Liga Nacional de Guatemala
Founded1919 (1919) as amateur league
1942 (1942) as professional league
CountryGuatemala
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toPrimera División de Ascenso
Domestic cup(s)Copa de Guatemala
International cup(s)CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Central American Cup
Current championsComunicaciones (32nd title)
Most championshipsComunicaciones
(32 titles)
Most appearancesJairo Arreola (651)
Top goalscorerJuan Carlos Plata (302)
TV partnersAlbavision
Claro Sports
Tigo Sports
Fox Deportes
Websiteligagt.org
Current: 2023–24 Liga Nacional de Guatemala

Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (National Football League of Guatemala), officially known as the Liga Guate Banrural for sponsorship reasons, formerly known as Liga Mayor "A" (Major League "A") is a professional football division in Guatemala, the highest one in the country. It is sanctioned by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. The champion and runner-up teams of the Liga Nacional's official tournaments qualify to participate in international competitions within their regional confederation. Twelve teams currently compete in the league. Comunicaciones is the most successful club in the league to date, having won 32 tournaments.[1]

History

Its first official professional tournament took place in 1942, and succeeded what was known as the Liga Capitalina (League of the Capital), which was an amateur tournament that started in 1919. The 1942–43 tournament was played by seven teams in a double round-robin tournament. Three teams – Municipal, Tipografía Nacional, and Guatemala FC – finished tied for the first place after the two rounds. A playoff between the three teams was conducted to determine the winner, with Municipal earning their first national title.[2]

Competition format

The league has had several different formats throughout its history; currently, the league season is divided into two tournaments. The Apertura, which is played in the fall, and the Clausura, which is played in the spring. The first 6 clubs in the standings at the end of each competition participate in the playoffs to determine the champion, 1st and 2nd place teams qualify directly to semi-finals, while the others have to play in the quarter-finals. The winners of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments participate in the CONCACAF Champions League.

At the end of 2008-2009 Apertura and Clausura tournaments the league expanded to 12 teams to compete in a larger versions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. Now the 12th placed team (the team with the fewest points) in the aggregated table standings (combined standings of both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments) is relegated to the Primera División de Ascenso (2nd division) automatically at the end of the Clausura tournament in late May. The teams that finish 10th and 11th in the aggregated table standings enter into a two-legged playoff with the second- and third-placed clubs of the Primera División de Ascenso. The playoff winners play in the top division while the losers spend the next season in the second division.

2023-24 Season

Team Home city Stadium Capacity
Achuapa El Progreso, Jutiapa Department Estadio Winston Pineda 6,000
Antigua Antigua, Sacatepéquez Department Estadio Pensativo 10,000
Coatepeque Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango Department Estadio Israel Barrios 20,000
Cobán Imperial Cobán, Alta Verapaz Department Estadio Verapaz 15,000
Comunicaciones Guatemala City, Guatemala Department Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores 26,000
Guastatoya Guastatoya, El Progreso Department Estadio David Cordón Hichos 3,100
Malacateco Malacatán, San Marcos Department Estadio Santa Lucía 7,000
Mixco Mixco, Guatemala Department Estadio Santo Domingo de Guzmán 1,000
Municipal Guatemala City, Guatemala Department Estadio El Trébol 7,500
Xelajú Quetzaltenango, Quetzaltenango Department Estadio Mario Camposeco 11,220
Xinabajul Huehuetenango, Huehuetenango Department Estadio Los Cuchumatanes 5,340
Zacapa Zacapa, Zacapa Department Estadio David Ordoñez Bardales 8,100

Managers

Current Liga Nacional managers
Manager Nationality Club
Milton García  ColombiaAchuapa
Dwight Pezzarossi  GuatemalaAntigua
Silvio Fernández  UruguayCoatepeque
Adrian Arias  MexicoCoban Imperial
Iván Sopegno  ArgentinaComunicaciones
Roberto Montoya  MexicoGuastatoya
Gabriel Pereyra  ArgentinaMalacateco
Fabricio Benítez  GuatemalaMixco
Sebastián Bini  ArgentinaMunicipal
Amarini Villatoro  GuatemalaXelajú
Pablo Centrone  ArgentinaXinabajul
Adrián Fernández Leal  UruguayZapaca

Champions

Liga Capitalina

Amateur Era

Ed. Season Champion Runner-up
1
1919AlliesHércules
2
1920HérculesEspaña
–
1921No tournament due to the Juegos del Centenario
3
1922AlliesAlemán
4
1923La JoyaAllies
5
1924USACAllies
6
1925La JoyaHércules
7
1926USACHércules
8
1927HérculesUSAC
9
1928USACAllies
10
1929USACTipografía Nacional
11
1930USACGermania
12
1931USACGermania
13
1932Guatemala FCGermania
14
1933Escuela PolitécnicaTipografía Nacional
15
1934Escuela PolitécnicaTipografía Nacional
16
1935CibelesQuetzal
17
1936CibelesQuetzal
18
1937QuetzalTipografía Nacional
19
1938Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
20
1939Tipografía NacionalHércules
21
1940Tipografía NacionalIndependiente
22
1941Guatemala FCTipografía Nacional

Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala

Professional Era

Ed. Season Champion Runner-up
1
1942–43MunicipalTipografía Nacional
2
1943Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
3
1944–45Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
4
1947MunicipalEspaña
–
1948–50No tournament due to the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games
5
1950–51MunicipalComunicaciones
6
1952–53Tipografía NacionalComunicaciones
7
1954–55MunicipalComunicaciones
8
1956ComunicacionesUniversidad de San Carlos
9
1957–58ComunicacionesMunicipal
10
1959–60ComunicacionesMunicipal
11
1961–62XelajúComunicaciones
12
1963–64MunicipalXelajú
13
1964AuroraMunicipal
14
1965–66MunicipalComunicaciones
15
1966AuroraXelajú
16
1967–68AuroraMunicipal
17
1968–69ComunicacionesAurora
18
1969–70MunicipalAurora
19
1970–71ComunicacionesAurora
20
1971ComunicacionesAurora
21
1972ComunicacionesMunicipal
22
1973MunicipalAurora
23
1974MunicipalAurora
24
1975AuroraComunicaciones
25
1976MunicipalComunicaciones
26
1977–78ComunicacionesMunicipal
27
1978AuroraComunicaciones
28
1979–80ComunicacionesCobán Imperial
29
1980XelajúJuventud Retalteca
30
1981ComunicacionesXelajú
31
1982ComunicacionesSuchitepéquez
32
1983SuchitepéquezComunicaciones
33
1984AuroraSuchitepéquez
34
1985ComunicacionesJuventud Retalteca
35
1986AuroraGalcasa
36
1987MunicipalAurora
37
1988–89MunicipalAurora
38
1989–90MunicipalSuchitepéquez
39
1990–91ComunicacionesMunicipal
40
1991–92MunicipalComunicaciones
41
1992–93AuroraComunicaciones
42
1993–94MunicipalEscuintla
43
1994–95ComunicacionesAurora
44
1995–96XelajúComunicaciones
45
1996–97ComunicacionesAurora
46
1997–98ComunicacionesCobán Imperial
47
1998–99ComunicacionesMunicipal
48
1999 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
49
2000 ClausuraMunicipalComunicaciones
50
2000 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
51
2001 ClausuraComunicacionesAntigua
52
2001 ReordenamientoMunicipalCobán Imperial
53
2002 ClausuraMunicipalComunicaciones
54
2002 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
55
2003 ClausuraComunicacionesCobán Imperial
56
2003 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
57
2004 ClausuraCobán ImperialMunicipal
58
2004 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
59
2005 ClausuraMunicipalSuchitepéquez
60
2005 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
61
2006 ClausuraMunicipalMarquense
62
2006 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
63
2007 ClausuraXelajúMarquense
64
2007 AperturaJalapaSuchitepéquez
65
2008 ClausuraMunicipalComunicaciones
66
2008 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
67
2009 ClausuraJalapaMunicipal
68
2009 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
69
2010 ClausuraMunicipalXelajú Mario Camposeco
70
2010 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
71
2011 ClausuraComunicacionesMunicipal
72
2011 AperturaMunicipalComunicaciones
73
2012 ClausuraXelajúMunicipal
74
2012 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
75
2013 ClausuraComunicacionesHeredia
76
2013 AperturaComunicacionesHeredia
77
2014 ClausuraComunicacionesMunicipal
78
2014 AperturaComunicacionesMunicipal
79
2015 ClausuraComunicacionesMunicipal
80
2015 AperturaAntiguaGuastatoya
81
2016 ClausuraSuchitepéquezComunicaciones
82
2016 AperturaAntiguaMunicipal
83
2017 ClausuraMunicipalGuastatoya
84
2017 AperturaAntiguaMunicipal
85
2018 ClausuraGuastatoyaXelajú
86
2018 AperturaGuastatoyaComunicaciones
87
2019 ClausuraAntiguaMalacateco
88
2019 AperturaMunicipalAntigua
89
2020 ClausuraCanceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
90
2020 AperturaGuastatoyaMunicipal
91
2021 ClausuraSanta LucíaComunicaciones
92
2021 AperturaMalacatecoComunicaciones
93
2022 ClausuraComunicacionesMunicipal
94
2022 AperturaCobán ImperialAntigua
95
2023 ClausuraXelajúAntigua
96
2023 AperturaComunicacionesGuastatoya

Titles by club in Guatemalan Football History

Champions were:[3] Amateur and Professional Champions.

Amateur Era

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Universidad de San Carlos 6 1 1924, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931
Tipografia Nacional 3 5 1938, 1939, 1940
Hércules 2 4 1920, 1927
Allies 2 3 1919, 1922
Cibeles 2 0 1935, 1936
Escuela Politécnica 2 0 1933, 1934
Guatemala FC 2 0 1932, 1941
La Joya 2 0 1923, 1925
Quetzal 1 2 1937

Professional Era

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Comunicaciones 32 26 1956, 1957-58, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1970-71, 1971, 1972, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1990-91, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999 Apertura, 2001 Clausura, 2002 Apertura, 2003 Clausura, 2008 Apertura, 2010 Apertura, 2011 Clausura, 2012 Apertura, 2013 Clausura, 2013 Apertura, 2014 Clausura, 2014 Apertura, 2015 Clausura, 2022 Clausura, 2023 Apertura
Municipal 31 26 1942-43, 1947, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1969-70, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1987, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 2000 Clausura, 2000 Apertura, 2001 Reordenamiento, 2002 Clausura, 2003 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2010 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2017 Clausura, 2019 Apertura
Aurora 8 10 1964, 1966, 1967-68, 1975, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1992–93
Xelajú 6 5 1961–62, 1980, 1995–96, 2007 Clausura, 2012 Clausura, 2023 Clausura
Antigua 4 4 2015 Apertura, 2016 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2019 Clausura
Guastatoya 3 3 2018 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2020 Apertura
Tipografía Nacional 3 1 1943, 1944–45, 1952–53
Suchitepéquez 2 5 1983, 2016 Clausura
Cobán Imperial 2 4 2004 Clausura, 2022 Apertura
Jalapa 2 0 2007 Apertura, 2009 Clausura
Malacateco 1 1 2021 Apertura
Santa Lucía 1 0 2021 Clausura

Top goalscorers

Nr. Player Country Goals
1Juan Carlos PlataGuatemala302
2Oscar SánchezGuatemala259
3Julio César AndersonGuatemala220
4Carlos Kamiani Félix Mexico211
5Edwin WestphalGuatemala188
6Israel SilvaBrazil186
7René MoralesGuatemala172
8Mario AcevedoGuatemala170
9Agustín HerreraMexico161
10Selvin PennantGuatemala156
11León UgarteArgentina156
12Edgar AraizaGuatemala150
13Fredy GarcíaGuatemala144
14Hugo PeñaGuatemala136
15Rolando FonsecaCosta Rica135
16Rudy RamírezGuatemala130
17Carlos ToledoGuatemala129
18Jhonny CuberoCosta Rica124
19Julio RodasGuatemala123
20José Emilio MitrovichArgentina121

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Liga Nacional – Lista de campeones". livefutbol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  2. ↑ "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol – Municipal". Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine – prensalibre.com – Prensa Libre newspaper, Guatemala.
  3. ↑ "Guatemala - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
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