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Paraguayan Primera División

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(Redirected from Liga Paraguaya) Top-flight professional football league in Paraguay

Football league
División Profesional
Founded1906
CountryParaguay
ConfederationCONMEBOL
Number of clubs12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toDivisión Intermedia
Domestic cup(s)Copa Paraguay
International cup(s)Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Current championsOlimpia (47th title)
(2024 Clausura)
Most championshipsOlimpia (47 titles)
Top goalscorerSantiago Salcedo
(166 goals)
TV partnersMultideporte & Unicanal (Three games per matchday are broadcast live plus One game per matchday are broadcast delayed Sunday at 22:00)
Tigo Sports & Tigo Max (Four games per matchday)
Telefuturo (Only emits highlights per matchday)
Paravisión (Only are broadcast live called El Partido del Viernes Friday at 21:00 (K.O 21:10))
TVC Sports 2 (Only are broadcast live Friday at 20:55 (K.O 21:10))
GolTV
TVC Sports
Websitewww.apf.org.py/p/division-de-honor Edit this at Wikidata
Current: 2024 season

The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (locally [diβiˈsjom pɾofesjoˈnal de la asosjaˈsjom paɾaˈɣwaʝa ðe ˈfuðβol]; "Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association"), also known as the Primera División (IPA: [pɾiˈmeɾa ðiβiˈsjon]; "first division"), or due to sponsorship reasons Copa de Primera TIGO-Visión Banco, is the top-flight professional football league in Paraguay. Currently, there are 12 teams in the first division.

The most successful club is Olimpia, with 47 championships. Olimpia are also the most recent champions, having won the 2024 Clausura tournament. As of 2022, IFFHS ranked the league as the 10th strongest in the world and 3rd in South America.

History

Liga Paraguaya's first game was played in 1906, after the director of the El Diario newspaper, Don Adolfo Riquelme, brought to his office on 18 June 1906, the representatives of the five existing football teams in Paraguay at that time (Olimpia, Guaraní, Libertad, General Díaz, and Nacional) to create the governing body of football in Paraguay: the Liga Paraguaya de Fútbol (known today as Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol). The representatives were William Paats and Junio Godoy (Olimpia) Ramón Caballero, Manuel Bella and Salvador Melián (Guaraní), Juan Escalada (Libertad), César Urdapilleta (General Díaz), and Vicente Gadea (Nacional). The Liga Paraguaya saw Club Guaraní as the first champion in 1906, after defeating Olimpia in the final.

The Primera División was founded in 1906 with 5 teams, and turned professional in 1935 when 10 clubs broke away from the amateur leagues to form a professional league. Since 1996 the format of tournament was changed to Torneo Apertura and Clausura, but since 2008 each tournament is independent.

Traditionally, the dominance of Olimpia and Cerro Porteño went mostly unchallenged for decades. All of this changed at the turn of the 21st century. Since then, Libertad has been the most dominant club, while Nacional and Guaraní have also experienced success at the local level.

Format

The league is currently contested by 12 teams that play home and away games in a round-robin format. The league is traditionally divided into two halves: the Torneo Apertura (Opening Tournament) from February to July, and the Torneo Clausura (Closing Tournament) from July to December.

Relegation is based on an averaging system. At the end of each season, the two teams with the worst three-year averages are relegated, and the two best teams in the "División Intermedia" (second division) are promoted to Primera División.

International cup participation

Results of the 'Big Five' in the last 6 seasons
Season CCP GUA LIB NAC OLI
2018 2 8 3 4 1
2019 3 4 2 6 1
2020 1 4 3 5 2
2021 1 3 2 5 4
2022 1 5 3 4 2
2023 2 5 1 4 6
Top 3 6 1 6 0 4
Top 5 6 5 6 5 5
out of 6
  Apertura and/or Clausura champions / Copa Libertadores group stage

  Copa Libertadores group stage
  Copa Libertadores qualifying round
  Copa Sudamericana qualifying round

Since 2017, Paraguay have eight slots in international cups (four in the Copa Libertadores de America and four in the Copa Sudamericana). These eight slots will be filled by eight teams.

In the Copa Libertadores, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments qualify automatically. The third (going into the second round play-off) and fourth (going into the first round play-off) representatives are the best placed non-champion teams from the accumulative table of both the Apertura and Clausura.

In the Copa Sudamericana, the 4th, 5th and 6th best placed teams from the Apertura and Clausura accumulative table qualify for the first stage, alongside the winners of the Copa Paraguay.

Teams

The following are the teams in the first division in 2024:

Paraguayan Primera División is located in ParaguayAsunciónAsunción2 de Mayo2 de MayoGral. Caballero (JLM)Gral. Caballero (JLM)Sol de AméricaSol de AméricaSpvo. LuqueñoSpvo. Luqueñoclass=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024 Primera División teams Paraguayan Primera División is located in Paraguay AsunciónCerro PorteñoCerro PorteñoGuaraníGuaraníLibertadLibertadNacionalNacionalOlimpiaOlimpiaSpvo. AmelianoSpvo. AmelianoSpvo. TrinidenseSpvo. TrinidenseTacuaryTacuaryclass=notpageimage| Locations of the 2024 Primera División teams – Asunción
Team City Stadium Capacity
2 de Mayo Pedro Juan Caballero Río Parapití 25,000
Cerro Porteño Asunción General Pablo Rojas 45,000
General Caballero (JLM) Juan León Mallorquín Ka'arendy 10,000
Guaraní Asunción Rogelio Livieres 6,000
Libertad Asunción Tigo La Huerta 10,000
Nacional Asunción Arsenio Erico 4,000
Olimpia Asunción Manuel Ferreira 25,000
Sol de América Villa Elisa Luis Alfonso Giagni 11,000
Sportivo Ameliano Asunción José Tomás Silva 800
Sportivo Luqueño Luque Feliciano Cáceres 23,000
Sportivo Trinidense Asunción Martín Torres 3,000
Tacuary Asunción Toribio Vargas 3,000
Notes
  1. Teams occasionally play home matches at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción.

List of champions

Complete list of champions since 1906. Paraguayan football turned professional since the 1935 season.

Ed. Season Champion (title count) Runner-up Winning manager
1 1906 Guaraní (1) Olimpia Spain Salvador Melián
2 1907 Guaraní (2) Olimpia Argentina Manuel Bella
1908 No championship held
3 1909 Nacional (1) Libertad
4 1910 Libertad (1) Atlántida
5 1911 Nacional (2) Atlántida
6 1912 Olimpia (1) Sol de América Paraguay Carlos Olivia
7 1913 Cerro Porteño (1) Sol de América Paraguay Dámaso Ávila
8 1914 Olimpia (2) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Ángel Hermosilla
9 1915 Cerro Porteño (2) Olimpia
10 1916 Olimpia (3) Guaraní Paraguay César Mena Porta
11 1917 Libertad (2) Olimpia
12 1918 Cerro Porteño (3) Nacional
13 1919 Cerro Porteño (4) River Plate Paraguay Humberto Camperchiolli
14 1920 Libertad (3) Olimpia
15 1921 Guaraní (3) Nacional Paraguay Idelfonso López
1922 No championship held
16 1923 Guaraní (4) Olimpia Paraguay Idelfonso López
17 1924 Nacional (3) Libertad
18 1925 Olimpia (4) Guaraní Paraguay Axel Sirvent
19 1926 Nacional (4) Olimpia
20 1927 Olimpia (5) Libertad
Nacional
Argentina José Durand Laguna
21 1928 Olimpia (6) Libertad
22 1929 Olimpia (7) Libertad
23 1930 Libertad (4) River Plate
24 1931 Olimpia (8) Libertad
1932 No championship held due to the Chaco War
1933
1934
25 1935 Cerro Porteño (5) Sol de América Paraguay Alejandro Delgado
26 1936 Olimpia (9) Atlántida Paraguay Daniel Schaerer
27 1937 Olimpia (10) Cerro Porteño Paraguay César Mena Porta
28 1938 Olimpia (11) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Daniel Schaerer
29 1939 Cerro Porteño (6) Olimpia Paraguay Benjamín Laterza
30 1940 Cerro Porteño (7) Sol de América Paraguay Manuel Recalde
31 1941 Cerro Porteño (8) Olimpia Uruguay Athuel Velázquez
32 1942 Nacional (5) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Athuel Velázquez
33 1943 Libertad (5) Olimpia Paraguay Manuel Fleitas Solich
34 1944 Cerro Porteño (9) Libertad Paraguay Garibaldi Bougermini
35 1945 Libertad (6) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Manuel Fleitas Solich
36 1946 Nacional (6) Sol de América Argentina José Durand Laguna
37 1947 Olimpia (12) Guaraní Paraguay Antonio Brunetti
38 1948 Olimpia (13) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Antonio Brunetti
39 1949 Guaraní (5) Nacional Paraguay Fulgencio Romaro
40 1950 Cerro Porteño (10) Libertad Paraguay Pedro Osorio
41 1951 Sportivo Luqueño (1) Cerro Porteño Italy Vessilio Bártoli
42 1952 Presidente Hayes (1) Libertad
Sol de América
Paraguay Luis Magín Gómez
43 1953 Sportivo Luqueño (2) Libertad
Cerro Porteño
Italy Vessilio Bártoli
44 1954 Cerro Porteño (11) Libertad Argentina Gregorio Juan Esperón
45 1955 Libertad (7) Olimpia Argentina Luis Viccini
46 1956 Olimpia (14) Libertad Paraguay Aurelio González
47 1957 Olimpia (15) Cerro Porteño
Sol de América
Guaraní
Paraguay Aurelio González
48 1958 Olimpia (16) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Aurelio González
49 1959 Olimpia (17) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Aurelio González
50 1960 Olimpia (18) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Aurelio González
51 1961 Cerro Porteño (12) Olimpia Italy Vessilio Bártoli
52 1962 Olimpia (19) Nacional Paraguay Miguel Ángel Pangrazio
53 1963 Cerro Porteño (13) Olimpia Argentina Mario Fortunato
54 1964 Guaraní (6) Nacional
Cerro Porteño
Uruguay Ondino Viera
55 1965 Olimpia (20) Guaraní Paraguay Aurelio González
56 1966 Cerro Porteño (14) Guaraní Argentina Mario Fortunato
57 1967 Guaraní (7) Libertad Uruguay José María Rodríguez
58 1968 Olimpia (21) Cerro Porteño Brazil Marcos Pavlovsky
59 1969 Guaraní (8) Olimpia Uruguay José María Rodríguez
60 1970 Cerro Porteño (15) Guaraní Brazil Marcos Pavlovsky
61 1971 Olimpia (22) Cerro Porteño Uruguay José María Rodríguez
62 1972 Cerro Porteño (16) Olimpia Brazil Marcos Pavlovsky
63 1973 Cerro Porteño (17) Olimpia Paraguay Salvador Breglia
64 1974 Cerro Porteño (18) Olimpia BrazilParaguay Egidio Landolfi
65 1975 Olimpia (23) Sportivo Luqueño Paraguay Aurelio González
66 1976 Libertad (8) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Ramón Rodríguez
67 1977 Cerro Porteño (19) Libertad Paraguay Salvador Breglia
68 1978 Olimpia (24) Sol de América Paraguay Carlos Sanabria
69 1979 Olimpia (25) Sol de América Uruguay Luis Cubilla
70 1980 Olimpia (26) Cerro Porteño Uruguay José Sasía
71 1981 Olimpia (27) Sol de América Paraguay Roque Fernández
72 1982 Olimpia (28) Nacional Uruguay Luis Cubilla
73 1983 Olimpia (29) Sportivo Luqueño Uruguay Sergio Markarian
74 1984 Guaraní (9) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Cayetano Ré
75 1985 Olimpia (30) Nacional Uruguay Aníbal Ruiz
76 1986 Sol de América (1) Olimpia Paraguay Silvio Parodi
77 1987 Cerro Porteño (20) Olimpia Brazil Valdir Espinosa
78 1988 Olimpia (31) Sol de América Uruguay Luis Cubilla
79 1989 Olimpia (32) Guaraní Uruguay Luis Cubilla
80 1990 Cerro Porteño (21) Libertad Uruguay Sergio Markarian
81 1991 Sol de América (2) Cerro Porteño Argentina Héctor Corte
82 1992 Cerro Porteño (22) Libertad Brazil Valdir Espinosa
83 1993 Olimpia (33) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Ever Almeida
84 1994 Cerro Porteño (23) Olimpia Paraguay Gerardo González Aquino
85 1995 Olimpia (34) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Luis Cubilla
86 1996 Cerro Porteño (24) Guaraní Paraguay Carlos Kiese
87 1997 Olimpia (35) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Luis Cubilla
88 1998 Olimpia (36) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Luis Cubilla
89 1999 Olimpia (37) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Luis Cubilla
90 2000 Olimpia (38) Guaraní Paraguay Alicio Solalinde
91 2001 Cerro Porteño (25) Sportivo Luqueño Paraguay Mario César Jacquet
92 2002 Libertad (9) 12 de Octubre Argentina Gerardo Martino
93 2003 Libertad (10) Guaraní Paraguay Víctor Genes
94 2004 Cerro Porteño (26) Libertad Argentina Gerardo Martino
95 2005 Cerro Porteño (27) Libertad Argentina Gustavo Costas
96 2006 Libertad (11) Cerro Porteño Argentina Gerardo Martino
97 2007 Libertad (12) Sportivo Luqueño Uruguay Rubén Israel
98 2008 Apertura Libertad (13) Nacional Uruguay Rubén Israel
99 Clausura Libertad (14) Guaraní Uruguay Rubén Israel
100 2009 Apertura Cerro Porteño (28) Libertad Argentina Pedro Troglio
101 Clausura Nacional (7) Libertad Paraguay Ever Hugo Almeida
102 2010 Apertura Guaraní (10) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Félix Darío León
103 Clausura Libertad (15) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Gregorio Pérez
104 2011 Apertura Nacional (8) Olimpia Paraguay Juan Battaglia
105 Clausura Olimpia (39) Cerro Porteño Uruguay Gerardo Pelusso
106 2012 Apertura Cerro Porteño (29) Olimpia Uruguay Jorge Fossati
107 Clausura Libertad (16) Nacional Uruguay Rubén Israel
108 2013 Apertura Nacional (9) Guaraní Paraguay Gustavo Morínigo
109 Clausura Cerro Porteño (30) Libertad Paraguay Francisco Arce
110 2014 Apertura Libertad (17) Guaraní Paraguay Pedro Sarabia
111 Clausura Libertad (18) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Pedro Sarabia
112 2015 Apertura Cerro Porteño (31) Guaraní Paraguay Roberto Torres
113 Clausura Olimpia (40) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Francisco Arce
114 2016 Apertura Libertad (19) Olimpia Paraguay Roberto Torres
115 Clausura Guaraní (11) Olimpia Argentina Daniel Garnero
116 2017 Apertura Libertad (20) Guaraní Spain Fernando Jubero
117 Clausura Cerro Porteño (32) Olimpia Colombia Leonel Álvarez
118 2018 Apertura Olimpia (41) Cerro Porteño Argentina Daniel Garnero
119 Clausura Olimpia (42) Cerro Porteño Argentina Daniel Garnero
120 2019 Apertura Olimpia (43) Cerro Porteño Argentina Daniel Garnero
121 Clausura Olimpia (44) Libertad Argentina Daniel Garnero
122 2020 Apertura Cerro Porteño (33) Olimpia Paraguay Francisco Arce
123 Clausura Olimpia (45) Guaraní Argentina Néstor Gorosito
124 2021 Apertura Libertad (21) Olimpia Argentina Daniel Garnero
125 Clausura Cerro Porteño (34) Guaraní Paraguay Francisco Arce
126 2022 Apertura Libertad (22) Cerro Porteño Argentina Daniel Garnero
127 Clausura Olimpia (46) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Julio César Cáceres
128 2023 Apertura Libertad (23) Cerro Porteño Argentina Daniel Garnero
129 Clausura Libertad (24) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Ariel Galeano
130 2024 Apertura Libertad (25) Cerro Porteño Paraguay Ariel Galeano
131 Clausura Olimpia (47) Guaraní Argentina Martín Palermo

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 APF.
Rank Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years
1 Olimpia 47 27 1912, 1914, 1916, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011 Clausura, 2015 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2018 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2019 Clausura, 2020 Clausura, 2022 Clausura, 2024 Clausura 1906, 1907, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1926, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1955, 1961, 1963, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1994, 2011 Apertura, 2012 Apertura, 2016 Apertura, 2016 Clausura, 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura, 2021 Apertura
2 Cerro Porteño 34 38 1913, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1950, 1954, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 Apertura, 2012 Apertura, 2013 Clausura, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura, 2021 Clausura 1914, 1937, 1938, 1942, 1945, 1948, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2010 Apertura, 2010 Clausura, 2011 Clausura, 2014 Clausura, 2015 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2018 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2022 Apertura, 2022 Clausura, 2023 Apertura, 2023 Clausura, 2024 Apertura
3 Libertad 25 22 1910, 1917, 1920, 1930, 1943, 1945, 1955, 1976, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2010 Clausura, 2012 Clausura, 2014 Apertura, 2014 Clausura, 2016 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2021 Apertura, 2022 Apertura, 2023 Apertura, 2023 Clausura, 2024 Apertura 1909, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1967, 1977, 1990, 1992, 2004, 2005, 2009 Apertura, 2009 Clausura, 2013 Clausura, 2019 Clausura
4 Guaraní 11 19 1906, 1907, 1921, 1923, 1949, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1984, 2010 Apertura, 2016 Clausura 1916, 1925, 1947, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2008 Clausura, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Apertura, 2015 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2020 Clausura, 2021 Clausura, 2024 Clausura
5 Nacional 9 10 1909, 1911, 1924, 1926, 1942, 1946, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Apertura 1918, 1921, 1927, 1949, 1962, 1964, 1982, 1985, 2008 Apertura, 2012 Clausura
6 Sol de América 2 11 1986, 1991 1912, 1913, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1952, 1957, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1988
7 Sportivo Luqueño 2 4 1951, 1953 1975, 1983, 2001, 2007
8 Presidente Hayes 1 1952  —
River Plate 3 1919, 1926, 1930
Atlántida 3 1910, 1911, 1936
12 de Octubre 1 2002

Topscorers

Main article: Primera División de Paraguay topscorers

Sponsors

Main sponsors

Current official sponsors

Former official sponsors

Media coverage

Main article: List of Paraguayan Primera División broadcasters

See also

References

  1. Brazil have the world’s best national league in 2022, South Africa rated at 53 after a previous 31 slot
  2. Historia de la APF Archived 22 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine

External links

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