2022 Venezuelan Primera División season#Final

{{Infobox football league season

|competition=Liga FUTVE

|season=2022

|dates= 24 February – 30 October 2022

|winners=Metropolitanos (1st title)

|relegated=Aragua

|continentalcup1=Copa Libertadores

|continentalcup1 qualifiers=Metropolitanos
Monagas
Carabobo
Zamora

|continentalcup2=Copa Sudamericana

|continentalcup2 qualifiers=Estudiantes de Mérida
Deportivo Táchira
Caracas
Academia Puerto Cabello

|matches= 277

|total goals= 656

|league topscorer=Kevin Viveros (21 goals)

|biggest home win=Metropolitanos 5–0 Mineros
(17 April)

|biggest away win=La Guaira 1–5 Monagas
(15 May)

|highest scoring={{nowrap|Hnos. Colmenarez 2–5 Est. Mérida}}
(21 October)

|longest wins =

|longest unbeaten =

|longest losses =

|highest attendance =

|lowest attendance =

|average attendance =

|prevseason=2021

|nextseason=2023

}}

The 2022 Primera División season, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano or Liga FUTVE, was the 66th season of the Venezuelan Primera División, the top-flight football league in Venezuela, and the 41st season since the start of the professional era. The season began on 24 February and ended with the final match on 30 October 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.balonazos.com/liga-futve-acordo-inicio-de-la-temporada-2022-para-el-24-de-febrero-con-16-equipos/ |title=Liga FUTVE acordó inicio de la temporada 2022 para el 24 de febrero con 16 equipos |trans-title=Liga FUTVE agreed to start the 2022 season on 24 February with 16 teams |publisher=Balonazos |language=es |date=12 January 2022 |access-date=13 January 2022}}

Metropolitanos won their first title in the competition, beating Monagas on penalty kicks after drawing 1–1 after extra time in the final.{{cite web |url=https://primicia.com.ve/deportes/metropolitanos-campeon-del-futve-al-vencer-a-monagas/ |title=Metropolitanos campeón del Futve al vencer a Monagas |trans-title=Metropolitanos Futve champions by beating Monagas |publisher=Primicia |language=es |date=30 October 2022 |access-date=30 October 2022}} Deportivo Táchira were the defending champions.

Format changes

On 6 October 2021, the Liga FUTVE initially announced the return of the Apertura and Clausura format for the 2022 season, with the top eight clubs advancing to a play-off stage in which international berths would be decided. It was also announced that clubs would be required to fully meet club licensing requirements in order to be allowed to take part in the competition.{{cite web |url=https://primicia.com.ve/deportes/la-liga-futve-regresara-al-formato-de-torneos-apertura-y-clausura-en-2022/|title=La Liga Futve regresará al formato de Torneos Apertura y Clausura en 2022|trans-title=Liga Futve will return to the Apertura and Clausura tournaments format in 2022|work=Primicia|language=Spanish|date=6 October 2021|access-date=27 December 2021}}

The competition format was eventually confirmed by the Liga FUTVE on 12 January 2022 after a meeting with representatives from the 16 participating clubs. Instead of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments originally announced, the 16 clubs took part in a round-robin first stage in which they played each other twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 30 games, with the top 12 clubs advancing to the next round of the competition. The top four clubs, which qualified for the 2023 Copa Libertadores, advanced to a final stage (Fase Final Libertadores) where they played each other twice with the top two teams playing a single-legged final to decide the league champions. The teams placed 5th to 12th advanced to the Fase Final Sudamericana where they were divided into two groups of four, in which the top two of each group qualified for the 2023 Copa Sudamericana. The last-placed team in the first stage was relegated to Segunda División.

Teams

On 30 December 2021, the Venezuelan Football Federation announced the results of the club licensing process for the 2022 season. Atlético Venezuela and Gran Valencia had their license applications denied, as well as the 2021 Segunda División champions Titanes, and were unable to take part in the competition. As a result, no teams were promoted and the 2022 Primera División season was played by 16 teams.{{cite web |url=https://www.federacionvenezolanadefutbol.org/fvf-entrego-aprobaciones-y-denegaciones-de-licencia-de-clubes-para-2022/|title=FVF entregó aprobaciones y denegaciones de Licencia de Clubes para 2022|trans-title=FVF handed over Club License approvals and denials for 2022|work=FVF|language=Spanish|date=30 December 2021|access-date=30 December 2021}}

{|class="wikitable"

!colspan=3|Relegated to 2022 Segunda División

bgcolor=#FFBBBB

|width=28 align=center|7

|Trujillanos (Occidental Group)

bgcolor=#FFBBBB

|width=28 align=center|7

|Yaracuyanos (Central Group)

bgcolor=#FFBBBB

|width=28 align=center|7

|LALA (Oriental Group)

class="wikitable"

!colspan=3|Failed club licensing process

bgcolor=#CCCCCC

|Atlético Venezuela

bgcolor=#CCCCCC

|Gran Valencia

class="wikitable"

!colspan=2|Promoted to 2022 Primera División

align=center|None (Titanes were denied a license)

=Stadia and locations=

{{Location map+ |Venezuela |float=right |width=375 |caption=Locations of the 2022 Primera División teams |places=

{{Location map~ |Venezuela |lat=10.223449 |long=-68.011412 |label=

{{nowrap|ARC}}

|position=right |mark=Arrows 12x12 w.svg}}

{{Location map~ |Venezuela |lat=8.624302 |long=-70.207310 |label=

Barinas

|position=right |mark=Arrows 12x12 sw.svg}}

{{Location map~ |Venezuela |lat=10.496053 |long=-66.898281 |label=

Caracas

|position=right |mark=Arrows 12x12 sw.svg}}

{{Location map~ |Venezuela |lat=9.993534 |long=-69.219837 |label=

Deportivo Lara