Football in Colombia was introduced in 1900 by some English engineers hired to build the railway from Barranquilla to Puerto Salgar.
Some local championships were played in Barranquilla and later in Bogot�, and then the first teams were founded: Barranquilla FC (which preceded Atl�tico Junior) and, in 1902, El Polo Club in Bogot�. Two members of El Polo Club, Jose Maria and Carlos Obregon, founded the Football Club of Bogota and provided the field on which the first official game (and second in the country's history) was played on September 7, 1902, between the "Red" and "White" teams; the match was divided into two halves of 35 minutes each and in order to win the match, a team should be victorious in both halves. In case of a draw, a secon game was to be played and so until one of the teams defeats the rival on both halves. After three games the "Red" team was declared the winners of the first football tournament in Colombia.
Different rules were translated in Colegio de San Bartolom� in Bogot� and a team called "Bartolinos" was organized there in 1907.
Between 1912 and 1914 a few tournaments were played in Bogot�, and in 1918 and 1919, some more short tournaments were held in Bogot� and Cali.
Little by little football became popular in the whole country, but only in 1924 was a Colombian asociation of football under the name of "Liga de F�tbol" founded and later recognized by Fifa and Conmebol in 1936.
In 1947 the President of Adef�tbol, Mr Alfonso Senior Quevedo, proposed to begin a professional championship (he was the person who in 1973 got Colombia to be the host of the World Cup 1986. However, in 1982 the President of Colombia refused to organize it). Due to some political problems between 1947 and 1948, the championship began on August of 1948 when Divisi�n Mayor del F�tbol Colombiano (Dimayor) was founded to organize it.
The league began with 10 teams and until 1959 the number of teams changed many times. For 4 years the number stabilized in 12 teams but, in 1963 it increased to 13 teams and in 1966 to 14 teams.
The years from 1949 to 1953 were the "golden years" of the Colombian teams because the important players in the clubs came from Argentina. That time is well known as "El Dorado".
Since 1968 the format of the championship was split into two tournaments: Apertura (from February to June) and Finalizaci�n (from July to December); the end of the season is played in a little league between a smaller number of teams wich decides the champion of the year.
Since 1991 a professional second division was created and then the number of teams in the first division extended to 16 teams because the champion of the second division is promoted to the first division and since 1993 the worst team in the first division is relegated to the second.
Up to 1999 16394 matches have been played and 46427 goals scored.
Champions Runners Up
1948 Independiente Santa Fe Atl�tico Junior
1949 Millonarios Deportivo Cali
1950 Once Caldas Millonarios
1951 Millonarios Boca Juniors (Cali)
1952 Millonarios Boca Juniors (Cali)
1953 Millonarios Atl�tico Quindio
1954 Atl�tico Nacional Atl�tico Quindio
1955 D. Independiente Medell�n Atl�tico Nacional
1956 Atl�tico Quindio Millonarios
1957 D. Independiente Medell�n Deportes Tolima
1958 Independiente Santa Fe Millonarios
1959 Millonarios D. Independiente Medell�n
1960 Independiente Santa Fe Am�rica de Cali
1961 Millonarios D. Independiente Medell�n
1962 Millonarios Deportivo Cali
1963 Millonarios Independiente Santa Fe
1964 Millonarios C�cuta Deportivo
1965 Deportivo Cali Atl�tico Nacional
1966 Independiente Santa Fe D. Independiente Medell�n
1967 Deportivo Cali Millonarios
1968 Uni�n Magdalena Deportivo Cali
1969 Deportivo Cali Am�rica de Cali
1970 Deportivo Cali Atl�tico Junior
1971 Independiente Santa Fe Atl�tico Nacional
1972 Millonarios Deportivo Cali
1973 Atl�tico Nacional Millonarios
1974 Deportivo Cali Atl�tico Nacional
1975 Independiente Santa Fe Millonarios
1976 Atl�tico Nacional Deportivo Cali
1977 Atl�tico Junior Deportivo Cali
1978 Millonarios Deportivo Cali
1979 Am�rica de Cali Independiente Santa Fe
1980 Atl�tico Junior Deportivo Cali
1981 Atl�tico Nacional Deportes Tolima
1982 Am�rica de Cali Deportes Tolima
1983 Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Junior
1984 Am�rica de Cali Millonarios
1985 Am�rica de Cali Deportivo Cali
1986 Am�rica de Cali Deportivo Cali
1987 Millonarios Am�rica de Cali
1988 Millonarios Atl�tico Nacional
1989 championship not awarded
1990 Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Nacional
1991 Atl�tico Nacional Am�rica de Cali
1992 Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Nacional
1993 Atl�tico Junior D. Independiente Medell�n
1994 Atl�tico Nacional Millonarios
1995 Atl�tico Junior Am�rica de Cali
1995/96 Deportivo Cali Millonarios
1996/97 Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Bucaramanga
1998 Deportivo Cali Once Caldas
1999 Atl�tico Nacional Am�rica de Cali
2000 Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Junior
2001 Am�rica de Cali D. Independiente Medell�n
2002 Ap Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Nacional
Fi D. Independiente Medell�n Deportivo Pasto
2003 Ap Once Caldas Atl�tico Junior
Fi Deportes Tolima Deportivo Cali
2004 Ap D. Independiente Medell�n Atl�tico Nacional
Fi Atl�tico Junior Atl�tico Nacional
2005 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Independiente Santa Fe
Fi Deportivo Cali Real Cartagena
2006 Ap Deportivo Pasto Deportivo Cali
Fi C�cuta Deportivo Deportes Tolima
2007 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Atl�tico Huila
Fi Atl�tico Nacional CD La Equidad
2008 Ap Boyac� Chic� FC Am�rica de Cali
Fi Am�rica de Cali D. Independiente Medell�n
2009 Ap Once Caldas Atl�tico Junior
Fi D. Independiente Medell�n Atl�tico Huila
2010 Ap Atl�tico Junior CD La Equidad
Cl Once Caldas Deportes Tolima
2011 Ap Atl�tico Nacional CD La Equidad
Cl Atl�tico Junior Once Caldas
2012 Ap Independiente Santa Fe Deportivo Pasto
Cl Millonarios D. Independiente Medell�n
2013 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Independiente Santa Fe
Cl Atl�tico Nacional Deportivo Cali
2014 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Atl�tico Junior
Cl Independiente Santa Fe D. Independiente Medell�n
2015 Ap Deportivo Cali D. Independiente Medell�n
Cl Atl�tico Nacional Atl�tico Junior
2016 Ap D. Independiente Medell�n Atl�tico Junior
Cl Independiente Santa Fe Deportes Tolima
2017 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Deportivo Cali
Cl Millonarios Independiente Santa Fe
2018 Ap Deportes Tolima Atl�tico Nacional
Cl Atl�tico Junior D. Independiente Medell�n
2019 Ap Atl�tico Junior Deportivo Pasto
Cl Am�rica de Cali Atl�tico Junior
2020 Ap Am�rica de Cali Independiente Santa Fe
Cl cancelled
2021 Ap Deportes Tolima Millonarios
Cl Deportivo Cali Deportes Tolima
2022 Ap Atl�tico Nacional Deportes Tolima
Cl Deportivo Pereira D. Independiente Medell�n
2023 Ap Millonarios Atl�tico Nacional
Cl Atl�tico Junior D. Independiente Medell�n
2024 Ap Atl�tico Bucaramanga Independiente Santa Fe
Cl Atl�tico Nacional Deportes Tolima
2025 Ap
Cl
Total Championships (98; runners-up finishes between square brackets)
18 [12] Atl�tico Nacional (Medell�n)
16 [10] Millonarios (Bogot�)
15 [ 7] Am�rica de Cali
10 [14] Deportivo Cali
10 [10] Atl�tico Junior (Barranquilla)
9 [ 7] Independiente Santa Fe (Bogot�)
6 [12] Deportivo Independiente Medell�n
4 [ 2] Once Caldas (Manizales)
3 [ 9] Deportes Tolima (Ibagu�)
1 [ 3] Deportivo Pasto
1 [ 2] Atl�tico Quindio (Armenia)
1 [ 1] Atl�tico Bucaramanga
1 [ 1] C�cuta Deportivo
1 Boyac� Chic� FC
1 Deportivo Pereira
1 Uni�n Magdalena (Santa Marta)
[ 3] CD La Equidad
[ 2] Boca Juniors (Cali)
[ 2] Atl�tico Huila (Neiva)
[ 1] Real Cartagena
Historical overview and corrections thanks to Frank Ballesteros and Hans Sch�ggl; partial source: [Car 10]
Prepared and maintained by Juan Pablo Andr�s for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Juan Pablo Andr�s
Last updated: 11 Feb 2025
(C) Copyright Juan Pablo Andr�s and RSSSF 1996/2025
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.