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 | Colo-Colo (34th title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Colo-Colo (34 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 also known as the Liga de Primera Itaú because of its sponsor, Itaú bank. The league was started in 1933 and is managed by the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP).
The league has changed its rules and number of teams many times over the years. For the 2025 season, 16 teams are playing in one big tournament throughout the year. Teams can move up to this league (promotion) or move down to a lower league called Primera B (relegation).
Many clubs have played in the Primera División, and 16 of them have won the championship. The very first champion was Deportes Magallanes. One team, Colo-Colo, has played in every season since the beginning. Colo-Colo also holds the record for the most titles, with 34 wins. Other successful teams include Universidad de Chile (18 titles), Universidad Católica (16 titles), and Cobreloa (8 titles). Cobreloa is the team with the most titles from outside the capital city.
Contents
History of Chilean Football
Early Football in Chile
Before the professional league started, football in Chile was played by amateur teams. The first group to organize football tournaments in Santiago was the Asociación de Fútbol de Santiago (AFS), formed in 1903. They ran non-professional games for many years.
The Start of Professional Football
In 1933, eight big clubs decided to create a professional league. These clubs included Unión Española, Badminton, Colo-Colo, Audax Italiano, Green Cross, Morning Star, Magallanes, and Santiago National F.C.. They formed the Liga Profesional de Football de Santiago (LPF) on May 31, 1933.
The Football Federation of Chile officially recognized this new league a few days later. The first professional championship was won by Magallanes, who beat Colo-Colo in the final game.
In 1934, more teams joined the league, and it became even bigger. Magallanes won the championship again that year. After this, a new second division was created for some of the teams.
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In 1937, the Santiago Professional Football Association was formed. It later became the Central Football Association (ACF), which was independent from amateur football. That year, Santiago Wanderers became the first team from outside Santiago to play in the league. However, they had to play all their games in Santiago and their points didn't count. Colo-Colo won the championship without losing a single game.
In 1940, Universidad de Chile won their first professional title. They had a strong team and a top scorer named Víctor Alonso.
In 1947, Colo-Colo won their fifth title. They even hosted an important tournament for champion clubs from South America. In 1949, Universidad Católica won their first league title. They had famous players like Sergio Livingstone and José Manuel Moreno.
In 1950, Everton de Viña del Mar became the first team from outside Santiago to win the championship. This was a big moment as it broke the dominance of teams from the capital.
Modern Era of the League
The 1960s and 1970s saw intense rivalries, especially between Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica. These matches became known as the Clásico Universitario. Colo-Colo also continued to win many titles during this time.
In 1971, Unión San Felipe made history by winning the championship. They are still the only team to win both the Second Division and First Division titles in a row. The 1972 season had the highest number of fans attending games in Chilean football history, with over 3 million people watching.
In 2021, Universidad Católica won their third championship in a row, making it their fifteenth title overall. This was a big achievement for the club. Meanwhile, Colo-Colo had to play a special game to avoid being relegated for the first time ever, which they won.
The 2024 season was very exciting, with Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile battling closely for the title. They finished far ahead of other teams, making it one of the best seasons in a long time.
How the League Works
The Primera División currently has 16 teams. Each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the championship.
Moving Up and Down Leagues
At the end of each season, the two teams that finish at the very bottom of the Primera División standings are moved down to the Primera B league. In their place, the champion of the Primera B league and the winner of a special playoff from the second division get to move up to the Primera División.
Playing in International Competitions
Chilean teams can also qualify for big international tournaments organized by CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation. The Primera División champion, the runner-up, and the third-placed team all get to play in the Copa Libertadores, which is like the Champions League of South America. The winner of the Copa Chile also gets a spot. Other teams that finish fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh in the league qualify for the Copa Sudamericana, another important international competition.
Sponsors of the League
The Chilean Primera División has had different sponsors over the years. For a long time, there was no main sponsor. Then, from 1993 to 2009, Banco Estado was the sponsor. Other sponsors have included Petrobras, Scotiabank, AFP PlanVital, and Betsson. Since 2024, the league has been sponsored by Itaú.
Team Rivalries
Football in Chile has many exciting rivalries between teams. Some of the most famous ones are:
- Colo-Colo vs. Universidad de Chile: This is the biggest rivalry in Chilean football, known as the National derby.
- Universidad de Chile vs. Universidad Católica: This is called the Universitario derby.
- Colo-Colo vs. Universidad Católica: Known as the Albo-Cruzado derby.
- Santiago Wanderers vs. Everton: This is the Porteño derby.
- Unión Española vs. Audax Italiano vs. Palestino: These three teams play in the Colonias derby.
Teams Playing in 2025
A total of 54 teams have played in the Primera División over its 94 seasons. Sixteen of these teams have won the championship.
Colo-Colo is the only team that has played in all 94 seasons of the Primera División. Unión Española is second, having missed only a few seasons.
For the 2025 season, 16 teams are competing. These include the top 14 teams from the 2024 tournament. Also joining are Deportes La Serena, who won the 2024 Primera B championship, and the team that won the promotion play-offs. These new teams replaced Cobreloa and Deportes Copiapó, who moved down to Primera B at the end of the 2024 season.
Team Stadiums and Locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audax Italiano | Santiago (La Florida) | Bicentenario de La Florida | 12,000 |
| Cobresal | El Salvador | El Cobre | 12,000 |
| Colo-Colo | Santiago (Macul) | Monumental David Arellano | 47,347 |
| Coquimbo Unido | Coquimbo | Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso | 18,750 |
| Deportes Iquique | Iquique | Tierra de Campeones | 13,171 |
| Deportes La Serena | La Serena | La Portada | 18,243 |
| Everton | Viña del Mar | Sausalito | 22,360 |
| Huachipato | Talcahuano | Huachipato-CAP Acero | 10,500 |
| Ñublense | Chillán | Nelson Oyarzún Arenas | 12,000 |
| O'Higgins | Rancagua | El Teniente | 13,849 |
| Palestino | Santiago (La Cisterna) | Municipal de La Cisterna | 8,000 |
| Unión Española | Santiago (Independencia) | Santa Laura-Universidad SEK | 19,000 |
| Unión La Calera | La Calera | Nicolás Chahuán Nazar | 9,200 |
| Universidad Católica | Santiago (Las Condes) | San Carlos de Apoquindo | 20,249 |
| Universidad de Chile | Santiago (Ñuñoa) | Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos | 48,665 |
Most Seasons Played in Primera División
Here are the clubs that have played the most seasons in the Primera División since it started in 1933. Teams in bold are currently playing in the Primera División in 2025.
- 94 seasons: Colo-Colo (2025)
- 91 seasons: Unión Española (2025)
- 88 seasons: Universidad de Chile (2025)
- 85 seasons: Universidad Católica (2025)
- 80 seasons: Audax Italiano (2025)
- 71 seasons: Palestino (2025)
- 69 seasons: Everton (2025)
- 62 seasons: O'Higgins (2025), Santiago Wanderers (2021)
- 52 seasons: Huachipato (2025)
- 50 seasons: Magallanes (2023)
- 46 seasons: Santiago Morning (2011), Rangers (2014)
- 44 seasons: Deportes La Serena (2025)
- 39 seasons: Cobreloa (2024)
- 34 seasons: Cobresal (2024), Deportes Concepción (2008)
- 33 seasons: Deportes Antofagasta (2022)
- 32 seasons: Deportes Temuco (2018)
- 30 seasons: Coquimbo Unido (2025)
- 28 seasons: Unión La Calera (2025)
- 27 seasons: Deportes Iquique (2025)
- 25 seasons: Green Cross (1964)
- 24 seasons: Unión San Felipe (2012)
- 21 seasons: San Luis (2018)
- 18 seasons: Universidad de Concepción (2020)
- 17 seasons: Ñublense (2025), Bádminton (1949), Ferrobádminton (1966)
- 16 seasons: Naval (1990)
- 13 seasons: Lota Schwager (2013)
- 10 seasons: Deportes Puerto Montt (2007), Santiago National (1948)
- 9 seasons: Iberia (1954), Fernández Vial (1992), Provincial Osorno (2008)
- 8 seasons: Curicó Unido (2023)
- 7 seasons: Deportes Aviación (1980), San Marcos de Arica (2016)
- 6 seasons: Regional Atacama (1996)
- 5 seasons: Deportes Melipilla (2021)
- 2 seasons: Deportes Valdivia (1989), Deportes Copiapó (2024), Deportes Ovalle (1977), Morning Star (1934), Santiago (1935), Santiago National Juventus (1941), Trasandino (1984)
- 1 season: Carlos Walker (1934), Ferroviarios (1934), Deportivo Alemán (1934), Metropolitano (1939), Barnechea (2015)
Championship Titles by Club
This table shows how many times each club has won the Primera División championship.
- Teams in bold are currently playing in the Primera División in 2025.
- Italics means the club no longer exists or is not part of the ANFP.
| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colo-Colo | 34 | 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, 2024 | 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 Clausition, 2019, 2021 |
| 2 | Universidad de Chile | 18 | 9 | 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, 2024 |
| 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 | — |
Titles won by club (%) Colo Colo - 34 (31.5%) Universidad de Chile - 18 (16.7%) Universidad Católica – 16 (14.8%) Cobreloa - 8 (7.4%) Unión Española – 7 (6.5%) Magallanes – 4 (3.7%) Audax Italiano – 4 (3.7%) Everton - 4 (3.7%) Other teams - 13 (12%)
Championship Titles by Region
This table shows which regions in Chile have won the most Primera División titles.
| Region | Nº of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
 Metropolitana |
87 | Colo-Colo (34), Universidad de Chile (18), Universidad Católica (16), Unión Española (7), Magallanes (4), Audax Italiano (4), Palestino (2), Santiago Morning (1), Green Cross (1) |
 Antofagasta |
8 | Cobreloa (8) |
 Valparaíso |
8 | Everton (4), Santiago Wanderers (3), Unión San Felipe (1) |
 Biobío |
3 | Huachipato (3) |
 Atacama |
1 | Cobresal (1) |
 O'Higgins |
1 | O'Higgins (1) |
Top Goal Scorers of All Time
These are the players who have scored the most goals in the history of the 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 |
Images for kids
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The Huemul de Plata trophy, awarded to the champions.
