Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala

{{Short description|Association football league in Guatemala}}

{{Infobox football league

| name = Liga Guate Banrural

| logo = LIGA_NACIONAL.png

| country = Guatemala

| confed = CONCACAF

| founded = {{Start date and age|1919|df=y}} as amateur league
{{nowrap|{{Start date and age|1942|df=y}} as professional league}}

| relegation = Primera División de Ascenso

| levels = 1

| teams = 12

| domest_cup = Copa de Guatemala

| confed_cup = Regional
CONCACAF Central American Cup
Continental
CONCACAF Champions Cup

| champions = Xelajú (7th title)

| season =

| most successful club =Comunicaciones
Municipal
(32 titles)

| most appearances = Jairo Arreola (651)

| top goalscorer = Juan Carlos Plata (302)

| tv = Albavision
Claro Sports
Tigo Sports
Fox Deportes

| website = {{URL|https://ligagt.org}}

| current = 2024–25 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 and Municipal are the most successful club in the league to date, having won 32 tournaments each.{{Cite web|title=Liga Nacional – Lista de campeones|url=https://www.livefutbol.com/ganador/gua-liga-nacional/|website=livefutbol.com|language=es|access-date=2020-05-24}}

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.[http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/10.html "Guatemala, 100 años de fútbol – Municipal"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209012134/http://www.prensalibre.com/especiales/ME/guatefut/10.html |date=2006-12-09 }} – prensalibre.com – Prensa Libre newspaper, Guatemala.

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.

2024–25 Season Clubs

{{Location map+|Guatemala|width=450|float=left|caption=Location of the 2023-24 Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala teams|places=

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.566667|long=-90.733333|label=Antigua|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=15.48|long=-90.38|label=Cobán|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.86|long=-90.07|label=Guastatoya|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.91|long=-92.06|label=Malacateco|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.84|long=-91.52|label=Xelajú|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.29|long=-89.89|label=Achuapa|position=left}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=15.32|long=-91.48|label=Xinabajul|position=top}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.69|long=-91.87|label=Coatepeque}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.97|long=-89.53|label=Zacapa}}

{{Location map~|Guatemala|lat=14.6 |long=-90.5 |label=Guatemala Department|mark=Blue pog.svg}}

{{Location map~ |Guatemala |mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat=17.9 |long=-92.2 |labelsize=80 |label={{nowrap|Teams in Guatemala Department:}}

Comunicaciones

Mixco

Municipal
}}

}}

{{Location map+ |Guatemala Guatemala Department |width=250 |caption=Location of teams in Guatemala Department |alt = Liga Nacional teams in Guatemala Department |places=

{{Location map~ |Guatemala Guatemala Department |lat=14.626 |long=-90.510 |label=Comunicaciones}}

{{Location map~ |Guatemala Guatemala Department |lat=14.636 |long=-90.609 |label=Mixco |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |Guatemala Guatemala Department |lat=14.617 |long=-90.535 |label=Municipal |position=bottom}}

}}

class="wikitable sortable"

!Team

!Home city

!Stadium

!Capacity

Achuapa

|El Progreso, Jutiapa Department

|Estadio El Cóndor

| 6,000

Antigua

| Antigua, Sacatepéquez Department

| Estadio Pensativo

| 10,000

Cobán Imperial

| Cobán, Alta Verapaz Department

| Estadio Verapaz

| 15,000

Comunicaciones

| Guatemala City, Guatemala Department

| Estadio Cementos Progreso

| 17,000

Guastatoya

| Guastatoya, El Progreso Department

| Estadio David Cordón Hichos

| 3,100

Malacateco

| Malacatán, San Marcos Department

| Estadio Santa Lucía

| 8,000

Marquense

| San Marcos, San Marcos Department

| Estadio Marquesa de la Ensenada

| 11,000

Mixco

| Mixco, Guatemala Department

| Estadio Santo Domingo de Guzmán

| 7,000

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

{{Clear}}

Managers

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Current Liga Nacional managers

scope="col" |Manager

! scope="col" |Nationality

! scope="col" |Club

scope="row" | Rónald Gómez

|{{Flagu|Costa Rica}}||Achuapa

scope="row" | Javier López

|{{Flagu|Spain}}||Antigua

scope="row" | Roberto Montoya

|{{Flagu|Mexico}}||Cobán Imperial

scope="row" | Ronald González

|{{Flagu|Costa Rica}}||Comunicaciones

scope="row" | Dwight Pezzarossi

|{{Flagu|Guatemala}}||Guastatoya

scope="row" | Roberto Hernández

|{{Flagu|Mexico}}||Malacateco

scope="row" | Mauricio Tapia

|{{Flagu|Argentina}}||Marquense

scope="row" | Fabricio Benítez

|{{Flagu|Guatemala}}||Mixco

scope="row" | Sebastián Bini

|{{Flagu|Argentina}}||Municipal

scope="row" | Amarini Villatoro

|{{Flagu|Guatemala}}||Xelajú

scope="row" | Pablo Centrone

|{{Flagu|Argentina}}||Xinabajul

scope="row" | Rafael Díaz

|{{Flagu|Guatemala}}||Zacapa

Important matches

Champions

=Liga Capitalina=

==Amateur Era==

class="wikitable sortable"

!width=px|Ed.

!width=130px|Season

!width=170px|Champion

!width=170px|Runner-up

{{center|1}}1919AlliesHércules
{{center|2}}1920HérculesEspaña
bgcolor=#efefef

| {{center|–}}

1921colspan="2" align=center| No tournament due to the Juegos del Centenario
{{center|3}}1922AlliesAlemán
{{center|4}}1923La JoyaAllies
{{center|5}}1924USACAllies
{{center|6}}1925La JoyaHércules
{{center|7}}1926USACHércules
{{center|8}}1927HérculesUSAC
{{center|9}}1928USACAllies
{{center|10}}1929USACTipografía Nacional
{{center|11}}1930USACGermania
{{center|12}}1931USACGermania
{{center|13}}1932Guatemala FCGermania
{{center|14}}1933Escuela PolitécnicaTipografía Nacional
{{center|15}}1934Escuela PolitécnicaTipografía Nacional
{{center|16}}1935CibelesQuetzal
{{center|17}}1936CibelesQuetzal
{{center|18}}1937QuetzalTipografía Nacional
{{center|19}}1938Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
{{center|20}}1939Tipografía NacionalHércules
{{center|21}}1940Tipografía NacionalIndependiente
{{center|22}}1941Guatemala FCTipografía Nacional

=Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala=

==Professional Era==

class="wikitable sortable"

!width=px|Ed.

!width=130px|Season

!width=170px|Champion

!width=170px|Runner-up

{{center|1}}1942–43MunicipalTipografía Nacional
{{center|2}}1943Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
{{center|3}}1944–45Tipografía NacionalMunicipal
{{center|4}}1947MunicipalEspaña
bgcolor=#efefef

| {{center|–}}

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

| {{center|89}}

2020 Clausuracolspan="2" align=center| Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
{{center|90}}2020 AperturaGuastatoyaMunicipal
{{center|91}}2021 ClausuraSanta LucíaComunicaciones
{{center|92}}2021 AperturaMalacatecoComunicaciones
{{center|93}}2022 ClausuraComunicacionesMunicipal
{{center|94}}2022 AperturaCobán ImperialAntigua
{{center|95}}2023 ClausuraXelajúAntigua
{{center|96}}2023 AperturaComunicacionesGuastatoya
{{center|97}}2024 ClausuraMunicipalMixco
{{center|98}}2024 AperturaXelajúCobán Imperial

Titles by club in Guatemalan Football History

Champions were:{{cite web|title=Guatemala – List of Champions|website=RSSSF|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/guatchamp.html|access-date=1 October 2011}}

Amateur and Professional Champions.

=Amateur Era=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope=col|Club

!scope=col|Winners

!scope=col|Runners-up

!scope=col class="unsortable" |Winning years

USAC

| align=center|6

| align=center|1

| 1924, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931

Tipografia Nacional

| align=center|3

| align=center|5

| 1938, 1939, 1940

Hércules

| align=center|2

| align=center|4

| 1920, 1927

Allies

| align=center|2

| align=center|3

| 1919, 1922

Cibeles

| align=center|2

| align=center|0

| 1935, 1936

Escuela Politécnica

| align=center|2

| align=center|0

| 1933, 1934

Guatemala FC

| align=center|2

| align=center|0

| 1932, 1941

La Joya

| align=center|2

| align=center|0

| 1923, 1925

Quetzal

| align=center|1

| align=center|2

| 1937

=Professional Era=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope=col|Club

!scope=col|Winners

!scope=col|Runners-up

!scope=col class="unsortable" |Winning years

Comunicaciones

|align=center|32

| align=center|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

|align=center|32

| align=center|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, 2024 Clausura

Aurora

|align=center| 8

| align=center|10

| 1964, 1966, 1967–68, 1975, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1992–93

Xelajú

| align=center|7

| align=center|6

| 1961–62, 1980, 1995–96, 2007 Clausura, 2012 Clausura, 2023 Clausura, 2024 Apertura

Antigua

| align=center|4

| align=center|4

| 2015 Apertura, 2016 Apertura, 2017 Apertura, 2019 Clausura

Guastatoya

| align=center|3

| align=center|3

| 2018 Clausura, 2018 Apertura, 2020 Apertura

Tipografía Nacional

| align=center|3

| align=center|1

| 1943, 1944–45, 1952–53

Suchitepéquez

| align=center|2

| align=center|5

| 1983, 2016 Clausura

Cobán Imperial

| align=center|2

| align=center|4

| 2004 Clausura, 2022 Apertura

Jalapa

| align=center|2

| align=center|0

| 2007 Apertura, 2009 Clausura

Malacateco

| align=center|1

| align=center|1

| 2021 Apertura

Santa Lucía

| align=center|1

| align=center|0

| 2021 Clausura

Top goalscorers

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope=col|Nr.

!scope=col|Player

!scope=col|Country

!scope=col|Goals

align="center"

| 1

Juan Carlos Plata{{flagicon|GUA}}302
align="center"

| 2

Oscar Sánchez{{flagicon|GUA}}259
align="center"

| 3

Julio César Anderson{{flagicon|GUA}}220
align="center"

| 4

Carlos Kamiani Félix {{flagicon|MEX}}211
align="center"

| 5

Edwin Westphal{{flagicon|GUA}}188
align="center"

| 6

Israel Silva{{flagicon|BRA}}186
align="center"

| 7

René Morales{{flagicon|GUA}}172
align="center"

| 8

Mario Acevedo{{flagicon|GUA}}170
align="center"

| 9

Agustín Herrera{{flagicon|MEX}}161
align="center"

| 10

Selvin Pennant{{flagicon|GUA}}156
align="center"

| 11

León Ugarte{{flagicon|ARG}}156
align="center"

| 12

Edgar Araiza{{flagicon|GUA}}150
align="center"

| 13

Fredy García{{flagicon|GUA}}144
align="center"

| 14

Hugo Peña{{flagicon|GUA}}136
align="center"

| 15

Rolando Fonseca{{flagicon|CRC}}135
align="center"

| 16

Rudy Ramírez{{flagicon|GUA}}130
align="center"

| 17

Carlos Toledo{{flagicon|GUA}}129
align="center"

| 18

Jhonny Cubero{{flagicon|CRC}}124
align="center"

| 19

Julio Rodas{{flagicon|GUA}}123
align="center"

| 20

José Emilio Mitrovich{{flagicon|ARG}}121

See also

References

{{reflist}}