Chilean Primera División Explained

The Chilean Primera División (en|First Division of Chile) is a professional football league, being the highest division of Chilean football league system. It is organized by the ANFP. The league was previously known as the Campeonato AFP PlanVital for sponsorship reasons. In 2023, the ANFP signed a partnership with Betsson Group to become the official naming sponsor of the competition, which became known as Campeonato Betsson.^[3]

Format

As of the 2018 season, 16 teams compete in the league, playing against each other twice, once at home and once away.

Relegation and promotion

Currently, the two teams with the worst scores in the season, are relegated to Primera B, and replaced by the champions and the playoff winners of this division.

Qualification for international competitions

The league champions qualify for the following year's Copa Libertadores, as well as the runners-up and the third-placed team. The teams placing fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh qualify for the following year's Copa Sudamericana.

History

Amateurism

See main article: article and Asociación de Fútbol de Santiago. The Asociación de Fútbol de Santiago (also known as AFS) was the first organization in Chile to organize football tournament. It was formed in 1903 and organized non-professional football in Santiago. Later on, it was the organization responsible for holding the national professional football league in Chile.

Professionalism

In 1933, eight big clubs at that time, namely, Unión Española, Badminton, Colo-Colo, Audax Italiano, Green Cross, Morning Star, Magallanes and Santiago National F.C., founded the Liga Profesional de Football de Santiago (LPF) on May 31, 1933. The newly formed body was recognized by the Football Federation of Chile on June 2, 1933.

The first edition of professional competition was contested by the eight founding teams and was won by Magallanes after defeating Colo-Colo in a decisive match. In the following year, according to the disposition of Federación de Fútbol de Chile, Liga Profesional returned to integrate with the AFS. As part of the negotiations for reunification, four teams from AFS, namely, Ferroviarios, Carlos Walker, Deportivo Alemán, and Santiago F.C., would join the 1934 professional competition. Moreover, it was also decided that the last six teams in the 1934 competition would be eliminated to form the new second division in 1935. The title of the expanded 1934 edition was again clinched by Magallanes, which won 10 out of the 11 matches that year.^[4]

Sponsorships

width=	Year	width=	Sponsor
1933–1992	style=background:#efefef	(None)
1993–2009	Banco Estado
2010–2013	Petrobras
2014–2018	Scotiabank
2019–2022	AFP PlanVital
2023	Betsson
2024–present	Itaú

Division levels

width=	Year	width=	Level	width=220px	Relegation to
1933–1934		style=background:#efefef	(None)
1935–1942
1943–1951		División de Honor Amateur
1952–1995
1996–present

Rivalries

See also: Football rivalries in Chile.

• Colo-Colo – Universidad de Chile (National derby)
• Universidad de Chile – Universidad Católica (Universitario derby)
• Colo-Colo – Universidad Católica (Albo-Cruzado derby)
• Colo-Colo – Cobreloa (Loíno-Albo derby)
• Santiago Wanderers – Everton (Porteño derby)
• Unión Española – Audax Italiano – Palestino (Colonias derby)
• Deportes Iquique – San Marcos de Arica (Northern derby)
• Cobreloa – Cobresal (Cobre derby)
• Rangers – Curicó Unido (Maule derby)

Current teams

16 teams will take part in the league in this season: the top 14 teams from the 2024 tournament, plus the 2024 Primera B champions Deportes La Serena and the winners of the promotion play-offs. La Serena secured promotion to the top tier after two years on 29 September 2024, winning the Primera B tournament with a 1–0 win over Deportes Recoleta.^[5] The promoted teams will replace Cobreloa and Deportes Copiapó, who were relegated to Primera B at the end of the 2024 season.

Stadia and locations

Team	City	Stadium	Capacity
	Santiago (La Florida)		12,000
			12,000
	Santiago (Macul)		47,347
			18,750
			13,171
			18,243
			22,360
			10,500
			12,000
			13,849
	Santiago (La Cisterna)		8,000
	Santiago (Independencia)		19,000
			9,200
	Santiago (Las Condes)		20,000
	Santiago (Ñuñoa)		48,665

Notes

Season in Primera División

Most seasons

Below is the list of clubs that have appeared in Primera División since its inception in 1933 until the 2025 season. The teams in bold compete in Primera División currently. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level.

• 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)

List of seasons

width=px	Ed.	Season	width=180px	Champion (title count)	width=180px	Runner-up	width=180px	Winning manager	width=380px	Leading goalscorer(s)[6]
División de Honor
					Luis Carvallo (Colo-Colo; 9 goals)
					Carlos Giudice (Audax Italiano; 19 goals)
Serie A Profesional
					Aurelio Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 12 goals) Guillermo Ogaz (Magallanes; 12 goals)
					Hernán Bolaños (Audax Italiano; 14 goals)
					Hernán Bolaños (Audax Italiano; 16 goals)
					Gustavo Pizarro (Bádminton; 17 goals)
					Alfonso Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 32 goals)
					Victor Alonso (Universidad de Chile; 20 goals) Pedro Valenzuela (Magallanes; 20 goals)
					José Profetta (Santiago National; 19 goals)
Primera División
					Domingo Romo (Santiago Morning; 16 goals)
					Luis Machuca (Unión Española; 17 goals) Victor Mancilla Universidad Católica (17 goals)
					Juan Alcantara (Audax Italiano; 19 goals) Alfonso Domínguez (Colo-Colo; 19 goals)
					Ubaldo Cruche (Universidad de Chile; 17 goals) Hugo Giorgi (Audax Italiano; 17 goals) Juan Zárate (Green Cross; 17 goals)
				Raul Marchant	Ubaldo Cruche (Universidad de Chile; 25 goals)
					Apolonides Vera (Santiago National; 17 goals)
					Juan Zárate (Audax Italiano; 22 goals)
					Mario Lorca (Unión Española; 20 goals)
				Martín Garcia	Félix Díaz (Green Cross; 21 goals)
					Rubén Aguilera (Santiago Morning; 21 goals) Carlos Tello (Audax Italiano; 21 goals)
				Martín Garcia	René Meléndez (Everton; 30 goals)
					Jorge Robledo (Colo-Colo; 26 goals)
					Jorge Robledo (Colo-Colo; 25 goals)
					Nicolás Moreno (Green Cross; 27 goals)
					Guillermo Villarroel (O'Higgins; 19 goals)
					Gustavo Albella (Green Cross; 27 goals)
				José Pérez Figueiras	Gustavo Albella (Green Cross; 23 goals) Carlos Verdejo (Deportes La Serena; 23 goals)
					José Benito Rios (O'Higgins; 22 goals)
					Juan Falcon (Palestino; 21 goals)
				Miguel Mocciola	Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 24 goals) Honorino Landa (Unión Española; 24 goals)
					Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 34 goals)
					Luis Hernán Álvarez (Colo-Colo; 37 goals)
					Daniel Escudero (Everton; 25 goals)
					Héctor Scandolli (Rangers; 25 goals)
					Carlos Campos (Universidad de Chile; 21 goals) Felipe Bracamonte (Unión San Felipe; 21 goals)
					Eladio Zárate (Unión Española; 28 goals)
				José Pérez Figueiras	Carlos Reinoso (Audax Italiano; 21 goals)
					Eladio Zárate (Unión Española; 22 goals)
					Osvaldo Castro (Deportes Concepción; 36 goals)
			Universidad de Chile		Eladio Zárate (Universidad de Chile; 25 goals)
					Fernando Espinoza (Magallanes; 25 goals)
					Guillermo Yávar (Unión Española; 21 goals)
					Julio Crisosto (Colo-Colo; 28 goals)
					Victor Pizarro (Santiago Morning; 27 goals)
				Pedro Morales Torres	Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 23 goals)
				Luis Santibáñez	Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 34 goals)
					Óscar Fabbiani (Palestino; 35 goals)
					Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 20 goals)
					Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 26 goals)
					Victor Cabrera (San Luis; 20 goals) Carlos Caszely (Colo-Colo; 20 goals) Luis Marcoleta (Magallanes; 20 goals)
					Jorge Luis Siviero (Cobreloa; 18 goals)
					Washington Olivera (Cobreloa; 29 goals)
					Victor Cabrera (Regional Atacama; 18 goals)
					Ivo Basay (Magallanes; 19 goals)
					Sergio Salgado (Cobresal; 18 goals)
					Osvaldo Hurtado (Universidad Católica; 21 goals)
					Gustavo De Luca (Deportes La Serena; 18 goals) Juan José Oré (Deportes Iquique; 18 goals)
					Rubén Martínez (Cobresal; 25 goals)
					Rubén Martínez (Colo-Colo; 22 goals)
					Rubén Martínez (Colo-Colo; 23 goals)
					Aníbal González (Colo-Colo; 24 goals)
					Marco Antonio Figueroa (Cobreloa; 18 goals)
					Alberto Acosta (Universidad Católica; 33 goals)
					Gabriel Caballero (Deportes Antofagasta; 18 goals) Aníbal González (Palestino; 18 goals)
					Mario Véner (Santiago Wanderers; 30 goals)
	1997	align=center					David Bisconti (Universidad Católica; 15 goals)
	align=center				Gustavo Benítez	Richart Báez (Universidad de Chile; 10 goals) Rubén Vallejos (Deportes Puerto Montt; 10 goals)
				Gustavo Benítez	Pedro González (Universidad de Chile; 23 goals)
					Mario Núñez (O'Higgins; 34 goals)
					Pedro González (Universidad de Chile; 26 goals)
					Héctor Tapia (Colo-Colo; 24 goals)
	2002	align=center					Sebastián González (Colo-Colo; 18 goals)
	align=center					Manuel Neira (Colo-Colo; 14 goals)
	2003	align=center					Salvador Cabañas (Audax Italiano; 18 goals)
	align=center					Gustavo Biscayzacú (Unión Española; 21 goals)
	2004	align=center					Patricio Galaz (Cobreloa; 23 goals)
	align=center					Patricio Galaz (Cobreloa; 19 goals)
	2005	align=center					Joel Estay (Everton; 13 goals) Álvaro Sarabia (Deportes Puerto Montt; 13 goals) Héctor Mancilla (Huachipato; 13 goals)
	align=center					Cristián Montecinos (Deportes Concepción; 13 goals) Gonzalo Fierro (Colo-Colo; 13 goals) César Díaz (Cobresal; 13 goals)
	2006	align=center					Humberto Suazo (Colo-Colo; 19 goals)
	align=center					Leonardo Monje (Universidad de Concepción; 17 goals)
		align=center					Humberto Suazo (Colo-Colo; 18 goals)
	align=center					Carlos Villanueva (Audax Italiano; 20 goals)
		align=center					Lucas Barrios (Colo-Colo; 19 goals)
	align=center					Lucas Barrios (Colo-Colo; 18 goals)
		align=center					Esteban Paredes (Santiago Morning; 17 goals)
	align=center					Diego Rivarola (Santiago Morning; 13 goals)
					Milovan Mirošević (Universidad Católica; 19 goals)
		align=center					Matías Urbano (Unión San Felipe; 12 goals)
	align=center					Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 14 goals)
		align=center				Jorge Sampaoli	Enzo Gutiérrez (O'Higgins; 11 goals)
	align=center					Sebastián Sáez (Audax Italiano; 13 goals)
					Javier Elizondo (Deportes Antofagasta; 14 goals) Sebastián Sáez (Audax Italiano; 14 goals)
		align=center	Apertura				Luciano Vázquez (Ñublense; 11 goals)
	align=center					Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 16 goals)
		align=center					Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 12 goals)
	align=center					Jean Paul Pineda (Unión La Calera; 11 goals) Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 11 goals)
						Marcos Riquelme (Palestino; 11 goals)
	align=center					Nicolás Castillo (Universidad Católica; 11 goals)
						Nicolás Castillo (Universidad Católica; 13 goals)
	align=center					Felipe Mora (Universidad de Chile; 13 goals)
					Bryan Carrasco (Audax Italiano; 10 goals)
					Esteban Paredes (Colo-Colo; 19 goals)
					Lucas Passerini (Palestino; 14 goals)
					Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 20 goals)
					Gonzalo Sosa (Deportes Melipilla; 23 goals) Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 23 goals)
					Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 18 goals)
					Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 17 goals)
					Fernando Zampedri (Universidad Católica; 19 goals)

Source (not for goalscorers): rsssf.com^[7]

Titles by club

• Teams in bold compete in the Primera División as of the 2024 season.
• Italics indicates clubs that no longer exist or disaffiliated from the ANFP.

Source:^[8]

scope=col width=20	Rank	scope=col width=170	Club	scope=col width=80	Winners	scope=col width=100	Runners-up	scope=col class="unsortable"	Winning years	scope=col class="unsortable"	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 Clausura, 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	—
—		align=center rowspan="7"	—	2	align=center rowspan="7"	—	1969, 2002 Apertura
	Coquimbo Unido	2	1991, 2005 Apertura
		2	2007 Clausura, 2018
		1	1975
	Deportes Iquique	1	2016 Apertura
	Unión La Calera	1	2020
	Ñublense	1	2022

Titles by region

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)

All-time goalscorers

Rank	Country	Player	Goals	Years
1		Esteban Paredes	221	2000-2022
2			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

• Primera B de Chile

External links

• ANFP.cl
• Web de Noticias y de Hinchas

Notes and References

1. Los grandes récords del fútbol chileno
2. Los grandes récords del fútbol chileno
3. Web site: Campeonato Betsson será el nuevo auspiciador de la Primera División . ANFP.cl.
4. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chile34.html Chilean League 1934
5. Web site: Fiesta en La Portada: Deportes La Serena vence a Recoleta, grita campeón y logra su ascenso a Primera División. Party at La Portada: Deportes La Serena beat Recoleta, shout champion, and clinch their promotion to Primera División. es. ADN Radio. 29 September 2024. 21 November 2024.
6. Web site: Chile – List of Topscorers . December 11, 2009 . Juan Pablo . . Andrés .
7. Web site: Chile – List of Champions and Runners Up. Juan Pablo Andrés and Eric Boesenberg. 11 December 2014. RSSSF. 3 May 2015.
8. Web site: Chile - List of Champions and Runners Up. Juan Pablo Andrés and Eric Boesenberg. 23 December 2015. RSSSF. 29 March 2016.