The Portuguese football top flight has been known as the Primeira Liga since 1999.
Only five clubs have ever been crowned national champions in Portugal - the 'Big Three' of Benfica, Porto and Sporting along with one-time winners Belenenses and Boavista.
Benfica currently lead the way for Portuguese league titles with 38, ahead of current champions Porto on 31 and Sporting on 20.
Here is everything you need to know about the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Primeira Liga dates
The 2026/27 Primeira Liga season will begin on 9th August 2026 and finish in May 2027.
Primeira Liga format
Since the 2014/15 season, the Portuguese Primeira Liga has featured a total of 18 teams, with each team playing one game home and away against every opponent.
At the closing of each season, the bottom two teams are automatically relegated to the Segunda Liga, with the 15th ranked side competing in a relegation play-off against the third-placed team in the second tier.
At present, the top two teams in the Primeira Liga achieve direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League, the teams in third and fourth qualify for the UEFA Europa League and the fifth-placed side enter the UEFA Conference League.
Primeira Liga teams
The following 18 teams are all participating in the Primeira Liga in the 2026/27 season:
- Academico de Viseu
- Alverca
- Arouca
- Benfica
- Braga
- Estoril
- Estrela da Amadora
- Famalicao
- Gil Vicente
- Maritimo
- Moreirense
- Nacional
- Porto
- Rio Ave
- Santa Clara
- Sporting CP
- Vitoria de Guimaraes
- TBD
