VENEZUELAN LEAGUE WINNERS 1980-2020
The latest Venezuelan Primera División season, 2020, was won by Deportivo La Guaira. Deportivo La Guaira had previously won the Copa Venezuela twice, in 2014 and 2015, but had never won the league. The season had been suspended in March, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and didn't resume until October, albeit with a new format so that they could have the competition finished by mid-December. The new format saw the original league split into two groups, with the winners of each group meeting in a final. Deportivo La Guaira won Group A by one point from Deportivo Lara, whilst Deportivo Táchira just held off reigning champions Caracas by a single point to top Group B. Deportivo La Guaira then beat Deportivo Táchira 2:0 in the final, played at a neutral stadium in Valencia.
The Venezuelan Primera División (in Spanish, Primera División de Venezuela) is the top tier of the Venezuelan football league. It was formed as an amateur league back in 1921 but turned professional in 1957.
Caracas FC, based in the capital city, are the league’s most successful club, ahead of Deportivo Táchira.
Whilst it remains one of the lesser known leagues in South America, and the political unrest in recent years has made things even harder for the clubs and supporters, let's hope the rise in Venezuelan football culture will one day see some of its clubs challenging in the latter stages of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1920-21 | América | Centro Atlético |
| 1922 | Centro Atlético | América |
| 1923 | América | Centro Atlético |
| 1924 | Centro Atlético | Vargas |
| 1925 | Loyola | Venzóleo |
| 1926 | Centro Atlético | Venzóleo |
| 1927 | Venzóleo | Centro Atlético |
| 1928 | Deportivo Venezuela | Centro Atlético |
| 1929 | Deportivo Venezuela | Unión |
| 1930 | Centro Atlético | Unión |
| 1931 | Deportivo Venezuela | Centro Atlético |
| 1932 | Unión | Dos Caminos |
| 1933 | Deportivo Venezuela | Dos Caminos |
| 1934 | Unión | Dos Caminos |
| 1935 | Unión | Dos Caminos |
| 1936 | Dos Caminos | Centro Atlético |
| 1937 | Dos Caminos | Litoral |
| 1938 | Dos Caminos | Litoral |
| 1939 | Unión | Litoral |
| 1940 | Unión | Dos Caminos |
| 1941 | Litoral | Dos Caminos |
| 1942 | Dos Caminos | Loyola |
| 1943 | Loyola | Litoral |
| 1944 | Loyola | Dos Caminos |
| 1945 | Dos Caminos | Loyola |
| 1946 | Deportivo Español | Centro Atlético |
| 1947 | Unión | Universidad Central |
| 1948 | Loyola | Unión |
| 1949 | Dos Caminos | Universidad Central |
| 1950 | Unión | La Salle |
| 1951 | Universidad Central | Loyola |
| 1952 | La Salle | Loyola |
| 1953 | Universidad Central | La Salle |
| 1954 | Vasco | Loyola |
| 1955 | La Salle | Deportivo Español |
| 1956 | Banco Obrero | La Salle |
| 1957 | Universidad Central | La Salle |
| 1958 | Deportivo Portugués | Deportivo Español |
| 1959 | Deportivo Español | Deportivo Portugués |
| 1960 | Deportivo Portugués | Deportivo Español |
| 1961 | Deportivo Italia | Banco Agrícola y Pecuario |
| 1962 | Deportivo Portugués | Universidad Central |
| 1963 | Deportivo Italia | Deportivo Portugués |
| 1964 | Deportivo Galicia | Tiquire Flores |
| 1965 | Lara | Deportivo Italia |
| 1966 | Deportivo Italia | Deportivo Portugués |
| 1967 | Deportivo Portugués | Deportivo Galicia |
| 1968 | Unión Deportiva Canarias | Deportivo Italia |
| 1969 | Deportivo Galicia | Valencia |
| 1970 | Deportivo Galicia | Deportivo Italia |
| 1971 | Valencia | Deportivo Italia |
| 1972 | Deportivo Italia | Deportivo Galicia |
| 1973 | Portuguesa | Valencia |
| 1974 | Deportivo Galicia | Portuguesa |
| 1975 | Portuguesa | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1976 | Portuguesa | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1977 | Portuguesa | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1978 | Portuguesa | Deportivo Galicia |
| 1979 | Deportivo Táchira | Deportivo Galicia |
| 1980 | Estudiantes de Mérida | Portuguesa |
| 1981 | Deportivo Táchira | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1982 | San Cristóbal | Deportivo Táchira |
| 1983 | Universidad de Los Andes | Portuguesa |
| 1984 | Deportivo Táchira | Deportivo Italia |
| 1985 | Estudiantes de Mérida | Deportivo Táchira |
| 1986 | Deportivo Táchira | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1986-87 | Marítimo | Unión Atlético Táchira |
| 1987-88 | Marítimo | Unión Atlético Táchira |
| 1988-89 | Mineros | Pepeganga Margarita |
| 1989-90 | Marítimo | Unión Atlético Táchira |
| 1990-91 | Universidad de Los Andes | Marítimo |
| 1991-92 | Caracas | Minervén |
| 1992-93 | Marítimo | Minervén |
| 1993-94 | Caracas | Trujillanos |
| 1994-95 | Caracas | Minervén |
| 1995-96 | Minervén | Mineros |
| 1996-97 | Caracas | Atlético Zulia |
| 1997-98 | Atlético Zulia | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 1998-99 | Deportivo Italchacao | Unión Atlético Táchira |
| 1999-00 | Deportivo Táchira | Deportivo Italchacao |
| 2000-01 | Caracas | Trujillanos |
| 2001-02 | Nacional Táchira | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 2002-03 | Caracas | Maracaibo |
| 2003-04 | Caracas | Deportivo Táchira |
| 2004-05 | Maracaibo | Caracas |
| 2005-06 | Caracas | Maracaibo |
| 2006-07 | Caracas | Maracaibo |
| 2007-08 | Deportivo Táchira | Caracas |
| 2008-09 | Caracas | Deportivo Italia |
| 2009-10 | Caracas | Deportivo Táchira |
| 2010-11 | Deportivo Táchira | Zamora |
| 2011-12 | Deportivo Lara | Caracas |
| 2012-13 | Zamora | Deportivo Anzoátegui |
| 2013-14 | Zamora | Mineros |
| 2014-15 | Deportivo Táchira | Trujillanos |
| 2015 | Zamora | Deportivo La Guaira |
| 2016 | Zamora | Zulia |
| 2017 | Monagas | Deportivo Lara |
| 2018 | Zamora | Deportivo Lara |
| 2019 | Caracas | Estudiantes de Mérida |
| 2020 | Deportivo La Guaira | Deportivo Táchira |
