Kazakhstan Premier League
Men's top division football league in Kazakhstan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League (Kazakh: Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы), commonly referred to as the Kazakh Premier League[1][2] or simply the Premier League,[3] is a professional association football league in Kazakhstan and the highest level of the Kazakh football league system.
UEFA (Europe) 2002 –
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| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country | Kazakhstan |
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) 1992 – 2002 UEFA (Europe) 2002 – |
| Number of clubs | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Kazakhstan Cup Kazakhstan League Cup Kazakhstan Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Kairat (5th title) (2025) |
| Most championships | Astana (7 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Domestic Qazsport International Eleven Sports OneFootball |
| Website | kpl kffleague |
| Current: 2026 Kazakhstan Premier League | |
The league is controlled by the Football Federation of Kazakhstan and was set up in 1992. The league operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Kazakh First Division and starts in spring and finishes in late autumn because of the low temperatures in the winter, with each championship corresponding to a calendar year. The majority of matches have been played at weekends in recent seasons.
From 1994 to 2001, the league's better clubs competed in the Asian Football Confederation clubs' competitions. Starting from 2001, the Kazakhstani clubs compete in the UEFA clubs' competitions.
Name changes
- Top Division (1992–2001)
- Super League (2002–2007)
- Premier League (2008–present)
Current clubs
The following teams are competing in the 2025 season:
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aktobe | Aktobe | Central Stadium | 12,729 |
| Astana | Astana | Astana Arena | 30,200 |
| Atyrau | Atyrau | Munaishy Stadium | 8,900 |
| Elimai | Semey | Spartak Stadium | 8,000 |
| Jenis | Astana | Astana Arena | 30,200 |
| Jetisu | Taldykorgan | Samat Suyumbayev Stadium | 4,000 |
| Kairat | Almaty | Central Stadium | 23,804 |
| Kaisar | Kyzylorda | Gany Muratbayev Stadium | 7,500 |
| Kyzylzhar | Petropavl | Karasai Stadium | 11,000 |
| Okzhetpes | Kokshetau | Torpedo Stadium | 4,100 |
| Ordabasy | Shymkent | Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Stadium | 20,000 |
| Tobol | Kostanay | Central Stadium | 9,500 |
| Turan | Turkistan | Turkistan Arena | 7,000 |
| Ulytau | Jezkazgan | Metallurg Stadium | 2,500 |
Soviet winners of republican level
Note that some teams such as Kairat Almaty participated in the upper leagues of the Soviet annual football competition. There was no solidly established independent Kazakh championship and the republican winner was conditionally picked by the Football Federation of Kazakh SSR. Since 1936 there was taken places republican football competition among sports societies and agencies and later among "collectives of physical culture" (CPhC → KFK). Since establishment of the Class B republican competitions in 1960s, there were competitions for the Kazakhstani teams of masters organized sporadically often with teams from Kyrgyzstan. From 1980, the champion of the Soviet Kazakhstan was also awarded to "teams of masters" (professional teams) competing in football competitions of the Soviet Second League.
Sources:
- Kazakhstan – List of Champions. RSSSF
- The Kazakh SSR Football Championship (Чемпионат Казахской ССР). Footballfacts. (in Russian)
- The Kazakh SSR Football Championship D2 (Чемпионат Казахской ССР D2). Footballfacts. (in Russian)
Best teams in republican competitions
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Kazakhstan League Seasons
Notes:
- Historical names shown in brackets according to the season.
- Best Player Award by FFK (1992–2005, 2008, 2010–) and GOAL Journal (2006–2007, 2009).
List of champions
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astana | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 |
| Kairat | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1992, 2004, 2020, 2024, 2025 |
| Irtysh | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1993, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003 |
| Aktobe | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013 |
| Yelimay | 3 | – | 1 | 1994, 1995, 1998 |
| Jenis | 3 | – | 1 | 2000, 2001, 2006 |
| Tobol | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2010, 2021 |
| Shakhter | 2 | – | 3 | 2011, 2012 |
| Taraz | 1 | 2 | – | 1996 |
| Ordabasy | 1 | – | 2 | 2023 |
| Kyzylzhar | – | 2 | 1 | |
| Atyrau | – | 2 | – | |
| Ekibastuzets | – | 2 | – | |
| Tomiris | – | 1 | – | |
| Jetisu | – | 1 | – | |
| Gornyak | – | – | 1 | |
| Zhiger | – | – | 1 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | 33 | |
- Notes
- Teams in bold currently compete in Premier League.
- Italics identifies either defunct or teams that lost professional status.
Performance by clubs
- As of end of the 2025 season.
| # | Club | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Cup | SC | FD | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kairat | 1 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 27 | ||
| 2 | Aktobe | 12 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20 | ||||
| 3 | Astana | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Irtysh | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 17 | |||||||
| 5 | Tobol | 13 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 19 | |||
| 6 | Ordabasy | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| 7 | Shakhter | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||
| 8 | Zhenis | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Kaisar | 10 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||||
| 10 | Elimai | 14 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Okzhetpes | 20 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
| 12 | Taraz | 5 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
| 13 | Kyzylzhar | 19 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Atyrau | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 15 | Ekibastuzets | 4 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Zhetysu | 21 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 17 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Akzhayik | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Caspiy | 15 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | Aksu | 6 | 14 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Turan | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | Maktaaral | 8 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | Ulytau | 22 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
League participation
Note: The tallies below include up to the 2025 season. Teams denoted in bold are current participants.
- 33 seasons: Shakhter
- 32 seasons: Kairat, Tobol
- 30 seasons: Aktobe
- 28 seasons: Irtysh, Taraz
- 27 seasons: Kaisar, Jetisu
- 26 seasons: Ordabasy
- 24 seasons: Atyrau, Okzhetpes
- 20 seasons: Vostok
- 19 seasons: Kyzylzhar, Jenis
- 17 seasons: Astana
- 14 seasons: Akzhayik, Ekibastuzets, Spartak
- 9 seasons: Caspiy, Zhiger
- 8 seasons: Shakhter-Bulat
- 5 seasons: Alma-Ata, Tomiris
- 4 seasons: CSKA Almaty, Gornyak, Turan, Turkestan, Ulytau
- 2 seasons: Aksu, Azhar, Ekibastuz, Elimai, Maktaaral
- 1 season: Arman, BGS, Dinamo Alma-Ata, Dostyk, Kazakhmys, Megasport, Namys Almaty, Nasha Kampaniya, Sunkar
Soviet Top League participation
- 24 seasons: Kairat
All time top scorers
- As of 1 January 2015
| Rank | Player | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
 Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev |
405 |
157 |
2 |
Oleg Litvinenko |
311 |
147 |
3 |
Nurken Mazbaev |
400 |
142 |
4 |
Murat Tleshev |
303 |
138 |
5 |
Andrei Miroshnichenko |
242 |
115 |
6 |
 Ulugbek Bakayev |
183 |
109 |
7 |
Andrei Finonchenko |
274 |
98 |
8 |
Aleksandr Shatskikh |
275 |
96 |
9 |
Ruslan Imankulov |
366 |
96 |
10 |
Kairat Aubakirov |
302 |
94 |
11 |
Vladimir Loginov |
339 |
87 |
12 |
Viktor Antonov |
207 |
86 |
13 |
Ruslan Duzmambetov |
230 |
86 |
| As the end of 2014 season. (Bold denotes players still in Premier League) | |||