2025 Liga FUTVE
Venezuelan Primera División season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025 Liga FUTVE, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano, and known as Liga Banco de Venezuela due to sponsorship by Banco de Venezuela, was the 69th season of the Liga FUTVE, the top-flight football league in Venezuela, and the 44th season since the start of the professional era. The season began on 24 January and ended on 6 December 2025.[1]
| Season | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 24 January – 6 December 2025 |
| Champions | Universidad Central (4th title) |
| Relegated | Yaracuyanos |
| Copa Libertadores | Universidad Central Deportivo La Guaira Carabobo Deportivo Táchira |
| Copa Sudamericana | Academia Puerto Cabello Monagas Caracas Metropolitanos |
| Matches | 233 |
| Goals | 554 (2.38 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Edwuin Pernía (15 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Dep. Táchira 4–0 Yaracuyanos (19 April) La Guaira 4–0 Rayo Zuliano (18 July) Dep. Táchira 4–0 Est. Mérida (31 August) La Guaira 4–0 Yaracuyanos (21 September) Metropolitanos 5–1 Portuguesa (27 September) |
| Biggest away win | Caracas 1–5 UCV (5 October) Metropolitanos 0–4 Carabobo (5 November) |
| Highest scoring | Anzoátegui 4–4 UCV (3 May) |
← 2024 2026 → | |
Universidad Central were the champions, winning their fourth league title, second in the professional era and first since 1957 after winning the Torneo Apertura and defeating Carabobo in the season's grand final.[2] Deportivo Táchira were the defending champions, having won the title in the previous two seasons.
Teams
Fourteen teams competed in the season, subject to the fulfillment of club licensing requirements: the top 13 teams of the 2024 season as well as the 2024 Segunda División champions Yaracuyanos, who defeated Anzoátegui in the Segunda División final on 30 November 2024.[3] Yaracuyanos replaced Inter de Barinas, relegated at the end of the previous season after finishing last in the aggregate table.
Following the end of the 2024 season, it was reported that Angostura and the Segunda División runners-up Anzoátegui were negotiating a merger, with which Anzoátegui would take Angostura's place in Primera División.[4] On 14 January 2025, the Liga FUTVE informed that Anzoátegui would replace Angostura in the tournament, but the latter club would take the former's spot in Segunda División.[5] Four days later, the Venezuelan Football Federation confirmed that Angostura failed to comply with the financial requirements for a club license, whilst Anzoátegui had a higher sporting merit and had also fully met the licensing criteria.[6]
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Stadia and locations
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academia Puerto Cabello |  Eduardo Saragó |
Givova | CLX Samsung |
| Anzoátegui | Leonardo González |
Kappa | Banco del Tesoro |
| Carabobo | Daniel Farías |
Runic | Frigilux, Fospuca, Juega En Línea |
| Caracas | Fernando Aristeguieta |
Zeus | 1XBET, Maltín Polar |
| Deportivo La Guaira | Juan Domingo Tolisano |
Runic | Traki |
| Deportivo Táchira | Edgar Pérez Greco |
Boman | TriunfoBet, Rutaca Airlines, Grupo JHS |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | Jesús Ortiz |
Econtex | Savoy, Frigilux, Daka, Ivon |
| Metropolitanos | Francesco Stifano |
RS | Aerolíneas Estelar, Forum Supermayorista |
| Monagas | Enrique García |
RS | Banplus |
| Portuguesa | Giancarlo Maldonado |
RS | |
| Rayo Zuliano | Johanny García |
Adidas | Campestre, Daka, Javitour, BDT, Farma Express |
| Universidad Central | Daniel Sasso |
New Arrival | SmartByte, Empire Keeway, Bancamiga |
| Yaracuyanos | Arnaldo Aranda |
Manita | Purísima, TriunfoBet |
| Zamora | José María Morr |
Puma | Thundernet, BDT |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torneo Apertura | ||||||
| Monagas | Carlojavier Fuhrman |
End of caretaker spell | 8 December 2024 | Pre-season | Jhonny Ferreira |
16 January 2025[7] |
| Metropolitanos | José María Morr |
Resigned | 11 December 2024[8] |  Roland Marcenaro |
20 December 2024[9] | |
| Anzoátegui | Alexis Jordán |
Replaced | 26 December 2024 | Leonardo González |
26 December 2024[10] | |
| Zamora | Alí Cañas |
End of contract | 30 December 2024 | Adolfo Monsalve |
6 January 2025[11] | |
| Academia Puerto Cabello |  Iván Fernández |
Mutual agreement | 31 January 2025[12] | 12th | Bladimir Morales[i] |
1 February 2025[13] |
| Bladimir Morales |
End of caretaker spell | 3 February 2025 | 7th |  Vasco Faísca |
3 February 2025[14] | |
| Zamora | Adolfo Monsalve |
Mutual agreement | 3 March 2025[15] | 12th | José María Morr |
4 March 2025[16] |
| Yaracuyanos | Jhon Pinto |
Sacked | 17 March 2025[17] | 14th |  Dayron Pérez |
17 March 2025[17] |
| Estudiantes de Mérida | Daniel Farías |
Mutual agreement | 15 April 2025[18] | 13th | Ildemaro Fernández[i] |
15 April 2025[19] |
| Ildemaro Fernández |
End of caretaker spell | 2 May 2025 | 12th | Jesús Ortiz |
2 May 2025[20] | |
| Rayo Zuliano | Javier Villafráz |
Replaced | 11 May 2025[21] | 11th | Johanny García |
11 May 2025[22] |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | Vasco Faísca |
Mutual agreement | 29 May 2025[23] | 3rd, Group B | Bladimir Morales[i] |
29 May 2025[24] |
| Carabobo | Diego Merino |
Resigned | 30 May 2025[25] | 2nd, Group B | Daniel Farías |
31 May 2025[26] |
| Academia Puerto Cabello | Bladimir Morales |
End of caretaker spell | 3 June 2025 | 4th, Group B | Eduardo Saragó |
3 June 2025[24] |
| Torneo Clausura | ||||||
| Monagas | Jhonny Ferreira |
Signed by Venezuela U17 | 8 July 2025[27] | 14th | Carlojavier Fuhrman[i] |
8 July 2025[28] |
| Carlojavier Fuhrman |
End of caretaker spell | 16 July 2025 | 13th |  Marcelo Zuleta |
16 July 2025[29] | |
| Yaracuyanos | Dayron Pérez |
Signed by Barranquilla | 23 July 2025[30] | Arnaldo Aranda |
23 July 2025[21] | |
| Metropolitanos | Roland Marcenaro |
Mutual agreement | 12 August 2025[31] | 12th | Francesco Stifano |
13 August 2025[32] |
| Monagas | Marcelo Zuleta |
Sacked | 8 October 2025[33] | 4th | Enrique García |
8 October 2025[34] |
- Notes
- Caretaker manager.
Torneo Apertura
The Torneo Apertura was the first tournament of the 2025 season. It began on 24 January and ended on 14 June 2025.
First stage
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo La Guaira | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 11 | +9 | 26 | Advance to the semi-finals |
| 2 | Carabobo | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 26 | |
| 3 | Universidad Central | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Deportivo Táchira | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 23 | |
| 5 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 21 | |
| 6 | Anzoátegui | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 20 | |
| 7 | Portuguesa | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Metropolitanos | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 18 | −1 | 16 | |
| 9 | Caracas | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 15 | −3 | 16 | |
| 10 | Monagas | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 21 | −4 | 15 | |
| 11 | Rayo Zuliano | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 14 | |
| 12 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 15 | 23 | −8 | 10 | |
| 13 | Zamora | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 9 | |
| 14 | Yaracuyanos | 13 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 24 | −12 | 8 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
Results
Semi-finals
The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams. The two group winners advanced to the final.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | UCV | DLG | POR | ANZ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universidad Central | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 12 | Advance to the Final | — | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | |
| 2 | Deportivo La Guaira | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 10 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | ||
| 3 | Portuguesa | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Anzoátegui | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 | 4–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TAC | CBO | MET | APC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo Táchira | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 15 | Advance to the Final | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Carabobo | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 8 | 2–4 | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | Metropolitanos | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 6 | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 3 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
Final
| Universidad Central | 1–0 | Deportivo Táchira |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Torneo Clausura
The Torneo Clausura was the second and last tournament of the 2025 season. It began on 4 July and ended on 23 November 2025.
First stage
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo La Guaira | 13 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 8 | +21 | 31 | Advance to the semi-finals |
| 2 | Deportivo Táchira | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 27 | |
| 3 | Carabobo | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 25 | |
| 4 | Monagas | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 22 | |
| 5 | Caracas | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 21 | |
| 6 | Zamora | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 19 | |
| 7 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 18 | |
| 8 | Metropolitanos | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 17 | |
| 9 | Universidad Central | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 17 | |
| 10 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 16 | |
| 11 | Rayo Zuliano | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 13 | |
| 12 | Anzoátegui | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 11 | |
| 13 | Yaracuyanos | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 21 | −10 | 10 | |
| 14 | Portuguesa[a] | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 21 | −11 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
Notes:
Results
Semi-finals
The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams. The two group winners advanced to the final.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | APC | DLG | ZAM | MON | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 13 | Advance to the Final | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | |
| 2 | Deportivo La Guaira | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 8 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | Zamora | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | —[a] | 2–0 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Monagas | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
- The match between Zamora and Academia Puerto Cabello was suspended at half-time with Academia Puerto Cabello leading 1–0 due to an electrical failure at Estadio Agustín Tovar.[36] Although its resumption was scheduled for 11 November, the match was ultimately cancelled per request from both clubs as it would have no effect on the final outcome of the group.[37]
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CBO | CAR | TAC | MET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carabobo | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 14 | Advance to the Final | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Caracas | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0–0 | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Deportivo Táchira | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1–2 | 2–3 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Metropolitanos | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 2 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
Final
Grand Final
The winners of the Apertura (Universidad Central) and Clausura (Carabobo) tournaments played a two-legged final series to decide the season champions (Campeón Absoluto). The second leg was hosted by the Clausura winners, Carabobo. The season champions qualified for the Copa Libertadores group stage while the season runners-up qualified for the Copa Libertadores second stage.
| Universidad Central | 1–1 | Carabobo |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Universidad Central won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Liga FUTVE 2025 champions |
|---|
| 4th title |
Aggregate table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo La Guaira | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 49 | 19 | +30 | 57 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Carabobo | 26 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 27 | 15 | +12 | 51 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores second stage |
| 3 | Deportivo Táchira | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 42 | 22 | +20 | 50 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores first stage |
| 4 | Universidad Central (C) | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 27 | +7 | 42 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 5 | Academia Puerto Cabello | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 39 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage[a] |
| 6 | Monagas | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 37 | |
| 7 | Caracas | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 32 | −3 | 37 | |
| 8 | Metropolitanos | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 33 | |
| 9 | Anzoátegui | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 31 | −3 | 31 | |
| 10 | Zamora | 26 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 33 | −11 | 28 | |
| 11 | Rayo Zuliano | 26 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 23 | 36 | −13 | 27 | |
| 12 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 26 | |
| 13 | Portuguesa[b] | 26 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 24 | 35 | −11 | 25 | |
| 14 | Yaracuyanos (R) | 26 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 23 | 45 | −22 | 18 | Relegation to Segunda División |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Drawing of lots.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwuin Pernía |
Academia Puerto Cabello | 15 |
| 2 | Aitor López |
Portuguesa | 14 |
| 3 | Juan Camilo Zapata |
Universidad Central | 13 |
| 4 | José Alí Meza |
Deportivo La Guaira | 12 |
| 5 | Antony Velasco |
Anzoátegui | 10 |
| Flabián Londoño |
Carabobo | ||
| 7 | José Hernández Chávez |
Caracas | 9 |
| 8 | Antonio Romero |
Estudiantes de Mérida / Zamora | 8 |
| Bryan Castillo |
Deportivo Táchira | ||
| Jesús Hernández |
Estudiantes de Mérida | ||
| José Balza |
Deportivo Táchira | ||
| Juan Manuel Cuesta |
Universidad Central | ||
| Keiber Lamadrid |
Deportivo La Guaira | ||
| Miku Fedor |
Metropolitanos | ||
 Tomás Rodríguez |
Monagas | ||
| Yackson Rivas |
Deportivo La Guaira | ||
| Yohandry Orozco |
Carabobo |
Source: Balonazos