Liga FPD facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Liga Promerica

Founded	13 June 1921; 104 years ago (1921-06-13)
Country	Costa Rica
Confederation	CONCACAF
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Liga de Ascenso
International cup(s)	Regional CONCACAF Central American Cup Continental CONCACAF Champions Cup
Current champions	Herediano (31st title) (2025 Clausura)
Most championships	Saprissa (40 titles)
TV partners	FUTV Tigo Sports TD+

The Primera División of Costa Rica, also known as Liga FPD or Liga Promerica, is the top professional football league in Costa Rica. It's where the best football teams in the country play! Twelve teams compete in this league. The team that finishes last in the season moves down to a lower league called the Liga de Ascenso.

The league started in 1921. The first champions were Herediano. The team with the most wins is Saprissa, with an amazing 40 championships! Along with Alajuelense (31 titles) and Herediano (30 titles), these three teams have won most of the championships.

How the League Works

Former logo of the Liga FPD

The Liga FPD has a special way of playing. They hold two separate tournaments each season. These are called the Torneo de Apertura (Opening Tournament) and the Torneo de Clausura (Closing Tournament). The Opening Tournament runs from July to December. The Closing Tournament runs from January to May.

Each tournament has two main parts. First, all clubs play each other twice. They play once at home and once away. This makes a total of 22 games for each team. Teams get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The top four teams with the most points move on to the second part.

The second part is a mini-tournament called a "quadrangular." The four best teams play each other twice again. This adds 6 more games. If the team that finished first in the first part also wins this quadrangular, they become the champions! If not, the winner of the first part and the winner of the quadrangular play a final match to decide the champion.

Moving Up and Down Leagues

Teams can move between the Primera División and the Segunda División. Even though there are two champions each season, only one team moves down to the lower league. This is based on how well teams do in both the Opening and Closing tournaments combined. The team with the fewest points overall for the season is moved down to the Liga de Ascenso.

Playing in International Competitions

The best teams in the Liga FPD can also play in bigger international tournaments. These are called CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Central American Cup. These tournaments bring together top teams from Central America and the Caribbean.

Here's how teams qualify:

• If one team wins both the Opening and Closing tournaments:
  • That team goes straight to the main Champions League.
  • The next two best teams (who didn't win a tournament) get to play in the CONCACAF Central American Cup.
• If two different teams win the Opening and Closing tournaments:
  • The champion with the best overall record goes to the main Champions League.
  • The other champion goes to the CONCACAF Central American Cup.
  • The non-champion team with the best overall record also goes to the CONCACAF Central American Cup.

History of Costa Rican Football

Saprissa's Christian Bolaños and Alajuelense's Rónald Matarrita in a match. Their teams have a big rivalry!

The Costa Rican Football Federation was created on June 13, 1921. After this, people realized they needed a football tournament. They also wanted a national team because Costa Rica was invited to a big sports event in Guatemala that year.

The first season of the Costa Rican Primera División was played in 1921. Seven teams took part: Alajuelense, Cartaginés, Herediano, La Libertad, Sociedad Gimnástica Española, Sociedad Gimnástica Limonense, and La Unión de Tres Ríos. The very first match was between La Libertad and Gimnástica Limonense. La Libertad won with one goal. Herediano became the first champions!

In 1999, UNAFUT was created. This group helps organize and manage the Primera División and its youth leagues. In 2014, UNAFUT decided to rename the tournament to Liga FPD to give it a stronger identity.

The biggest rivalry in the league is called El Clásico. This is played between Alajuelense and Saprissa. These two teams are the most successful and have the most fans in Costa Rica. They have played over 300 matches against each other since 1949. Saprissa has won more of these games.

Teams in 2024–25 Season

League Champions Over the Years

Top Teams in the League

This table shows which clubs have won the most championships and how many times they were runners-up.

Player Records

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals in the Liga FPD's history!

Rank	Nat.	Player	Goals
1		Victor Núñez Rodríguez	246
2		Errol Daniels	196
3		Jonathan McDonald	183
4		Roy Sáenz	168
5		Álvaro Saborio	167
6		Leonel Hernández	164
7		Guillermo Guardia	149
8		Evaristo Coronado	148
9		Alejandro Alpízar	147
9		Erick Scott	147
11		Juan Ulloa	140
12		Vicente Wanchope	133

Most Games Played

These players have played the most matches in the Liga FPD. They have been on the field for many years!

Danny Fonseca is one of the players with the most appearances in the Liga FPD.

Rank	Nat.	Player	Years	Apps
1		Marvin Obando	1979–2000	685
2		Julio Fuller	1975–1994	684
3		Enrique Díaz	1977–1996	676
4		Danny Fonseca	1999–2018	656
5		Allen Guevara	2008-	625
6		Félix Montoya	1999-2019	619
7		Óscar Granados	2004-2022	608
8		Marvin Angulo	2006-	606
9		Luis Diego Arnáez	1987–2005	579
10		Keilor Soto	2001-2021	576
11		Mauricio Montero	1980–1990	557
12		Wílmer López	1992–2009	550
13		Óscar Ramírez	1983–1999	542
14		Evaristo Coronado	1981–1995	536
15		Luis Quirós	1986–2000	531

See also

In Spanish: Primera División de Costa Rica para niños