Liga de Elite
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Country | Macau |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | 2ª Divisão de Macau |
| Domestic cup | Taça de Macau |
| International cup | AFC Challenge League |
| Current champions | Benfica de Macau (6th title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Lam Pak (9 titles) |
| Top scorer | William Carlos Gomes (220 goals) |
| Broadcaster(s) | FIFA+ |
| Website | macaufa.com |
| Current: 2025 Liga de Elite | |
Liga de Elite (lit. 'Elite League'; Chinese: 澳門甲組足球聯賽), previously known as Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futebol, is the top division of the Macau Football Association. Created in 1973, it features both local amateur players and professional foreign talent.
Due to the limited land area in Macau, matches are played almost exclusively at the Estádio Campo Desportivo and the Lin Fong Sports Centre. Similar to Hong Kong, the league operates under a separate system from the Mainland Chinese football league system. The season typically runs from January to July.
History
Origins and early years
The league was founded in 1973. Historically, the competition was dominated by Lam Pak, who won a record 9 titles before withdrawing from the league. Other notable historical champions include Polícia and Hap Kuan.
2014 restructuring and withdrawals
The league underwent significant turbulence leading into the 2014 season. Established powerhouses Lam Pak, Lam Ieng, and Kuan Tai all forfeited their places in the First Division before the start of the competition.[1] Lam Pak and Lam Ieng withdrew due to a lack of sponsorship, while Kuan Tai cited budget issues and an inability to pay players.[1]
To address the sudden vacancies, the Macau Football Association invited the two clubs relegated in 2013, Kei Lun and MFA Development, to remain in the top flight.[2]
Modern era
In recent years, the league has been defined by the rise of Benfica de Macau and Chao Pak Kei. Benfica de Macau achieved international recognition by becoming the first Macanese club to participate in the AFC Cup group stage in 2018, where they secured historic victories over Hang Yuen of Taiwan. Chao Pak Kei dominated the league post-2019, securing three consecutive titles (2019, 2021, 2022) often with unbeaten records.
Competition format
The league follows a standard round-robin format where the 10 participating teams play each other twice (home and away), totaling 18 matches per team. However, due to the use of shared neutral venues, the "home" and "away" distinction is purely administrative.
- Champions: The team with the most points at the end of the season is declared the champion and qualifies for the AFC Challenge League (previously the AFC Cup).
- Relegation: The bottom two teams are relegated to the 2ª Divisão de Macau.
Clubs
Current clubs
As of the 2026 season, ten teams compete in the league.[3]
- Benfica de Macau
- Chen Fung
- Gala
- Gorilla of the Universe
- Hang Sai
- Macau Chiba
- MUST IPO Elite
- GD Artilheiros
- Shao Jiang
- University of Macau
Venues
Unlike major professional leagues, clubs do not have their own stadiums. Matches are allocated to one of three main government-owned venues.
Champions
List of champions
| Season | Champions | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Polícia | 1st |
| 1950 | Sporting de Macau | 1st |
| 1951–1960 | Records not known | – |
| 1962 | Sporting de Macau | 1st |
| 1963 | Sporting de Macau | 1st |
| 1964 | Hong Lok | 1st |
| 1965 | Macao Post Office | 1st |
| 1965–1972 | Records not known | – |
| 1973 | Polícia | 1st |
| 1974–1984 | Records not known | – |
| 1985 | Wa Seng | 1st |
| 1986 | Hap Kuan | 1st |
| 1987 | Hap Kuan | 1st |
| 1988 | Wa Seng | 1st |
| 1989 | Hap Kuan | 1st |
| 1990 | Hap Kuan | 1st |
| 1991 | Sporting de Macau | 1st |
| 1992 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 1993 | Leng Ngan | 1st |
| 1994 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 1995 | GD Artilheiros | 1st |
| 1996 | GD Artilheiros | 1st |
| 1997 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 1998 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 1999 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 2000 | Polícia | 1st |
| 2001 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 2002 | Monte Carlo | 1st |
| 2003 | Monte Carlo | 1st |
| 2004 | Monte Carlo | 1st |
| 2005 | Polícia | 1st |
| 2006 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 2007 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 2008 | Monte Carlo | 1st |
| 2009 | Lam Pak | 1st |
| 2010 | Ka I | 1st |
| 2011 | Ka I | 1st |
| 2012 | Ka I | 1st |
| 2013 | Monte Carlo | 1st |
| 2014 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2015 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2016 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2017 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2018 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2019 | Chao Pak Kei | 1st |
| 2020 | Benfica de Macau | (Unofficial) |
| 2021 | Chao Pak Kei | 1st |
| 2022 | Chao Pak Kei | 1st |
| 2023 | Chao Pak Kei | 1st |
| 2024 | Benfica de Macau | 1st |
| 2025 | MUST IPO | 1st |
Performance by club
| Club | Titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Pak | 9 | 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009 |
| Benfica de Macau | 6 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024 |
| Monte Carlo | 5 | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013 |
| Polícia | 5 | 1949, 1973, 2000, 2005 |
| MUST IPO | 5 | 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| Sporting de Macau | 4 | 1950, 1962, 1963, 1991 |
| Hap Kuan | 4 | 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 |
| Ka I | 3 | 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Wa Seng | 2 | 1985, 1988 |
| GD Artilheiros | 2 | 1995, 1996 |
| Hong Lok | 1 | 1964 |
| Macau Post Office | 1 | 1965 |
| Leng Ngan | 1 | 1993 |
- Source(s):[4]
Players
Best Player Award
| Season | Player | Nationality | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Geofredo Cheung | Macau | Monte Carlo |
| 2011 | Leong Ka Hang | Macau | MFA Development |
| 2012 | Cesinha Barbieri | Brazil | Ka I |
| 2013 | Leong Ka Hang | Macau | Monte Carlo |
| 2014 | Bruno Brito | Portugal | Sporting de Macau |
| 2015 | Diego Patriota | Brazil | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2016 | Chan Man | Macau | Benfica de Macau |
| 2017 | Pan Chi Hang | Macau | Benfica de Macau |
| 2018 | Diego Patriota | Brazil | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2019 | Filipe Duarte | Macau | Benfica de Macau |
| 2020 | Diego Patriota | Brazil | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2021 | Diego Patriota | Brazil | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2022 | Jackson Sousa | Brazil | Monte Carlo |
| Niki Torrão | Macau | Chao Pak Kei | |
| 2023 | Jackson Sousa | Brazil | Monte Carlo |
| 2024 | Chan Man | Macau | Benfica de Macau |
| 2025 | Jeim Botero Gómez | COL | Shao Jiang SA |
Top Goalscorers
| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Beto | Monte Carlo | 19 |
| 2005 | Cheang Chon Man | Polícia | 20 |
| 2010 | Lee Keng Pan | Hoi Fan | 10 |
| 2011 | Kamilo Silva | Monte Carlo | 38 |
| 2012 | Gustavo Silveira Avelino | Ka I | 17 |
| 2013 | Niki Torrão | Ka I | 23 |
| 2014 | William Carlos Gomes | Benfica de Macau | 16 |
| 2015 | William Carlos Gomes | Benfica de Macau | 19 |
| 2016 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 24 |
| 2017 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 21 |
| 2018 | William Carlos Gomes | Ka I | 41 |
| 2019 | William Carlos Gomes | Cheng Fung | 19 |
| 2020 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 23 |
| 2021 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 35 |
| 2022 | Niki Torrão | Chao Pak Kei | 32 |
| 2023 | Jackson Sousa | Monte Carlo | 25 |
| 2024 | William Carlos Gomes | Gala | 22 |
| 2025 | William Carlos Gomes | Gala | 17 |
Records
- All-time goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Years | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Carlos Gomes | 2013–present | 220 | 188 | 1.15 |
| 2 | Niki Torrão | 2011–present | 214 | 191 | 1.11 |
| 3 | Diego Patriota | 2013–present | 151 | 165 | 0.92 |
| 4 | Carlos Leonel | 2015–2022 | 117 | 81 | 1.44 |
References
- ^ a b "Lam Pak, Kuan Tai e Lam Ieng não se vão inscrever na Liga de Elite". jtm.com.mo. 2014-01-03. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ "Quem perde é o futebol de Macau". pontofinalmacau.wordpress.com. 2014-01-06. Archived from the original on 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
- ^ "2026 Liga de Elite". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ^ Schöggl, Hans. "Macao - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 March 2026.