Liga Panameña de Fútbol

Top division association football league in Panama

The Liga Panameña de Fútbol (LPF; ) is the top division football league in Panama. Until 2009, the league was named Asociación Nacional Pro Fútbol (ANAPROF).

In 1987, a group of men, composed of Giancarlo Gronchi, Jan Domburg, Edgar Plazas, Jorge Zelasny, Ángel Valero and Juan Carlos Delgado, met and founded the Asociación Nacional Pro Fútbol (ANAPROF for short), which was inaugurated on February 26, 1988. Their objective was to organize professional football in Panama, in order to help the Panama national team in the long term.

The league was founded as ANAPROF in 1988 after years of turmoil in Panamanian football. The first season, which featured six teams, began on February 26, 1988. Six teams participated. From that year until 2001, the league used a "long tournament" format in which every team played every other team in a home and away set. Since 2001, the league has used the Apertura/Clausura split season that is common to Latin America. From 1994 to 1996, Panamanian football was rent by a schism between ANAPROF and a rival league, LINFUNA. The split was resolved in 1996–97 when the leagues merged into a single twelve team tournament. The next few seasons of league football were a bit confusing as the governing body tried to sort out its formats. In 1997–98, the league was split into two groups for the regular season, followed by an eight team playoff. In 1998–99, the league shrunk to ten teams, with six of them advancing to a post season tournament. The top four advanced further to a playoff to determine the champion. A similar format was used in 1999 2000 and 2000–2001. In 2001, the Apertura/Clausura format was adopted, and with modifications has been used ever since. The most significant involved the idea of the Grand Championship playoff. From 2001 to 2007, the winner of the Apertura faced the winner of the Clausura to determine a season champion. After 2007, this idea was abandoned. In 2009 ANAPROF changes its name to Liga Panameña de Fútbol. In 2021, LPF made changes to the Panamanian football structure, top tier teams now will be considered as franchises and expanded the league from 10 to 12 teams with no relegation. The second tier league will increase from 8 to 24 teams by combining top tier teams U 20 teams, second tier teams, and invitational teams.

In 1994 Panamanian soccer suffered a great division, when the LINFUNA league was created, the league had Panamanian Football Federation approval and FIFA recognition. It was presided by Rolando Marco Hermoso, then succeeded by Ariel Alvarado. ANAPROF teams Projusa FC and Alianza FC, were brought into the organization. The league organized two championships (1994 and 1995), both won by C. D. Árabe Unido from Colón. Following mediation by CONCACAF, on January 6, 1996, the leagues were unified under the ANAPROF name.

Árabe Unido, Projusa, Internacional Puerto Armuelles, Tulihueca de La Chorrera, Cosmos, Chorrillo, Alianza, Corporación Deportiva Independiente Municipal Panamá (DIM), Tigres de Vista Alegre y Cruz Azul.

Club City Stadium Capacity Alianza Panama City Estadio Rommel Fernandez 32,000 Veraguas United F. C. Atalaya, Veraguas Estadio Rafael Rodriguez 350 Árabe Unido Colón Estadio Armando Dely Valdés 4,000 Universitario Cocle Penonomé, Coclé Estadio Universidad Latina Penonomé 3,500 Club Atlético Independiente La Chorrera Estadio Agustín Sánchez 3,000 Plaza Amador Panama City Estadio Javier Cruz 1,450 San Francisco La Chorrera Estadio Agustín Sánchez 3,000 Club Deportivo del Este Panama City Estadio Javier Cruz 700 Sporting San Miguelito San Miguelito Estadio de Los Andes 1,450 Tauro Panama City Estadio Rommel Fernández 32,000 Herrera F. C. Chitré Estadio Los Milagros de Chitré 1,000 Umecit F. C. Atalaya, Veraguas Estadio Rafael Rodriguez 350