scores are moved down. They go to a lower league called Primera B.
Then, two new teams come up from Primera B to take their place. These are usually the champions and the winners of a special playoff from that lower division. It keeps the competition fresh!
Playing in International Cups
The best teams in the Chilean Primera División get to play in big international tournaments.
- The league champions get to play in the Copa Libertadores the next year.
- The teams that finish second and third also qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
- Teams that finish fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh get to play in the Copa Sudamericana. These are major tournaments where Chilean clubs compete against teams from other South American countries.
League History
How Professional Football Started
Professional football in Chile began on May 31, 1933. Eight big clubs came together to form the Liga Profesional de Football de Santiago (LPF). These clubs were Unión Española, Badminton, Colo-Colo, Audax Italiano, Green Cross, Morning Star, Magallanes, and Santiago National F.C..
The Football Federation of Chile officially recognized this new league a few days later, on June 2, 1933.
The first professional championship was played by these eight founding teams. Magallanes won the first title after beating Colo-Colo in a key match.
In 1934, more teams joined the professional league. It was decided that the bottom six teams from the 1934 season would form a new second division in 1935. Magallanes won the championship again in 1934, winning 10 out of 11 games!
Teams Playing Now (2024 Season)
There are 16 teams competing in the Primera División in the 2024 season. Here are the clubs, their cities, stadiums, and how many people their stadiums can hold:
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audax Italiano | Santiago | Bicentenario de La Florida | 12,000 |
| Cobreloa | Calama | Zorros del Desierto | 12,346 |
| Cobresal | El Salvador | El Cobre | 12,000 |
| Colo-Colo | Santiago | Monumental David Arellano | 47,347 |
| Coquimbo Unido | Coquimbo | Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso | 18,750 |
| Deportes Copiapó | Copiapó | Luis Valenzuela Hermosilla | 8,000 |
| Deportes Iquique | Iquique | Tierra de Campeones | 13,171 |
| Everton | Viña del Mar | Sausalito | 22,360 |
| Huachipato | Talcahuano | CAP | 10,500 |
| Ñublense | Chillán | Municipal Nelson Oyarzún Arenas | 12,000 |
| O'Higgins | Rancagua | El Teniente | 13,849 |
| Palestino | Santiago | Municipal de La Cisterna | 8,000 |
| Unión Española | Santiago | Santa Laura-Universidad SEK | 19,000 |
| Unión La Calera | La Calera | Municipal Nicolás Chahuán Nazar | 9,200 |
| Universidad Católica | Santiago | San Carlos de Apoquindo | 20,000 |
| Universidad de Chile | Santiago | Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos | 48,665 |
Past Champions and Top Scorers
Here is a list of past seasons, showing which team won the championship, who came in second, and who scored the most goals that year.
| Ed. | Season | Champion (title count) | Runner-up | Leading goalscorer(s) | |
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1933 | Magallanes (1) | Colo-Colo |  Luis Carvallo (Colo-Colo; 9 goals) |
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1934 | Magallanes (2) | Audax Italiano | Carlos Giudice (Audax Italiano; 19 goals) |
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1935 | Magallanes (3) | Audax Italiano | Aurelio Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 12 goals) Guillermo Ogaz (Magallanes; 12 goals) |
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1936 | Audax Italiano (1) | Magallanes |  Hernán Bolaños (Audax Italiano; 14 goals) |
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1937 | Colo-Colo (1) | Magallanes | Hernán Bolaños (Audax Italiano; 16 goals) |
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1938 | Magallanes (4) | Audax Italiano | Gustavo Pizarro (Bádminton; 17 goals) |
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1939 | Colo-Colo (2) | Santiago Morning | Alfonso Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 32 goals) |
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1940 | Universidad de Chile (1) | Audax Italiano | Victor Alonso (Universidad de Chile; 20 goals) Pedro Valenzuela (Magallanes; 20 goals) |
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1941 | Colo-Colo (3) | Santiago Morning |  José Profetta (Santiago National F.C.; 19 goals) |
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1942 | Santiago Morning (1) | Magallanes | Domingo Romo (Santiago Morning; 16 goals) |
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1943 | Unión Española (1) | Colo-Colo | Luis Machuca (Unión Española; 17 goals) Victor Mancilla Universidad Católica (17 goals) |
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1944 | Colo-Colo (4) | Audax Italiano | Juan Alcantara (Audax Italiano; 19 goals) Alfonso Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 19 goals) |
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1945 | Green Cross (1) | Unión Española |  Ubaldo Cruche (Universidad de Chile; 17 goals) Hugo Giorgi (Audax Italiano; 17 goals) Juan Zárate (Green Cross; 17 goals) |
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1946 | Audax Italiano (2) | Magallanes | Ubaldo Cruche (Universidad de Chile; 25 goals) |
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1947 | Colo-Colo (5) | Audax Italiano | Apolonides Vera (Santiago National F.C.; 17 goals) |
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1948 | Audax Italiano (3) | Unión Española | Juan Zárate (Audax Italiano; 22 goals) |
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1949 | Universidad Católica (1) | Santiago Wanderers | Mario Lorca (Unión Española; 20 goals) |
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1950 | Everton (1) | Unión Española | Félix Díaz (Green Cross; 21 goals) |
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1951 | Unión Española (2) | Audax Italiano | Rubén Aguilera (Santiago Morning; 21 goals) Carlos Tello (Audax Italiano; 21 goals) |
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1952 | Everton (2) | Colo-Colo | René Meléndez (Everton; 30 goals) |
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1953 | Colo-Colo (6) | Palestino | Jorge Robledo (Colo-Colo; 26 goals) |
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1954 | Universidad Católica (2) | Colo-Colo | Jorge Robledo (Colo-Colo; 25 goals) |
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1955 | Palestino (1) | Colo-Colo | Nicolás Moreno (Green Cross; 27 goals) |
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1956 | Colo-Colo (7) | Santiago Wanderers | Guillermo Villarroel (O'Higgins; 19 goals) |
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1957 | Audax Italiano (4) | Universidad de Chile | Gustavo Albella (Green Cross; 27 goals) |
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1958 | Santiago Wanderers (1) | Colo-Colo | Gustavo Albella (Green Cross; 23 goals) Carlos Verdejo (La Serena; 23 goals) |
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1959 | Universidad de Chile (2) | Colo-Colo | José Benito Rios (O'Higgins; 22 goals) |
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1960 | Colo-Colo (8) | Santiago Wanderers | Juan Falcon (Palestino; 21 goals) |
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1961 | Universidad Católica (3) | Universidad de Chile | Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 24 goals) Honorino Landa (Unión Española; 24 goals) |
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1962 | Universidad de Chile (3) | Universidad Católica | Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 34 goals) |
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1963 | Colo-Colo (9) | Universidad de Chile | Luis Hernán Álvarez (Colo-Colo; 37 goals) |
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1964 | Universidad de Chile (4) | Universidad Católica | Daniel Escudero (Everton; 25 goals) |
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1965 | Universidad de Chile (5) | Universidad Católica | Héctor Scandolli (Rangers; 25 goals) |
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1966 | Universidad Católica (4) | Colo-Colo | Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 21 goals) Felipe Bracamonte (Unión San Felipe; 21 goals) |
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1967 | Universidad de Chile (6) | Universidad Católica |  Eladio Zárate (Unión Española; 28 goals) |
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1968 | Santiago Wanderers (2) | Universidad Católica | Carlos Reinoso (Audax Italiano; 21 goals) |
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1969 | Universidad de Chile (7) | Rangers | Eladio Zárate (Unión Española; 22 goals) |
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1970 | Colo-Colo (10) | Unión Española | Osvaldo Castro (Deportes Concepción; 36 goals) |
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1971 | Unión San Felipe (1) | Universidad de Chile | Eladio Zárate (Universidad de Chile; 25 goals) |
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1972 | Colo-Colo (11) | Unión Española | Fernando Espinoza (Magallanes; 25 goals) |
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1973 | Unión Española (3) | Colo-Colo | Guillermo Yávar (Unión Española; 21 goals) |
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1974 | Huachipato (1) | Palestino | Julio Crisosto (Colo-Colo; 28 goals) |
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1975 | Unión Española (4) | Deportes Concepción | Victor Pizarro (Santiago Morning; 27 goals) |
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1976 | Everton (3) | Unión Española | Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 23 goals) |
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1977 | Unión Española (5) | Everton | Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 34 goals) |
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1978 | Palestino (2) | Cobreloa | Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 35 goals) |
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1979 | Colo-Colo (12) | Cobreloa | Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 20 goals) |
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1980 | Cobreloa (1) | Universidad de Chile | Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 26 goals) |
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1981 | Colo-Colo (13) | Cobreloa | Victor Cabrera (San Luis; 20 goals) Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 20 goals) Luis Marcoleta (Magallanes; 20 goals) |
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1982 | Cobreloa (2) | Colo-Colo | Jorge Luis Siviero (Cobreloa; 18 goals) |
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1983 | Colo-Colo (14) | Cobreloa | Washington Olivera (Cobreloa; 29 goals) |
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1984 | Universidad Católica (5) | Cobresal | Victor Cabrera (C.D. Regional Atacama; 18 goals) |
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1985 | Cobreloa (3) | Everton | Ivo Basay (Magallanes; 19 goals) |
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1986 | Colo-Colo (15) | Palestino | Sergio Salgado (C.D. Cobresal; 18 goals) |
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1987 | Universidad Católica (6) | Colo-Colo | Osvaldo Hurtado (Universidad Católica; 21 goals) |
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1988 | Cobreloa (4) | Cobresal | Gustavo De Luca (Deportes La Serena; 18 goals) Juan José Oré (Deportes Iquique; 18 goals) |
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1989 | Colo-Colo (16) | Universidad Católica | Rubén Martínez (C.D. Cobresal; 25 goals) |
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1990 | Colo-Colo (17) | Universidad Católica | Rubén Martínez (Colo-Colo; 22 goals) |
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1991 | Colo-Colo (18) | Coquimbo Unido | Rubén Martínez (Colo-Colo; 23 goals) |
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1992 | Cobreloa (5) | Colo-Colo | Aníbal González (Colo-Colo; 24 goals) |
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1993 | Colo-Colo (19) | Cobreloa | Marco Antonio Figueroa (C.D. Cobreloa; 18 goals) |
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1994 | Universidad de Chile (8) | Universidad Católica | Alberto Acosta (Universidad Católica; 33 goals) |
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1995 | Universidad de Chile (9) | Universidad Católica | Gabriel Caballero (C.D. Antofagasta; 18 goals) Aníbal González (Palestino; 18 goals) |
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1996 | Colo-Colo (20) | Universidad Católica | Mario Véner (Santiago Wanderers; 30 goals) |
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1997 | Apertura | Universidad Católica (7) | Colo-Colo | David Bisconti (Universidad Católica; 15 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (21) | Universidad Católica | Richart Báez (Universidad de Chile; 10 goals) Rubén Vallejos (Deportes Puerto Montt; 10 goals) |
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1998 | Colo-Colo (22) | Universidad de Chile | Pedro González (Universidad de Chile; 23 goals) |
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1999 | Universidad de Chile (10) | Universidad Católica | Mario Núñez (O'Higgins; 34 goals) |
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2000 | Universidad de Chile (11) | Cobreloa | Pedro González (Universidad de Chile; 26 goals) |
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2001 | Santiago Wanderers (3) | Universidad Católica | Héctor Tapia (Colo-Colo; 24 goals) |
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2002 | Apertura | Universidad Católica (8) | Rangers | Sebastián González (Colo-Colo; 18 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (23) | Universidad Católica | Manuel Neira (Colo-Colo; 14 goals) |
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2003 | Apertura | Cobreloa (6) | Colo-Colo | Salvador Cabañas (Audax Italiano; 18 goals) |
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Clausura | Cobreloa (7) | Colo-Colo | Gustavo Biscayzacú (Unión Española; 21 goals) |
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2004 | Apertura | Universidad de Chile (12) | Cobreloa | Patricio Galaz (C.D. Cobreloa; 23 goals) |
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Clausura | Cobreloa (8) | Unión Española | Patricio Galaz (Cobreloa; 19 goals) |
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2005 | Apertura | Unión Española (6) | Coquimbo Unido | Joel Estay (Everton; 13 goals) Álvaro Sarabia (Deportes Puerto Montt; 13 goals) Héctor Mancilla (C.D. Huachipato; 13 goals) |
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Clausura | Universidad Católica (9) | Universidad de Chile | Cristián Montecinos (Concepción; 13 goals) Gonzalo Fierro (Colo-Colo; 13 goals) César Díaz (C.D. Cobresal; 13 goals) |
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2006 | Apertura | Colo-Colo (24) | Universidad de Chile | Humberto Suazo (Colo-Colo; 19 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (25) | Audax Italiano | Leonardo Monje (Universidad de Concepción; 17 goals) |
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2007 | Apertura | Colo-Colo (26) | Universidad Católica | Humberto Suazo (Colo-Colo; 18 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (27) | Universidad de Concepción | Carlos Villanueva (Audax Italiano; 20 goals) |
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2008 | Apertura | Everton (4) | Colo-Colo | Lucas Barrios (Colo-Colo; 19 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (28) | Palestino | Lucas Barrios (Colo-Colo; 18 goals) |
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2009 | Apertura | Universidad de Chile (13) | Unión Española | Esteban Paredes (Santiago Morning; 17 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (29) | Universidad Católica | Diego Rivarola (Santiago Morning; 13 goals) |
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2010 | Universidad Católica (10) | Colo-Colo | Milovan Mirošević (Universidad Católica; 19 goals) |
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2011 | Apertura | Universidad de Chile (14) | Universidad Católica | Matías Urbano (Unión San Felipe; 12 goals) |
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Clausura | Universidad de Chile (15) | Cobreloa | Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 14 goals) |
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2012 | Apertura | Universidad de Chile (16) | O'Higgins | Enzo Gutiérrez (O'Higgins; 11 goals) |
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Clausura | Huachipato (2) | Unión Española | Sebastián Sáez (Audax Italiano; 13 goals) |
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2013 | Unión Española (7) | Universidad Católica | Javier Elizondo (C.D. Antofagasta; 14 goals) Sebastián Sáez (Audax Italiano; 14 goals) |
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2013–14 | Apertura | O'Higgins (1) | Universidad Católica | Luciano Vázquez (Ñublense; 11 goals) |
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Clausura | Colo-Colo (30) | Universidad Católica | Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 16 goals) |
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2014–15 | Apertura | Universidad de Chile (17) | Santiago Wanderers | Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 12 goals) |
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Clausura | Cobresal (1) | Colo-Colo | Jean Paul Pineda (Unión La Calera; 11 goals) Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 11 goals) |
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2015–16 | Apertura | Colo-Colo (31) | Universidad Católica | Marcos Riquelme (Club Deportivo Palestino; 11 goals) |
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Clausura | Universidad Católica (11) | Colo-Colo | Nicolás Castillo (Universidad Católica; 11 goals) |
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2016–17 | Apertura | Universidad Católica (12) | Deportes Iquique | Nicolás Castillo (Universidad Católica; 13 goals) |
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Clausura | Universidad de Chile (18) | Colo-Colo | Felipe Mora (Universidad de Chile; 13 goals) |
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2017 | Colo-Colo (32) | Unión Española | Bryan Carrasco (Audax Italiano; 10 goals) |
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2018 | Universidad Católica (13) | Universidad de Concepción | Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 19 goals) |
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2019 | Universidad Católica (14) | Colo-Colo | Lucas Passerini (Palestino; 14 goals) |
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2020 | Universidad Católica (15) | Unión La Calera | Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 20 goals) |
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2021 | Universidad Católica (16) | Colo-Colo | Gonzalo Sosa (Deportes Melipilla; 23 goals) Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 23 goals) |
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2022 | Colo-Colo (33) | Ñublense | Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 18 goals) |
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2023 | Huachipato (3) | Cobresal | Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 17 goals) |
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2024 | ||||
Source (not for goalscorers): rsssf.com
Who Has Won the Most Titles?
This table shows which clubs have won the most championships in the Chilean Primera División.
| 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 | — |
Top Goal Scorers of All Time
These are the players who have scored the most goals in the history of the Chilean Primera División.
| 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 |
See also
In Spanish: Primera División de Chile para niños
- Primera B de Chile
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