Liga de Elite

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. Lam Pak and Lam Ieng withdrew due to a lack of sponsorship, while Kuan Tai cited budget issues and an inability to pay players. 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==

{{OSM Location map {{div col|colwidth=10em|content= {{no col break| Current clubs As of the 2026 season, ten teams compete in the league. • Benfica de Macau • Chen Fung • Gala • Gorilla of the Universe • Hang Sai • Macau Chiba • MUST IPO Elite • GD Artilheiros • Shao Jiang • University of Macau Team changes ;To Liga de Elite/First Division Promoted from 2025 Segunda Divisão/Second Division • Gorilla of the Universe FC • GD Artilheiros ;From Liga de Elite/First Division Relegated to 2026 Segunda Divisão/Second Division • Sporting Clube Resigned from league play • Clube Desportivo Lün Lók 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 Performance by club • Source(s): ==Players==

Best Player Award Top Goalscorers Records ;All-time goalscorers ==References==