About Portuguese Primeira Liga
The Portuguese Primeira Liga is the top-tier football league in the Portuguese football league system.
Tournament History
Its predecessor was the Campeonato da Liga da Primeira Divisão launched in 1934. In 1938, it was renamed Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Divisão (National First Division). In 1999, it was officially rebranded as the Primeira Liga (Portuguese Premier League).
Competition Rules
Format: use a double round-robin system. Each season features 18 teams, with each team playing 34 matches (home and away against every other team twice). Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champion.
Promotion and Relegation: The bottom two teams in the league table are directly relegated to the Liga Portugal 2 (Portuguese Second Division). The top two teams of Liga Portugal 2 earn direct promotion to the Primeira Liga. The 16th-placed team in the Primeira Liga competes in a play-off against the third-placed team of Liga Portugal 2 to secure a spot in the next season’s Primeira Liga.
European Competition Quotas
Based on Portugal’s ranking in the UEFA national coefficient, the Primeira Liga typically secures multiple European competition spots. For example, after the 2022–23 season, Portugal ranked 7th:
The Primeira Liga champion qualifies directly for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The runner-up enters the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
The Portuguese Cup winner advances to the UEFA Europa League group stage.
The third-placed team enters the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
The fourth-placed team qualifies for the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round.
Famous Teams and Achievements
Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP are the league’s "Big Three." Benfica is the most successful with 38 titles; Porto has 30 titles; and Sporting CP has 21 titles. Additionally, Belenenses (1945–46 season) and Boavista (2000–01 season) each won 1 title.
2024–25 Season Overview
The season ran from August 9, 2024, to May 17, 2025. Sporting CP successfully defended their title, claiming their 21st league championship and achieving back-to-back titles for the first time since the 1953–54 season. Farense was relegated on March 9, 2025. The season recorded a total attendance of 3,761,888, with an average of 12,194 spectators per match.