# Liga de Elite

Liga de Elite (lit. 'Elite League'), previously known as Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futebol, is the top division of the Macau Football Association, created in 1973. The league features local players and professional foreign players. Due to the lack of football fields in Macau, most matches are played at the Estádio Campo Desportivo. As with Hong Kong, the league is separate from the mainland Chinese football league system. The league is generally played between January and July of each calendar year.

## History

In the inaugural 2014 edition, Lam Pak, Lam Ieng and Kuan Tai all forfeited from the First Division before the start of the competition. Lam Pak and Lam Ieng withdrew due to the lack of backing from sponsors and Kuan Tai cited budget issues and could no longer afford to pay some of its players. To solve the problem of three sudden vacancies, the Macau Football Association clarified that the two clubs that were relegated in 2013, Kei Lun and MFA Development, were invited to remain, and an additional third team would come from the Second Division. After careful consideration by the MFA, no team from the Second Division was picked, being deemed not competitive enough for the First Division.

## Previous season

10 teams will contest the 2024 Liga de Elite. Gala and University Of Macau were promoted from last season's 2ª Divisão de Macau.
| Club | Year Founded | Position Last Season |
| Gala | | Promoted (1st) |
| Cheng Fung | 1988 | 4th |
| Hang Sai | | 6th |
| University Of Macau | | Promoted (2nd) |
| Ka I | 1985 | 7th |
| Monte Carlo | 1984 | 3rd |
| Chao Pak Kei | 2008 | 1st |
| Lun Lok | 1985 | 5th |
| Benfica de Macau | 1951 | 2nd |
| Sporting de Macau | 1926 | 8th |

## Previous winners

Winners were:
* 1949: Polícia
* 1950: Sporting de Macau
* 1951–60: unknown
* 1962: Sporting de Macau
* 1963: Sporting de Macau
* 1964: Hong Lok
* 1965: Macao Post Office
* 1965–72: unknown
* 1973: Polícia
* 1974–84: unknown
* 1985: Wa Seng
* 1986: Hap Kuan
* 1987: Hap Kuan
* 1988: Wa Seng
* 1989: Hap Kuan
* 1990: Hap Kuan
* 1991: Sporting de Macau
* 1992: Lam Pak
* 1993: Leng Ngan
* 1994: Lam Pak
* 1995: GD Artilheiros
* 1996: GD Artilheiros
* 1997: Lam Pak
* 1998: Lam Pak
* 1999: Lam Pak
* 2000:Polícia
* 2001: Lam Pak
* 2002: Monte Carlo
* 2003: Monte Carlo
* 2004: Monte Carlo
* 2005: Polícia
* 2006: Lam Pak
* 2007: Lam Pak
* 2008: Monte Carlo
* 2009: Lam Pak
* 2010: Ka I
* 2011: Ka I
* 2012: Ka I
* 2013: Monte Carlo
* 2014: Benfica de Macau
* 2015: Benfica de Macau
* 2016: Benfica de Macau
* 2017: Benfica de Macau
* 2018: Benfica de Macau
* 2019: Chao Pak Kei
* 2020: Benfica de Macau - non oficial championship due to covid
* 2021: Chao Pak Kei
* 2022: Chao Pak Kei
* 2023: Chao Pak Kei
* 2024: Benfica de Macau

### Champions

| Club | Titles |
| Lam Pak | 9 |
| Benfica de Macau | 6 |
| Monte Carlo | 5 |
| Polícia | 5 |
| Sporting de Macau | 4 |
| Hap Kuan | 4 |
| Chao Pak Kei | 4 |
| Windsor Arch Ka I | 3 |
| Wa Seng [pt] | 2 |
| GD Artilheiros [es] | 2 |
| Hong Lok | 1 |
| Macau Post Office | 1 |
| Leng Ngan | 1 |

## Best player

| Season | Best Player | Team |
| 2010 | Geofredo Cheung | Monte Carlo |
| 2011 | Leong Ka Hang | MFA Development |
| 2012 | Cesinha Barbieri | Ka I |
| 2013 | Leong Ka Hang | Monte Carlo |
| 2014 | Bruno Brito | Sporting de Macau |
| 2015 | Diego Patriota | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2016 | Chan Man | Benfica de Macau |
| 2017 | Pan Chi Hang | Benfica de Macau |
| 2018 | Diego Patriota | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2019 | Filipe Duarte | Benfica de Macau |
| 2020 | Diego Patriota | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2021 | Diego Patriota | Chao Pak Kei |
| 2022 | Jackson Sousa | Monte Carlo* |
| 2022 | Niki Torrão | Chao Pak Kei* |
| 2023 | Jackson Sousa | Monte Carlo |
| 2024 | Chan Man | Benfica |
* The edition of the 2022 championship, two best player was chosen.

## Top goalscorers

| Season | Goalscorers | Team | Goals |
| 2001 | Beto | Monte Carlo | 19 |
| 2005 | Cheang Chon Man | Polícia | 20 |
| 2010 | Lee Keng Pan | Hoi Fan | 10 |
| 2011 | Kamilo Silva | Monte Carlo | 38 |
| 2012 | Gustavo Silveira Avelino | Windsor Arch Ka I | 17 |
| 2013 | Niki Torrão | Windsor Arch Ka I | 23 |
| 2014 | William Carlos Gomes | Benfica de Macau | 16 |
| 2014 | Francisco do Carmo Rodrigo | Monte Carlo | 16 |
| 2015 | William Carlos Gomes | Benfica de Macau | 19 |
| 2016 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 24 |
| 2017 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 21 |
| 2018 | William Carlos Gomes | Windsor Arch Ka I | 41 |
| 2019 | William Carlos Gomes | Cheng Fung | 19 |
| 2019 | Diego Patriota | Chao Pak Kei | 19 |
| 2020 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 23 |
| 2021 | Carlos Leonel | Benfica de Macau | 35 |
| 2022 | Niki Torrão | Chao Pak Kei | 32 |
| 2023 | Jackson Sousa | Monte Carlo | 25 |
| 2024 | William Gomes | Gala | 22 |

### Record season goalscorers

* 5 times
** William Carlos Gomes (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019,2024)
* 4 times
** Carlos Leonel (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021)

### Most goals by a player in a single season

* 41 goals:
** William Carlos Gomes (2018).

### Most goals by a player in a single game

* 8 goals:
** William Carlos Gomes (Windsor Arch Ka I) 1-12 against Hang Sai, 16 June 2018.

### All-time goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Games | Goals | Years | Goals per game |
| 1 | William Carlos Gomes | 188 | 220 | 2013-present | 1.15 |
| 2 | Niki Torrão | 191 | 214 | 2011−present | 1.11 |
| 3 | Diego Patriota | 165 | 151 | 2013- present | 0.92 |
| 4 | Carlos Leonel | 81 | 117 | 2015−2022 | 1.44 |

## Multiple hat-tricks

| Rank | Player | Hat-tricks |
| 1 | William Carlos Gomes | 23 |
| 2 | Carlos Leonel | 20 |
| 3 | Niki Torrão | 18 |
| 4 | Jackson Sousa | 9 |
| 5 | Ho Man Hou | 4 |
| 6 | Diego Patriota | 3 |
| 7 | Alison Brito | 2 |
| 7 | Bruno Araujo | 2 |
| 7 | Iun Cheong Fai | 2 |
| 7 | Gregory | 2 |
| 7 | Cheng Hui | 2 |
| 7 | Danilo Lins | 2 |
| 7 | Bruno Martinho | 2 |
| 7 | Jose Ranieri | 2 |
| 7 | Vernon Wong | 2 |
| 16 | Daniel Adade | 1 |
| 16 | Alexandre de Jesus | 1 |
| 16 | Hugo Almeida | 1 |
| 16 | Eder Aruda | 1 |
| 16 | Iuri Capelo | 1 |
| 16 | Lei Cheng Lam | 1 |
| 16 | Ut Cheong Kou | 1 |
| 16 | Lei Chi Seng | 1 |
| 16 | Leung Chi Seng | 1 |
| 16 | Chocolate | 1 |
| 16 | Chi Hang Fong | 1 |
| 16 | Lek Hang Jeung | 1 |
| 16 | Chi Hang Pan | 1 |
| 16 | Hussaini Hassan | 1 |
| 16 | Gao Jia Liang | 1 |
| 16 | Mustapha Jibrin | 1 |
| 16 | Leong Ka Hang | 1 |
| 16 | Mok Kin Fong | 1 |
| 16 | Chan Kin Seng | 1 |
| 16 | Lin Lei Yi | 1 |
| 16 | In Leong Hou | 1 |
| 16 | Zheyu Liang | 1 |
| 16 | Chan Man | 1 |
| 16 | William Maronesi | 1 |
| 16 | Rafael Medeiros | 1 |
| 16 | Yan Pen Feng | 1 |
| 16 | Nuno Peres | 1 |
| 16 | Rodrigo | 1 |
| 16 | Maycol Savinio | 1 |
| 16 | Adilson Silva | 1 |
| 16 | Roni Silva | 1 |
| 16 | Gu Six Hou | 1 |
| 16 | Leong Tak Wai | 1 |
| 16 | Leandro Tanaka | 1 |
| 16 | Ka Un Sio | 1 |
| 16 | Tai Wang Chang | 1 |
| 16 | D Wong | 1 |
| 16 | Jia Yi Li | 1 |

### Most hat-tricks in a single season

* 24 hat-tricks (2021).

### Most hat-tricks by a player in a single season

* 7 hat-tricks
** Carlos Leonel (2021).