Veikkausliiga

For former Finnish top-tier league in 1930–1989, see Mestaruussarja.

Veikkausliiga (Finnish: [ˈʋei̯kːɑusˌliːɡɑ]) is a professional association football league in Finland and the highest level of the Finnish football league system. The league comprises the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name. Veikkausliiga was founded in 1990; before that the top division was called Mestaruussarja (championship series) since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional league. Between 1908 and 1930 the championship was decided as a knock-out cup competition.

Veikkausliiga (in Finnish)
Tipsligan (in Swedish)

Founded	1990; 35 years ago (1990)
Country	Finland
Confederation	UEFA
Number of clubs	12
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Ykkösliiga 1–2 (depending on qualification playoffs)
Domestic cup(s)	Finnish Cup
League cup(s)	Finnish League Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League UEFA Conference League
Current champions	KuPS (2024)
Most championships	HJK Helsinki (17)[a]
Most appearances	Toni Huttunen (441)
Top goalscorer	Valeri Popovitch (166)
Broadcaster(s)	Ruutu+, Nelonen, Jim, (Yle)[1] International: OneFootball
Website	veikkausliiga.com
Current: 2025 Veikkausliiga

Structure

During the 1990 and 1991 seasons the Veikkausliiga was played under the name "Futisliiga" (Swedish: Fotbollsligan).^[2]

As with certain other cold-climate European countries, league matches in Finland are played in summer, with a schedule usually from April to October. The format and number of teams has changed frequently. As of 2024, there are 12 teams, which first face the other teams two times in the regular season. After the regular season, the league is divided into championship round (6 teams) and relegation round (6 teams), and teams in both groups play five further matches, with points from the regular season carrying on as usual. The total amount of matches in a season is thus 27. At the end of the season, the last team is relegated to Ykkönen (from 2024 to new-created tier 2, Ykkösliiga), whose winner is promoted to Veikkausliiga, and the second last team plays a two-leg play-off versus the Ykkönen (from 2024, versus Ykkösliiga) runner-up.

In 2010 the average annual salary with fringe benefits for a league player was 24,400 euros.^[3] During the 2022 season, the highest earning league players earned just shy of €200,000.^[4] Veikkausliiga is a founding member of the European Professional Football Leagues association.^[5]

During 2019–2024, the certain Veikkausliiga Europa Play-offs were played after the season to decide the one remaining European qualifying spot for the next season. In late November 2024, it was announced the Europa Play-offs would be abolished for the 2025, and the league format would be changed. After 22 rounds (each team had played against each other twice), the last six teams will play a single relegation round, totalling 27 matches, and the six best teams continue to a double championship round, totalling 32 matches.^[6]

Management

Chairmen[7] Kari Kontuniemi (1989–1991) Matti Pelttari (1991–1996) Olli Rehn (1996–1997) Ari Lahti (1997–2001) Jussi Sarvikas (2001–2005) Hannu Rautiainen (2005–2010) Lasse Lehtinen (2010–2017) Matti Apunen (2017–2020) Kaarlo Kankkunen (2020–present)

CEOs[7] Jukka Suominen (1989–1997) Mika Eskola (1997–2000) Jan Walden (2000–2010) Timo Marjamaa (2010–present)

Television rights

Since 2015, the TV rights for Veikkausliiga have been owned by Sanoma Media Finland, and all the matches are broadcast in their online streaming service Ruutu+. Current deal is valued €3.9 million and it covers the seasons 2023–2027.^[8] Since the 2023 season, the national broadcasting company Yle shows 6–7 matches per season freely in the national television, according to contract with Nelonen Media.^[9] The international broadcasting rights are owned by OneFootball.^[10]

Previously Veikkausliiga matches have been broadcast by Yle, Nelonen, Urheilukanava, Canal+, URHOtv [fi], Kutonen and VeikkausTV, the streaming service of Veikkaus. The contract between the league and URHOtv covered the 2010–2014 seasons, but ended in April 2014 after URHOtv was shut down.

Current clubs

Veikkausliiga match between FC Jazz and TPS in Pori Stadium in 1996

Football teams FC Ilves and FC Inter in a Veikkausliiga match at old Tammela Stadium in Tampere, Finland, in August 2016.

The Veikkausliiga clubs in the 2025 season are presented in the table below. Number of seasons includes seasons played in Veikkausliiga and preceding Mestaruussarja and seasons of predecessor teams after season 2023. In the case of mergers, the seasons of the predecessor with the most seasons are counted.

Club	City	Stadium	Capacity	2024 position	Number of seasons*
AC Oulu	Oulu	Raatti Stadium	4,392	9th	6
FC Haka	Valkeakoski	Tehtaan kenttä	3,200	6th	67
FC Inter Turku	Turku	Veritas Stadion	9,372	7th	28
FF Jaro	Jakobstad	Jakobstads Centralplan	5,000	Promoted from Ykkösliiga	23
HJK	Helsinki	Bolt Arena	10,770	3rd	86
IF Gnistan	Helsinki	Mustapekka Areena	2,200	8th	1
IFK Mariehamn	Mariehamn	Wiklöf Holding Arena	1,650	10th	20
Ilves	Tampere	Tammelan Stadion	8,000	2nd	43
KTP	Kotka	Arto Tolsa Areena	4,780	Promoted from Ykkösliiga	5
KuPS	Kuopio	Väre Areena	5,000	1st, Champions	68
SJK	Seinäjoki	OmaSP Stadion	5,817	4th	14
VPS	Vaasa	Lemonsoft Stadion	4,660	5th	60

Former clubs

Former logo of Veikkausliiga

Club	Home town	Seasons
AC Allianssi	Vantaa	2002–2005
Atlantis FC	Helsinki	2001
Ekenäs IF	Raseborg	2024
FC Honka	Espoo	2006–2014, 2018-2023
FC Hämeenlinna	Hämeenlinna	2002–2004
FC Jazz1	Pori	1991–2004
FC Jokerit	Helsinki	1999–2001, 2003
FC KooTeePee	Kotka	2003–2008
FC Kuusysi2	Lahti	1990–1995
FC Lahti	Lahti	1999–2010, 2012–2024
FC Oulu	Oulu	1992, 1994
FC Viikingit	Helsinki	2007
FF Jaro	Pietarsaari	1991–1998, 2002–2015, 2025
FinnPa	Helsinki	1993–1998
HIFK	Helsinki	2015-2017, 2019-2022
JJK	Jyväskylä	2009–2013, 2017
KPV	Kokkola	1990, 2019
KTP	Kotka	1999–2000, 2015, 2021, 2023, 2025
Kumu	Kuusankoski	1990
MP	Mikkeli	1990–1996
MyPa	Kouvola	1992–2014
OTP	Oulu	1990–1991
PK-35	Helsinki	1998
PK-35 Vantaa	Vantaa	2016
Ponnistus	Helsinki	1995
Reipas2	Lahti	1990–1991
RoPS	Rovaniemi	1990-2001, 2004-2005, 2008-2009, 2011, 2013-2020
TPV	Tampere	1993–1995, 1999
Tampere United3	Tampere	2000–2010
TPS	Turku	1990-2000, 2003-2014, 2018, 2020
TP-Seinäjoki	Seinäjoki	1997
TP-47	Tornio	2004–2005

^{1) FC Jazz was formerly known as PPT (Porin Pallotoverit).
2) Kuusysi and Reipas merged their professional teams in 1996 to form FC Lahti. Kuusysi returned to Kakkonen in 2011 under the name Lahti Akatemia, while Reipas returned to Kolmonen one year later.
3) Tampere United was formed in 1998 after it inherited the place of FC Ilves. Tampere United was dissolved in 2011 and Ilves, which in the meantime had bought the place of KooVee in second division, got promoted back to the highest league in 2015.}

Veikkausliiga 1990–present

Veikkausliiga match at Bolt Arena in 2017

Main article: List of Finnish football champions

Season	Winner	Runners-up	Third place
1990	HJK	Kuusysi	MP
1991	Kuusysi	MP	FC Haka
1992	HJK	Kuusysi	FC Jazz
1993	FC Jazz	MyPa	HJK
1994	TPV	MyPa	HJK
1995	FC Haka	MyPa	HJK
1996	FC Jazz	MyPa	TPS
1997	HJK	VPS	FinnPa
1998	FC Haka	VPS	PK-35
1999	FC Haka	HJK	MyPa
2000	FC Haka	FC Jokerit	MyPa
2001	TamU	HJK	MyPa
2002	HJK	MyPa	FC Haka
2003	HJK	FC Haka	TamU
2004	FC Haka	AC Allianssi	TamU
2005	MyPa	HJK	TamU
2006	TamU	HJK	FC Haka
2007	TamU	FC Haka	TPS
2008	FC Inter	FC Honka	FC Lahti
2009	HJK	FC Honka	TPS
2010	HJK	KuPS	TPS
2011	HJK	FC Inter	JJK
2012	HJK	FC Inter	TPS
2013	HJK	FC Honka	VPS
2014	HJK	SJK	FC Lahti
2015	SJK	RoPS	HJK
2016	IFK Mariehamn	HJK	SJK
2017	HJK	KuPS	Ilves
2018	HJK	RoPS	KuPS
2019	KuPS	FC Inter	FC Honka
2020	HJK	FC Inter	KuPS
2021	HJK	KuPS	SJK
2022	HJK	KuPS	FC Honka
2023	HJK	KuPS	VPS
2024	KuPS	Ilves	HJK

Performance

Performance by club

The following clubs have won:

Finnish Championship Cup Competition (1908–1929)
Mestaruussarja (1930–1989)
Veikkausliiga (1990–present)

29 clubs have been Champions.

Club	Titles	Runners-up	Winning Years
HJK	33	14	1911, 1912, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1923, 1925, 1936, 1938, 1964, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
FC Haka	9	7	1960, 1962, 1965, 1977, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
HPS	9	6	1921, 1922, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1957
TPS	8	12	1928, 1939, 1941, 1949, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975
KuPS	7	12	1956, 1958, 1966, 1974, 1976, 2019, 2024
HIFK	7	7	1930, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1947, 1959, 1961
FC Kuusysi	5	4	1982, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991
Kiffen	4	–	1913, 1915, 1916, 1955
ÅIFK	3	5	1910, 1920, 1924
Reipas Lahti	3	3	1963, 1967, 1970
VIFK	3	2	1944, 1946, 1953
Tampere United	3	–	2001, 2006, 2007
VPS	2	5	1945, 1948
KTP	2	–	1951, 1952
OPS	2	–	1979, 1980
FC Jazz	2	–	1993, 1996
MyPa	1	5	2005
FC Inter Turku	1	4	2008
FC Ilves	1	2	1983
SJK	1	1	2015
PUS	1	1	1909
Sudet Vyborg	1	1	1940
KPV	1	1	1969
Unitas	1	–	1908
HT	1	–	1942
Ilves-Kissat	1	–	1950
Pyrkivä Turku	1	–	1954
TPV	1	–	1994
IFK Mariehamn	1	–	2016

Top scorers

Season	Player	Club	Goals
1990	Marek Czakon	Ilves	16
1991	Kimmo Tarkkio	FC Haka	23
1992	Luiz Antônio Moraes	FC Jazz	21
1993	Antti Sumiala	FC Jazz	20
1994	Dionísio	TPV	17
1995	Valeri Popovitch	FC Haka	21
1996	Luiz Antônio Moraes	FC Jazz	17
1997	Rafael	HJK	11
1998	Matti Hiukka	RoPS	11
1999	Valeri Popovitch	FC Haka	23
2000	Shefki Kuqi	FC Jokerit	19
2001	Paulus Roiha	HJK	22
2002	Mika Kottila	HJK	18
2003	Saku Puhakainen	MyPa	14
2004	Antti Pohja	TamU	16
2005	Juho Mäkelä	HJK	16
2006	Hermanni Vuorinen	FC Honka	16
2007	Rafael	FC Lahti	14
2008	Aleksandr Kokko	FC Honka	13
	Henri Myntti	TamU
2009	Hermanni Vuorinen	FC Honka	16
2010	Juho Mäkelä	HJK	16
2011	Timo Furuholm	FC Inter Turku	22
2012	Irakli Sirbiladze	FC Inter Turku	17
2013	Tim Väyrynen	FC Honka	17
2014	Jonas Emet	FF Jaro	14
	Luis Solignac	IFK Mariehamn
2015	Aleksandr Kokko	RoPS	17
2016	Roope Riski	SJK	17
2017	Aleksei Kangaskolkka	IFK Mariehamn	16
2018	Klauss	HJK	21
2019	Filip Valenčič	FC Inter	16
2020	Roope Riski	HJK	16
2021	Benjamin Källman	FC Inter	14
	Ariel Ngueukam	SJK
2022	Lee Erwin	FC Haka	20
2023	Bojan Radulović	HJK	18
2024	Ashley Coffey	AC Oulu	12
	Jaime Moreno	SJK

Individual all-time records

  Players still active are highlighted

Most matches played Player Time Matches Toni Huttunen 1992–2009 441 Mikko Hauhia 2003–2019 416 Ari Nyman 2000–2018 406 Valeri Popovitch 1993–2009 395 Saku Puhakainen 1995–2009 382 Tommi Kautonen 1990–2006 376 Juuso Kangaskorpi 1993–2008 373 Tuomas Aho 1999–2017 371 Alexei Eremenko 1991–2005 360 Aarno Turpeinen 1990–2004 358 Rafael 1997–2016 358 Henri Lehtonen 2000–2017 358 Vesa Rantanen 1991–2004 354 Tero Taipale 1997–2014 352 Rami Nieminen 1991–2004 347 Aleksi Paananen 2010–present 341 Magnus Bahne 1998–2015 326 Last updated: 4 January 2025. Source: Veikkausliiga.com.

Most goals scored Player Time Goals Matches Average Valeri Popovitch 1993–2009 166 395 0.42 Rafael 1997–2016 136 358 0.38 Saku Puhakainen 1995–2009 114 382 0.30 Juho Mäkelä 2003–2018 111 288 0.39 Luiz Antônio 1992–2003 94 196 0.48 Antti Pohja 1994–2009 87 302 0.29 Timo Furuholm 2003–2021 85 230 0.37 Jari Vanhala 1991–1999 85 236 0.36 Ismo Lius 1991–1999 84 176 0.48 Roope Riski 2010–present 82 190 0.43 Akseli Pelvas 2007–2020 80 233 0.34 Demba Savage 2008–2021 80 280 0.29 Kimmo Tarkkio 1990–1999 79 178 0.44 Ariel Ngueukam 2012–2023 77 249 0.31 Juha Karvinen 1990–2000 77 255 0.30 Ilja Venäläinen 2001–2013 76 304 0.25 Aleksei Kangaskolkka 2004–2018 76 246 0.31 Last updated: 4 January 2025. Source: Veikkausliiga.com.

Referees

The referee committee of Football Association of Finland named ten referees available primarily for Veikkausliiga matches for the 2024 season (Category 1).^[11] Currently there are four FIFA-certified international referees in Veikkausliiga.^[12] Additionally, there are some other referees, certified by Finnish FA, available for Veikkausliiga matches (Category 2).^[13]

As of 2024, there has not been a female referee named in the Veikkausliiga match. On 8 July 2023, Heini Hyvönen made history as she was the first female assistant referee in the league, in a match between HJK – FC Lahti.^[14]

Antti Munukka has the most refereed Veikkausliiga matches^[15]

FIFA certified referees

• Mohammad Al-Emara
• Joni Hyytiä
• Oliver Reitala
• Peiman Simani

Referee statistics

After the 2023 season.

	Referee	Seasons	Matches
1.	Antti Munukka	2007–present	286
2.	Petteri Kari	1997–2016	284
3.	Mattias Gestranius	2006–2022	244
4.	Dennis Antamo	2010–present	241
5.	Mikko Vuorela	1994–2008	220
6.	Jouni Hyytiä	1996–2012	237
7.	Ville Nevalainen	2011–present	215
8.	Tony Asumaa	1998–2012	188
9.	Jari Järvinen	2010–2022	208
10.	Tero Nieminen	2003–2015	169

Notes

1. HJK has 33 total championships, but only 17 of them are during the Veikkausliiga era

See also

• Football Association of Finland
• List of foreign Veikkausliiga players