# 1966 Torneo Descentralizado

The 1966 Torneo Descentralizado was the 50th season of the highest division of Peruvian football. This season marked the first time the Primera División was named the Descentralizado because teams outside Lima and Callao were invited for the first time making it the first national championship in Peru. The four teams invited to play in the inaugural national championship were Melgar of Arequipa, Octavio Espinosa of Ica, Atlético Grau of Piura, and Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín of Trujillo.
The first match of the season was played on 13 August 1966 between Universitario and Mariscal Sucre in the Estadio Nacional. Shortly after this match, the first match to feature a team outside the Lima and Callao region was between Sporting Cristal and Alfonso Ugarte in the same stadium on the same day.
The champion was Universitario. Four teams were relegated at the end of the season. Carlos Concha was relegated to the 1967 Segunda División as the last placed team. In addition, Octavio Espinosa, Alfonso Ugarte, and Melgar were relegated as they needed to place seventh or higher to remain in the first division. They needed to play the 1967 Copa Perú to attain promotion to the first division.

## Teams
### Team changes

| Promoted from 1965 Segunda División | Invited | Relegated from 1965 Primera División |
| Mariscal Sucre (1st) | Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín Atlético Grau Melgar Octavio Espinosa | Ciclista Lima (10th) |

### Stadia locations

| Team | City |
| Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín | Trujillo |
| Alianza Lima | La Victoria, Lima |
| Atlético Grau | Piura |
| Carlos Concha | Callao |
| Centro Iqueño | Cercado de Lima |
| Defensor Arica | Breña, Lima |
| Defensor Lima | Breña, Lima |
| Deportivo Municipal | Cercado de Lima |
| Mariscal Sucre | La Victoria, Lima |
| Melgar | Arequipa |
| Octavio Espinosa | Ica |
| Sport Boys | Callao |
| Sporting Cristal | Rímac, Lima |
| Universitario | Breña, Lima |

## League table
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Universitario | 26 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 65 | 27 | +38 | 41 | 1967 Copa Libertadores |
| 2 | Sport Boys | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 19 | +24 | 35 | 1967 Copa Libertadores |
| 3 | Alianza Lima | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 58 | 34 | +24 | 33 | |
| 4 | Sporting Cristal | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 30 | |
| 5 | Centro Iqueño | 26 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31 | 27 | +4 | 30 | |
| 6 | Atlético Grau | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 36 | 32 | +4 | 29 | |
| 7 | Defensor Lima | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 28 | |
| 8 | Melgar | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 28 | 1967 Copa Perú |
| 9 | Defensor Arica | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 25 | +6 | 28 | |
| 10 | Mariscal Sucre | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 30 | 40 | −10 | 21 | |
| 11 | Deportivo Municipal | 26 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 41 | 54 | −13 | 21 | |
| 12 | Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 28 | 60 | −32 | 17 | 1967 Copa Perú |
| 13 | Octavio Espinosa | 26 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 24 | 52 | −28 | 12 | 1967 Copa Perú |
| 14 | Carlos Concha | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 29 | 79 | −50 | 11 | 1967 Segunda División |

### Results

| Home \ Away | UGA | ALI | GRA | CAR | IQU | DAR | DLI | MUN | MEL | MSU | OCT | SBA | CRI | UNI |
| Alfonso Ugarte de Chiclín | | 1–2 | — | — | — | — | 1–8 | — | 0–2 | — | — | 2–3 | — | 0–2 |
| Alianza Lima | 4–3 | | 0–0 | 7–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 6–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Atlético Grau | — | 1–0 | | — | — | — | — | — | 3–4 | — | — | 1–4 | — | 1–3 |
| Carlos Concha | — | 1–1 | — | | — | — | — | — | 3–2 | — | — | 0–4 | — | 2–3 |
| Centro Iqueño | — | 2–1 | — | — | | — | — | — | 1–0 | — | — | 1–2 | — | 1–2 |
| Defensor Arica | — | 2–3 | — | — | — | | — | — | 1–0 | — | — | 0–0 | — | 1–2 |
| Defensor Lima | 1–3 | 4–2 | — | — | — | — | | — | 0–1 | — | — | 0–1 | — | 2–1 |
| Deportivo Municipal | — | 0–8 | — | — | — | — | — | | 2–1 | — | — | 0–1 | — | 1–3 |
| Melgar | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | | 5–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 |
| Mariscal Sucre | — | 2–3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | | — | 1–1 | — | 1–1 |
| Octavio Espinosa | — | 0–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | | 1–3 | — | 0–4 |
| Sport Boys | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 1–2 | 2–0 |
| Sporting Cristal | 0–0 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4–0 | — | — | 1–1 | | 2–1 |
| Universitario | 7–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 6–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 7–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

| Player | Nationality | Goals | Club |
| Teófilo Cubillas | Peru | 19 | Alianza Lima |

### Scoring

* First goal of the season – Héctor Chumpitaz for Universitario against Mariscal Sucre (13 August 1966)