Peruvian First Division

2024 Peruvian First Division (Liga 1)

 

Season	2024
Dates	26 January 2024 – November 2024
Champions
Copa Libertadores
Copa Sudamericana
Relegated
Matches played
Goals scored
Top goalscorer
Biggest home win	Los Chankas – Sport Huancayo 6-0 (round 12 of Apertura, 19 April) Universitario – Comerciantes Unidos 6-0 (round 13 Apert., 28 April)
Biggest away win	C. A. Mannucci – Universitario 0-4 (round 1 of Apertura, 28 January) C. A. Mannucci – Sporting Cristal 0-4 (round 5 Apertura, 24 February) Unión Comercio – Deportivo Garcilaso 0-4 (round 8 Ap., 15 March) C. A. Mannucci – Alianza Lima 0-4 (round 10 of Apertura, 6 April) UTC Cajamarca – FBC Melgar 2-6 (round 15 of Apertura, 12 May)
Highest scoring	Sporting Cristal – ADT Tarma 6-2 (round 1 of Apertura, 27 January) UTC Cajamarca – FBC Melgar 2-6 (round 15 of Apertura, 12 May)
Longest winning run	FBC Melgar – 7 matches (rounds 11-17 of Apertura)
Longest unbeaten run	Universitario de Deportes – 13 matches (rounds 1-13 of Apertura) FBC Melgar – 13 matches (rounds 5-17 of Apertura)
Longest winless run	Unión Comercio – 11 matches (rounds 7-17 of Apertura)
Longest losing run	Deportivo Garcilaso – 4 matches (rounds 1-4 of Apertura) UTC Cajamarca – 4 matches (rounds 6-9 of Apertura) Alianza Atlético – 4 matches (rounds 13-16 of Apertura)
Total attendance
Highest attendance
Lowest attendance
Average attendance

 

Competition details and format

 

The Peruvian First Division (Primera División in Spanish) is the main football competition in Peru and the top tier of the football system in Peru. Since 2019 it has been officially called Liga 1 and in 2024 it has become Liga 1 Te Apuesto for sponsorship reasons. Primera División is however the generic name and it is the 108^th edition under this name in 2024. Universitario de Deportes are the defending champions, as they won their 27^th title in 2023.

The number of participants is 18, reduced from 19 in 2023. This is the first season when VAR is used throughout the entire competition. The season started on 26 January 2024, with the first round of Apertura, and is expected to end with the play-off final in November 2024.

The competition is organized by the FPF (Federación Peruana de Fútbol – Peruvian Football Federation) with the help of the ADFP (Asociación Deportiva de Fútbol Profesional – Professional Football Sports Association). Matches are played mainly in week-ends (Friday to Monday) and are broadcasted by L1 Max and Gol Perú (Gol TV) with very few exceptions.

The Peruvian First Division is divided into two tournaments, Apertura (played in the first half of the year) and Clausura (in the second half of the year). In the Apertura, all teams play against each other once (single round-robin). In the Clausura, the teams play once more against each other (single round-robin), in the same order as in Apertura but in reversed location. Between the two tournaments there is a short mid-year break, which is also used as a transfer window. The tournaments are usually followed by a decisive play-off between the winners of the tournaments and the teams classified first and second in the aggregate table (if different from the winners of the tournaments) to establish the champions. In the event that the same team wins both tournaments, they are crowned champions and no play-off is played.

Therefore, the first tournament to be played was the Apertura. The tournament started on 26 January 2024 with the matches of the first round and ended on 27 May 2024. Universitario de Deportes won the Apertura in the last round, on 25 May, when they won 4-0 at home over Los Chankas, therefore achieving a better goal difference than Sporting Cristal, which played at the same time and only won 1-0 away to Comerciantes Unidos. The two teams were equal in terms of points, but Universitario de Deportes had a better goal difference by only one goal, +25 compared to +24 for Sporting Cristal. As winners of the Apertura, Universitario de Deportes qualify for the play-off semifinals if they are among the top seven in the final aggregate table, and they might qualify directly for the final if they are classified first or second in the final aggregate table. They also qualify for the next year Copa Libertadores.

The second tournament is the Clausura, which is expected to begin in July 2024. Points earned during Apertura are not carried over in Clausura. The winners of Clausura have the same status as the winners of Apertura, so they also qualify for the play-off semifinals if they are among the top seven in the final aggregate table and might qualify directly for the final if they finish first or second in the aggregate table. The Clausura winners also qualify for the next year Copa Libertadores. The Clausura will probably end in November 2024.

The final aggregate table (Apertura + Clausura) is very important. The teams classified first and second in the aggregate table would qualify for the play-off semifinals even if they did not win either tournament and therefore have a chance to become national champions. If the teams finishing first or second in the aggregate table are also the winners of any tournament, they will qualify directly to the play-off final.

The aggregate table also decided the relegation. The three teams with the worst overall record (classified 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th) will be relegated to the Second Division.

The possible remaining berth(s) for the Copa Libertadores and all teams to participate in the Copa Sudamericana are also to be established according to the final ranking of the aggregate table.

The play-offs decide the national champions, unless the same team wins both Apertura and Clausura. The play-offs possibly involve one or two semifinals and the final. There are four possible situations:

1.     Two different teams win the tournaments and are not classified first or second in the aggregate table, but in the first nine. In this case, the two winners of the tournaments and the two teams classified first and second in the aggregate table would qualify for the semifinals, to be played in two legs. The winners of the semifinals would qualify for the final, also to be played in two legs.

2.     Two different teams win the tournaments and one of them is classified first or second in the aggregate table, while the other is not. In this case, the team which won a tournament and is classified first or second in the aggregate table is directly qualified for the final and only one semifinal is to be played, between the winner of the other tournament and the team classified first or second in the aggregate table which is not the winner of any tournament. The semifinal and the final will be played in two legs.

3.     Two different teams win the tournaments and are classified first and second in the aggregate table. In this case, both teams will qualify for the final, and no semifinals are played. The final will be played in two legs.

4.     The same team wins both tournaments. In this case, they are crowned champions and no play-off is played.

 

Team changes from 2023

 

To the First Division

 

Promoted from the Second Division

 

Comerciantes Unidos (Second Division winners)

Los Chankas (Second Division runners-up, promotion play-off winners)

 

From the First Division - Relegated to the Second Division

 

Deportivo Binacional (17^th in 2023)

Deportivo Municipal (18^th in 2023)

Academia Cantolao (19^th in 2023)

 

Teams

 

Team	Home town	Stadium	Capacity	2023
Universitario de Deportes	Lima	Monumental	80093	Champions
Alianza Lima	Lima	Nacional[1]	43781	Runners-up
Sporting Cristal	Lima	Alberto Gallardo	11500	3rd overall
FBC Melgar	Arequipa	Monumental de la UNSA	60370	4th overall
Sport Huancayo	Huancayo	Huancayo	20000	5th overall
ADT Tarma	Tarma	Unión Tarma	9100	6th overall
Deportivo Garcilaso	Cusco	Inca Garcilaso de la Vega	42056	7th overall
Universidad César Vallejo	Trujillo	Mansiche	23214	8th overall
Cusco FC	Cusco	Inca Garcilaso de la Vega	42056	9th overall
Cienciano	Cusco	Inca Garcilaso de la Vega	42056	10th overall
Carlos A. Mannucci	Trujillo	Mansiche	23214	11th overall
Atlético Grau	Piura	Campeones del 36[2]	12000	12th overall
UTC Cajamarca	Cajamarca	Germán Contreras Jara[3]	6300	13th overall
Alianza Atlético	Sullana	Campeones del 36	12000	14th overall
Sport Boys	Callao	Miguel Grau	17000	15th overall
Unión Comercio	Tarapoto	Carlos Vidaurre García	7000	16th overall
Comerciantes Unidos	Cutervo	Juan Maldonado Gamarra	8000	Promoted
Los Chankas	Andahuaylas	Los Chankas	10000	Promoted

 

Geographical distribution of teams

 

Only 4 teams are from the Capital Region – 3 from the Province of Lima (Universitario de Deportes, Alianza Lima, and Sporting Cristal) and one from the Province of Callao (Sport Boys). The department of Cusco has 3 teams (Cienciano, Cusco FC and Deportivo Garcilaso). Four departments have two teams each: Junín (Sport Huancayo and ADT Tarma), La Libertad (Universidad César Vallejo and Carlos A. Mannucci), Piura (Alianza Atlético and Atlético Grau), and Cajamarca (UTC and Comerciantes Unidos). The other 3 teams come from 3 different departments, with the department of Apurímac having for the first time a team in the First Division (Los Chankas).

 

Location of the 2024 Peruvian First Division teams. Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_1_2024_(Perú)

 

Province or department	Number	Name of the teams
Lima	3	Universitario de Deportes, Alianza Lima, Sporting Cristal
Cusco	3	Deportivo Garcilaso, Cusco FC, Cienciano
Junín	2	Sport Huancayo, ADT Tarma
La Libertad	2	Universidad César Vallejo, Carlos A. Mannucci
Piura	2	Atlético Grau, Alianza Atlético
Cajamarca	2	UTC, Comerciantes Unidos
Callao	1	Sport Boys
Arequipa	1	FBC Melgar
San Martín	1	Unión Comercio
Apurímac	1	Los Chankas

 

Foreign players

 

Each team is allowed a maximum of 6 foreign players in the squad, who can all play simultaneously in the field. A foreign player can be replaced in the roster by another foreign player only during the larger mid-year transfer window. If a foreign player receives Peruvian citizenship during the course of the year, he would still be counted as a foreign player throughout that year.

Most foreign players are from South American countries, especially Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Ecuador. Many of the foreign players are strikers and are usually among the top goalscorers of the competition.

 

Apertura

 

Apertura was the first tournament of the 2024 Peruvian First Division (Liga 1 Te Apuesto). It started on 26 January 2024 with the matches of the first round and ended on 27 May 2024. Defending champions Universitario de Deportes won the Apertura in the last round, on 25 May, when they won 4-0 at home over Los Chankas, therefore achieving a better goal difference than Sporting Cristal, which played at the same time and only won 1-0 away to Comerciantes Unidos. The two teams were equal in terms of points, but Universitario de Deportes had a better goal difference by only one goal, +25 for Universitario compared to +24 for Sporting Cristal.

 

Round 1 (26-29 January 2024)

 

UTC Cajamarca – Deportivo Garcilaso 1-0

FBC Melgar – Cusco FC 2-3

Sporting Cristal – ADT Tarma 6-2

Sport Huancayo – Sport Boys 1-0

Cienciano – Comerciantes Unidos 1-0

Atlético Grau – Alianza Atlético 1-1

Carlos A. Mannucci – Universitario de Deportes 0-4

Alianza Lima – Universidad César Vallejo 2-1

Los Chankas – Unión Comercio 2-1

 

Round 2 (2-5 February 2024)

 

Cusco FC – UTC Cajamarca 1-1

Universidad César Vallejo – FBC Melgar 3-2

ADT Tarma – Cienciano 1-1

Unión Comercio – Carlos A. Mannucci 2-2

Universitario de Deportes – Atlético Grau 1-0

Alianza Atlético – Alianza Lima 0-2

Sport Boys – Sporting Cristal 1-3

Deportivo Garcilaso – Sport Huancayo 0-2

Comerciantes Unidos – Los Chankas 3-2

 

Round 3 (9-12 February 2024)

 

UTC Cajamarca – Universidad César Vallejo 4-0

Cienciano – Sporting Cristal 2-2

FBC Melgar – Alianza Atlético 1-0

Carlos A. Mannucci – Comerciantes Unidos 1-3

Alianza Lima – Universitario de Deportes 0-1

Los Chankas – ADT Tarma 2-0

Sport Boys – Deportivo Garcilaso 2-0

Sport Huancayo – Cusco FC 2-0

Atlético Grau – Unión Comercio 1-0

 

Round 4 (15-19 February 2024)

 

Sporting Cristal – Los Chankas 4-1

Alianza Atlético – UTC Cajamarca 2-0

ADT Tarma – Carlos A. Mannucci 4-0

Cusco FC – Deportivo Garcilaso 1-0

Universitario de Deportes – FBC Melgar 2-0

Unión Comercio – Alianza Lima 1-3

Cienciano – Sport Boys 3-2

Universidad César Vallejo – Sport Huancayo 1-1

Comerciantes Unidos – Atlético Grau 2-2

 

Round 5 (23-26 February 2024)

 

Sport Huancayo – Alianza Atlético 4-0

UTC Cajamarca – Universitario de Deportes 0-0

Sport Boys – Cusco FC 3-0

FBC Melgar – Unión Comercio 2-1

Carlos A. Mannucci – Sporting Cristal 0-4

Atlético Grau – ADT Tarma 2-2

Alianza Lima – Comerciantes Unidos 5-1

Deportivo Garcilaso – Universidad César Vallejo 2-0

Los Chankas – Cienciano 1-2

 

Round 6 (29 February – 4 March 2024)

 

Alianza Atlético – Deportivo Garcilaso 3-0

ADT Tarma – Alianza Lima 2-0

Universitario de Deportes – Sport Huancayo 2-0

Sporting Cristal – Atlético Grau 1-0

Comerciantes Unidos – FBC Melgar 0-0

Universidad César Vallejo – Cusco FC 2-2

Los Chankas – Sport Boys 2-0

Cienciano – Carlos A. Mannucci 2-2

Unión Comercio – UTC Cajamarca 2-0

 

Round 7 (7-10 March 2024)

 

Cusco FC – Alianza Atlético 2-0

UTC Cajamarca – Comerciantes Unidos 2-3

Deportivo Garcilaso – Universitario de Deportes 2-2

Atlético Grau – Cienciano 1-1

FBC Melgar – ADT Tarma 3-1

Carlos A. Mannucci – Los Chankas 2-1

Alianza Lima – Sporting Cristal 1-2

Sport Huancayo – Unión Comercio 2-2

Sport Boys – Universidad César Vallejo 2-0

 

Round 8 (12-16 March 2024)

 

Universitario de Deportes – Cusco FC 1-0

Cienciano – Alianza Lima 2-1

Sporting Cristal – FBC Melgar 1-2

Alianza Atlético – Universidad César Vallejo 1-1

Comerciantes Unidos – Sport Huancayo 3-2

Carlos A. Mannucci – Sport Boys 1-0

Unión Comercio – Deportivo Garcilaso 0-4

Los Chankas – Atlético Grau 0-1

ADT Tarma – UTC Cajamarca 2-1

 

Round 9 (28-31 March 2024)

 

Deportivo Garcilaso – Comerciantes Unidos 1-2

Alianza Lima – Los Chankas 3-0

Cusco FC – Unión Comercio 1-0

Atlético Grau – Carlos A. Mannucci 3-0

FBC Melgar – Cienciano 2-0

Universidad César Vallejo – Universitario de Deportes 0-0

Sport Huancayo – ADT Tarma 0-2

Sport Boys – Alianza Atlético 0-0

UTC Cajamarca – Sporting Cristal 1-2

 

Round 10 (5-8 April 2024)

 

Atlético Grau – Sport Boys 0-0

Universitario de Deportes – Alianza Atlético 1-0

Los Chankas – FBC Melgar 2-2

Unión Comercio – Universidad César Vallejo 2-2

Carlos A. Mannucci – Alianza Lima 0-4

Cienciano – UTC Cajamarca 1-1

ADT Tarma – Deportivo Garcilaso 2-2

Sporting Cristal – Sport Huancayo 4-0

Comerciantes Unidos – Cusco FC 0-1

 

Round 11 (12-15 April 2024)

 

Sport Huancayo – Cienciano 1-2

Alianza Atlético – Unión Comercio 2-0

FBC Melgar – Carlos A. Mannucci 2-0

Sport Boys – Universitario de Deportes 1-2

Universidad César Vallejo – Comerciantes Unidos 3-1

Cusco FC – ADT Tarma 3-2

Alianza Lima – Atlético Grau 2-0

UTC Cajamarca – Los Chankas 2-0

Deportivo Garcilaso – Sporting Cristal 2-3

 

Round 12 (18-23 April 2024)

 

Alianza Lima – Sport Boys 3-0

Unión Comercio – Universitario de Deportes 1-2

Cienciano – Deportivo Garcilaso 0-2

Los Chankas – Sport Huancayo 6-0

Carlos A. Mannucci – UTC Cajamarca 2-0

ADT Tarma – Universidad César Vallejo 1-0

Sporting Cristal – Cusco FC 2-0

Atlético Grau – FBC Melgar 1-2

Comerciantes Unidos – Alianza Atlético 0-0

 

Round 13 (26-29 April 2024)

 

Sport Huancayo – Carlos A. Mannucci 1-0

Sport Boys – Unión Comercio 0-0

UTC Cajamarca – Atlético Grau 3-2

Cusco FC – Cienciano 2-0

Alianza Atlético – ADT Tarma 1-2

FBC Melgar – Alianza Lima 1-0

Deportivo Garcilaso – Los Chankas 1-1

Universitario de Deportes – Comerciantes Unidos 6-0

Universidad César Vallejo – Sporting Cristal 2-1

 

Round 14 (3-6 May 2024)

 

ADT Tarma – Universitario de Deportes 2-0

Cienciano – Universidad César Vallejo 1-1

Alianza Lima – UTC Cajamarca 1-0

Los Chankas – Cusco FC 2-0

Carlos A. Mannucci – Deportivo Garcilaso 1-1

Comerciantes Unidos – Unión Comercio 3-1

Sporting Cristal – Alianza Atlético 2-1

FBC Melgar – Sport Boys 2-1

Atlético Grau – Sport Huancayo 0-0

 

Round 15 (10-13 May 2024)

 

Unión Comercio – ADT Tarma 2-2

Sport Boys – Comerciantes Unidos 1-1

Cusco FC – Carlos A. Mannucci 3-0

Sport Huancayo – Alianza Lima 0-2

Universidad César Vallejo – Los Chankas 1-1

UTC Cajamarca – FBC Melgar 2-6

Deportivo Garcilaso – Atlético Grau 0-0

Universitario de Deportes – Sporting Cristal 4-1

Alianza Atlético – Cienciano 0-1

 

Round 16 (17-20 May 2024)

 

Atlético Grau – Cusco FC 4-0

Sporting Cristal – Unión Comercio 5-1

FBC Melgar – Sport Huancayo 4-1

ADT Tarma – Comerciantes Unidos 2-0

Los Chankas – Alianza Atlético 2-0

Carlos A. Mannucci – Universidad César Vallejo 0-0

Alianza Lima – Deportivo Garcilaso 3-2

UTC Cajamarca – Sport Boys 2-4

Cienciano – Universitario 0-0

 

Round 17 (24-27 May 2024)

 

Cusco FC – Alianza Lima 3-0

Universidad César Vallejo – Atlético Grau 2-1

Sport Huancayo – UTC Cajamarca 1-1

Universitario de Deportes – Los Chankas 4-0

Deportivo Garcilaso – FBC Melgar 1-3

Comerciantes Unidos – Sporting Cristal 0-1

Alianza Atlético – Carlos A. Mannucci 0-0

Sport Boys – ADT Tarma 1-0

Unión Comercio – Cienciano 1-1

 

Final Apertura table

 

1	Universitario de Deportes (W)	17	12	4	1	32-7	40	Qualified for the play-offs
2	Sporting Cristal	17	13	1	3	44-20	40
3	FBC Melgar	17	12	2	3	36-19	38
4	Alianza Lima	17	11	0	6	32-16	33
5	Cusco FC	17	9	2	6	22-21	29
6	ADT Tarma	17	8	4	5	29-24	28
7	Cienciano	17	6	8	3	20-20	26
8	Comerciantes Unidos	17	6	4	7	22-31	22
9	Los Chankas	17	6	3	8	25-26	21
10	Universidad César Vallejo	17	4	8	5	19-24	20
11	Atlético Grau	17	4	7	6	19-17	19
12	Sport Boys	17	5	4	8	18-20	19
13	Sport Huancayo	17	5	4	8	18-29	19
14	UTC Cajamarca	17	4	4	9	21-29	15
15	Deportivo Garcilaso	17	3	5	9	20-26	14
16	Alianza Atlético	17	3	5	9	11-19	14
17	Carlos A. Mannucci	17	3	5	9	11-34	14
18	Unión Comercio	17	1	6	10	17-34	9

 

W – Apertura winners

Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

 

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[1] Alianza Lima play their home games at Nacional Stadium in Lima during the Apertura because they received a 7-month ban to use their usual home ground, Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, due to incidents at the end of the second leg of the 2023 final.

[2] Atlético Grau play their home games at the Campeones del 36 Stadium in Sullana because of the works carried out at their own stadium, Miguel Grau in Piura.

[3] UTC Cajamarca play their home games at Germán Contreras Jara in Cajabamba because their usual home ground, Héroes de San Ramón Stadium in Cajamarca, did not meet the FPF requirements.