Wikipedia:WikiProject Football/Fully professional leagues
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 | Sources should be provided for all entries on this list. When adding a new entry to the list of professional leagues, it is often recommended to briefly discuss on the talk page first to ensure that the league is in fact professional. When adding sources to existing or new entries, it is also recommended to archive the website on the Wayback Machine (archive |
This page is part of the WikiProject on Football and provides a list of known fully professional leagues, and also those that are known to not be fully professional.
The lists are currently incomplete and some entries are lacking sources. Players who have not played in a fully professional league listed below may meet Wikipedia's General notability guideline. Failing to meet the criteria in this guideline means that notability will need to be established in other ways. See Category:Wikipedia notability guidelines.
If the source indicating the status is in a PDF document or other long article, please indicate the page number or sub-section. If the source is not in the English language please list the foreign-language text that confirms the fact, and provide an English-language translation.
Of FIFA's 211 current member associations, 210 have men's leagues which are currently included in this list. Liechtenstein does not have its own national league.
What is a "fully professional" league?
A fully professional league is one in which virtually all adult players are paid a salary that they can live on and do not need additional sources of income. This salary should be a living wage in the nation where the league is based, and preferably around or above the average or median national wage. The professionalism of the league should also extend to sufficient contact hours, and facilities, equipment, expenses and other support as necessary to allow full-time pursuit of the sport.
List of fully professional leagues
Men's leagues
Albania – Albanian Superliga, Albanian First Division
Algeria – Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1, Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 2
Argentina – Argentine Primera División (since 1931), Primera B Nacional, Primera B Metropolitana
Australia – A-League Men
Austria – Austrian Football Bundesliga, Austrian Football Second League
Azerbaijan – Azerbaijan Premier League (from ~2013)[dubious – discuss]
Belarus – Belarusian Premier League,
Belgium – Belgian First Division A (also know as Belgian Pro League) (from ~1960)[dubious – discuss], Belgian First Division B (from 2016–17)
Bolivia – Bolivian Primera División
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from the 2016–17 season)
Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, Campeonato Paulista, Campeonato Mineiro, Campeonato Carioca, Campeonato Gaúcho, Campeonato Paraibano, Campeonato Pernambucano, Campeonato Paranaense
Bulgaria – First Professional Football League
Canada – Canadian Premier League, Major League Soccer, USL Championship (formerly United Soccer League, USL Pro), USL League One, North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
Chile – Chilean Primera División
China PR – Chinese Super League, China League One, China League Two (2004–2010, 2014–present)
Colombia – Categoría Primera A
Costa Rica – Liga FPD
Croatia – Croatian First Football League
Cyprus – Cypriot First Division[timeframe?]
Czech Republic – Czech First League, Czech National Football League
Denmark – Danish Superliga[timeframe?]
Dominican Republic – Liga Dominicana de Fútbol
Ecuador – Ecuadorian Serie A
Egypt – Egyptian Premier League (since 1990)
England – Premier League, English Football League
Finland – Veikkausliiga[timeframe?]
France – Ligue 1, Ligue 2 (from 1993–94 season)
Germany – Bundesliga,[timeframe?] 2. Bundesliga, 3. Liga
Greece – Super League Greece, Super League Greece 2, Football League (until 2019), Gamma Ethniki (formerly Football League 2, only from 1983 to 2013)
Hong Kong – Hong Kong Premier League, Hong Kong First Division League (until 2014)
Hungary – Nemzeti Bajnokság I
India – Indian Super League, I-League
Indonesia – Liga 1 (from 2008)
Iran – Persian Gulf Pro League (formerly Iran Pro League)
Israel – Israeli Premier League, Liga Leumit (only until 2008–09 season)
Italy – Serie A, Serie B, Serie C
Japan – J1 League, J2 League, J3 League
Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan Premier League
Malaysia – Malaysia Super League
Mexico – Liga MX, Ascenso MX (until 2020)
Moldova – Moldovan National Division
Morocco – Botola (from 2011–12)
Myanmar – Myanmar National League
Netherlands – Eredivisie (at some point after 1980),[unreliable source?] Eerste Divisie
New Zealand – A-League
Nigeria – Nigerian Professional Football League (formerly Nigerian Premier League)
Norway – Eliteserien (formerly Tippeligaen) (from 2001)[disputed – discuss]
Paraguay – Paraguayan Primera División, Paraguayan División Intermedia
Peru – Peruvian Primera División, Peruvian Segunda División
Philippines – Philippine Premier League (2019), Philippines Football League
Poland – Ekstraklasa, I liga
Portugal – Primeira Liga, LigaPro
Qatar – Qatar Stars League
Republic of Ireland – League of Ireland Premier Division (from 2025)
Romania – Liga I
Russia – Russian Premier League, Russian Football National League
Saudi Arabia – Saudi Professional League (since 2007)
Scotland – Scottish Premiership,[timeframe?] Scottish Championship[timeframe?][failed verification] (until 2019–20 season)
Serbia – Serbian SuperLiga, Serbian First League (since 2016)
Singapore – Singapore Premier League (formerly S.League)
Slovakia – Slovak Super Liga (since 2009)
Slovenia – Slovenian PrvaLiga
South Africa – South African Premier Division (also known as Premier Soccer League, since 1996–97), National First Division
South Korea – K League 1, K League 2
Spain – La Liga, Segunda División
Sweden – Allsvenskan[timeframe?]
Switzerland – Swiss Super League[timeframe?]
Syria – Syrian Premier League (approximately 2003–2011 only)
Thailand – Thai League 1
Tunisia – Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1
Turkey – Süper Lig
Ukraine – Ukrainian Premier League, Ukrainian First League, Ukrainian Second League
United Arab Emirates – UAE Pro-League
United States – Major League Soccer, USL Championship (formerly United Soccer League, USL Pro), USL League One- Defunct leagues that were fully professional in the United States – USSF Division 2 Professional League, USL First Division, North American Soccer League (1968–84), North American Soccer League (2011–2017), American Soccer League (1921–33), American Soccer League (1988–89), Eastern Professional Soccer League (1928–29), United Soccer League (1984–85), National Professional Soccer League (1967), United Soccer Association, American Professional Soccer League, A-League (1995–2004), 1995 USISL Professional League, 1996 USISL Professional League, 1996 USISL Select League
Uruguay – Uruguayan Primera División, Uruguayan Segunda División
Venezuela – Venezuelan Primera División, Venezuelan Segunda División
Vietnam – V.League 1 (from 2015)
Former countries
Serbia and Montenegro – First League of Serbia and Montenegro (formerly First League of FR Yugoslavia, 1992–2006)
Yugoslavia – Yugoslav First League (1967–1992)
Women's leagues
- Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 (from the 2019 season)
- Canada - Northern Super League
- England – FA Women's Super League (from the 2018–19 season)
- Italy – Serie A (from the 2022–23 season)
- Japan – WE League
- Spain – Primera División (from the 2021–22 season)
- United States – National Women's Soccer League, USL Super League
- Defunct leagues that were fully professional in the United States – Women's Professional Soccer, Women's United Soccer Association
Top level leagues which are not fully professional
 | These top-level leagues are not fully-professional. WP:GNG may apply to related articles. |
Men's leagues
Afghanistan – Afghan Premier League
American Samoa – FFAS Senior League
Andorra – Primera Divisió
Angola – Girabola
Anguilla – AFA Senior Male League
Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua and Barbuda Premier Division
Armenia – Armenian Premier League
Aruba – Aruban Division di Honor- Australia – National Soccer League (1977–2004)
Bahamas – BFA Senior League
Bahrain – Bahraini Premier League
Bangladesh – Bangladesh Premier League
Barbados – Barbados Premier League (planning to be semi-professional and professional in future)
Belize – Premier League of Belize
Benin – Benin Premier League
Bermuda – Bermudian Premier Division
Bhutan – Bhutan Premier League
Botswana – Botswana Premier League
British Virgin Islands – BVIFA National Football League
Brunei – Brunei Super League (planned to be semi-pro)
Burkina Faso – Burkinabé Premier League (transitioning into professionalism)
Burundi – Burundi Premier League
Cambodia – C-League
Cameroon – Elite One (planned to be professional in future)- Canada - Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)
Cape Verde – Cape Verdean Football Championship
Cayman Islands – Cayman Islands Premier League
Central African Republic – Central African Republic League
Chad – Chad Premier League
Chinese Taipei – Taiwan Football Premier League, Intercity Football League (2007–2016)
Comoros – Comoros Premier League
Congo – Congo Premier League
Cook Islands – Cook Islands Round Cup
Cuba – Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba
Curaçao – Curaçao Promé Divishon
Djibouti – Djibouti Premier League
Dominica – Dominica Premier League
DR Congo – Linafoot
El Salvador – Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea – Equatoguinean Primera División (planning to be professional)
Eritrea – Eritrean Premier League
Estonia – Meistriliiga
Eswatini – Premier League of Eswatini (planned to be fully professional by 2022)
Ethiopia – Ethiopian Premier League
Faroe Islands – Faroe Islands Premier League
Fiji – Fiji Premier League (planned to be fully professional by 2020)
Gabon – Gabon Championnat National D1
Gambia – GFA League First Division
Georgia – Erovnuli Liga
Ghana – Ghana Premier League
Gibraltar – Gibraltar National League
Grenada – GFA Premier League
Guam – Guam Soccer League
Guatemala – Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala
Guinea – Guinée Championnat National (planning to be professional in future)
Guinea-Bissau – Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau
Guyana – GFF Elite League
Haiti – Ligue Haïtienne
Iceland – Úrvalsdeild karla
Iraq – Iraqi Premier League
Ivory Coast – Ligue 1
Jamaica – National Premier League (planned to be fully professional in future)
Jordan – Jordanian Pro League
Kenya – Kenyan Premier League
Kosovo – Football Superleague of Kosovo
Kuwait – Kuwait Premier League
Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan Top League
Laos – Lao Premier League
Latvia – Latvian Higher League
Lebanon – Lebanese Premier League
Lesotho – Lesotho Premier League
Liberia – Liberian Premier League
Libya – Libyan Premier League (planned to be fully professional)
Lithuania – A Lyga
Luxembourg – Luxembourg National Division
Macau – Liga de Elite
Madagascar – THB Champions League
Malawi – Malawi Premier Division (also known as Super League)
Maldives – Dhivehi Premier League
Mali – Malian Première Division
Malta – Maltese Premier League
Mauritania – Ligue 1 Mauritania
Mauritius – Mauritian League
Mongolia – Mongolian National Premier League
Montenegro – Montenegrin First League
Montserrat – Montserrat Championship
Mozambique – Moçambola
Namibia – Namibia Premier League
Nepal – Nepal National League, Martyr's Memorial A-Division League
New Caledonia – New Caledonia Super Ligue- New Zealand – New Zealand National League
Nicaragua – Liga Primera de Nicaragua
Niger – Niger Premier League
North Korea – DPR Korea Premier Football League
North Macedonia – Macedonian First Football League
Northern Ireland – NIFL Premiership
Oman – Oman Professional League
Pakistan – Pakistan Premier League
Palestine – Gaza Strip Premier League, West Bank Premier League
Panama – Liga Panameña de Fútbol (in the process of becoming fully professional)
Papua New Guinea – Papua New Guinea National Soccer League- Philippines – United Football League (defunct), Filipino Premier League (defunct)
Puerto Rico – Liga Puerto Rico
Rwanda – Rwanda Premier League
Saint Kitts and Nevis – SKNFA Premier League, N1 League
Saint Lucia – SLFA First Division
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – SVGFF Premier Division
Samoa – Samoa National League
San Marino – Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio
São Tomé and Príncipe – São Tomé and Príncipe Championship
Senegal – Senegal Premier League
Seychelles – Seychelles First Division
Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone National Premier League
Solomon Islands – Telekom S-League
Somalia – Somali First Division
South Sudan – South Sudan Football Championship (also known as South Sudan Champions League or South Sudan Premier League)
Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka Champions League
Sudan – Sudan Premier League
Suriname – SVB Eerste Divisie (formerly SVB Hoofdklasse and SVB Topklasse, planned to be fully professional in future)
Tahiti – Tahiti Ligue 1
Tajikistan – Tajikistan Higher League
Tanzania – Tanzanian Premier League
Timor-Leste – Liga Futebol Amadora Primeira Divisão
Togo – Togolese Championnat National (plans for a professional league)
Tonga – Tonga Major League
Trinidad and Tobago – TT Pro League
Turkmenistan – Ýokary Liga
Turks and Caicos Islands – Provo Premier League
Uganda – Uganda Premier League (formerly known as Uganda Super League)- United States – National Association Football League, American Soccer League (1933–83)
U.S. Virgin Islands – U.S. Virgin Islands Premier League
Uzbekistan – Uzbekistan Super League
Vanuatu – Port Vila Football League, VFF National Super League
Wales – Cymru Premier
Yemen – Yemeni League
Zambia – Zambia Super League
Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League
Associated to FIFA confederations
Bonaire – Bonaire League
French Guiana – French Guiana Honor Division
Guadeloupe – Guadeloupe Division of Honor
Kiribati – Kiribati National Championship
Martinique – Martinique Championnat National
Niue – Niue Soccer Tournament
Northern Mariana Islands – M*League Division 1
Réunion – Réunion Premier League- Saint Martin – Saint-Martin Senior League
Sint Maarten – Sint Maarten Senior League
Tuvalu – Tuvalu A-Division
Zanzibar – Zanzibar Premier League
Non-FIFA
Ascension – Ascension Island Football League
Crimea – Crimean Premier League
Donetsk People's Republic – Football Championship
Falkland Islands – Falkland Islands Football League
Federated States of Micronesia – Football Championship
Greenland – Greenlandic Football Championship
Isle of Man – Isle of Man Football League
Luhansk People's Republic – Football Championship
Mayotte – Mayotte Division Honneur
Nauru – Nauru Soccer Association
Norfolk Island – Soccer League
Northern Cyprus – KTFF Süper Lig
Palau – Palau Soccer League
Puntland – Puntland State League
Saint Helena – Saint Helena Football League
Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Saint Pierre and Miquelon Football League
South Ossetia – North Ossetia-Alania Football Championship
Tokelau – Soccer League
Wallis and Futuna – Première Division
Women's leagues
| These top-level leagues are not fully-professional. WP:GNG may apply to related articles. |
- Albania – Albanian Women's National Championship
- Australia – A-League Women
- Austria – ÖFB-Frauenliga
- Azerbaijan – Azerbaijani women's football championship
- Belarus – Belarusian Premier League
- Belgium – Belgian Women's Super League
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – Bosnia and Herzegovina Women's Premier League
- Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1 (until the 2018 season)
- Bulgaria – Bulgarian women's football championship
- China – Chinese Women's Super League
- Chinese Taipei – Taiwan Mulan Football League
- Croatia – Croatian Women's First Football League
- Cyprus – Cypriot First Division
- Czech Republic – Czech First Division
- Denmark – Elitedivisionen
- England – FA Women's Super League (before the 2018–19 season), FA Women's Premier League National Division (1992–2010)
- Estonia – Naiste Meistriliiga
- Faroe Islands – 1. deild kvinnur
- Finland – Kansallinen Liiga
- France – Division 1 Féminine
- Georgia – Georgia women's football championship
- Germany – Frauen-Bundesliga
- Gibraltar – Gibraltar Women's Football League
- Greece – Greek A Division
- Hong Kong – Hong Kong Women League
- Hungary – Női NB I
- Iceland – Úrvalsdeild kvenna
- India – Indian Women's League
- Indonesia – Liga 1 Putri
- Iran – Kowsar Women Football League
- Iraq – Iraqi Women's Football League
- Israel – Ligat Nashim
- Italy – Serie A (before the 2022–23 season)
- Japan – Nadeshiko League (until the 2021 season)
- Jordan – Jordan Women's Football League
- Kazakhstan – Kazakhstani women's football championship
- Kosovo – Kosovo Women's Football League
- Kuwait – Kuwaiti Women's League
- Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan Women's Championship
- Latvia – Latvian Women's League
- Lebanon – Lebanese Women's Football League
- Lithuania – A Lyga
- Luxembourg – Dames Ligue 1
- Malta – Maltese First Division
- Mexico – Liga MX Femenil
- Moldova – Moldovan women's football championship
- Mongolia – Women's National Football League
- Montenegro – Montenegrin Women's League
- Netherlands – Eredivisie
- New Zealand – New Zealand Women's National League
- North Macedonia – Macedonian women's football championship
- Northern Ireland – Women's Premiership
- Norway – Toppserien
- Pakistan – National Women Football Championship
- Philippines – PFF Women's League
- Poland – Ekstraliga
- Portugal – Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino
- Republic of Ireland – Women's National League
- Romania – Liga I
- Russia – Russian Women's Football Championship
- Scotland – Scottish Women's Premier League
- Serbia – Serbian SuperLiga
- Slovakia – Slovak Women's First League
- Slovenia – Slovenian Women's League
- South Korea – WK League
- Spain – Primera División (before the 2021–22 season)
- Sweden – Damallsvenskan
- Switzerland – Nationalliga A
- Thailand – Thai Women's League
- Turkey – Turkish Women's First Football League
- Ukraine – Ukrainian Women's League
- Uzbekistan – Uzbek women's football championship
- Vietnam – Vietnam Women's Football League
- Wales – Welsh Premier Women's Football League
See also
- Professionalism in association football
- List of professional sports leagues
- List of association football competitions
- Category:Women's association football leagues
- Category:Association football leagues