The Besta deild karla () is a professional association football league in Iceland and the highest level of the Icelandic football league system. The competition was founded in 1912 as the Icelandic Championship. Because of the harsh winters in Iceland, it is generally played in the spring and summer (April to September). It is governed by the Football Association of Iceland (KSÍ) and has 12 teams. By the end of the 2022–23 season, UEFA coefficient, UEFA ranked the league No. 48 in Europe. From 27 April 2009 to 2022, the league had an active agreement on the league's name rights with Ölgerðin, the Icelandic franchisee for Pepsi. From the 2019 season to the end of the 2021 season, the league was popularly referred to as Pepsi Max deildin (The Pepsi Max League). On 24 February 2022, the league was rebranded as Besta deild karla. The clubs play each other home and away. At the end of each season, the two teams with the fewest points are relegated to 1. deild karla (football), 1. deild karla (First Division), from which two top point teams promote to the higher tier. The winner of the league enters the European national competition UEFA Champions League in the second qualifying round. The second, third and fourth placed teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League in the first qualifying round. An effort by KSÍ to strengthen Icelandic football had only one team relegated in the 2007 season to the First Division and three clubs promoted to the premier division, bringing the top flight to the number of clubs it contains currently. Championship title counts are: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR with 27, Valur men's football, Valur with 23, and Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA and Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram Reykjavík each with 18. FH men's football, FH has 8 and Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur has 7. The 2024 title holder is Breiðablik.

Current clubs (2025)

Source:

History

Championship history

The Icelandic league title has been won in its over 100 years existence by 11 teams. Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR has the most titles, with 27. Stjarnan are the latest team to join the list, winning their first title in 2014. The league has been dominated by teams from the Capital Region (Iceland), Capital Region which contains nearly two thirds of population of Iceland, Iceland's population. Only four teams from outside that region have ever won the league: Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík, Keflavík, Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA, ÍBV men's football, ÍBV, and Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar, KA. ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar) and KA (Akureyri) have won four titles between them; these are the clubs farthest from the capital. Single Round * 1912 Úrvalsdeild, 1912: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1913: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík)* * 1914: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík)* * 1915 Úrvalsdeild, 1915: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1916 Úrvalsdeild, 1916: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1917 Úrvalsdeild, 1917: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1918 Úrvalsdeild, 1918: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1919 Úrvalsdeild, 1919: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1920 Úrvalsdeild, 1920: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 1921 Úrvalsdeild, 1921: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1922 Úrvalsdeild, 1922: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1923 Úrvalsdeild, 1923: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1924 Úrvalsdeild, 1924: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 1925 Úrvalsdeild, 1925: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1926 Úrvalsdeild, 1926: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1927 Úrvalsdeild, 1927: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1928 Úrvalsdeild, 1928: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1929 Úrvalsdeild, 1929: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1930 Úrvalsdeild, 1930: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1931 Úrvalsdeild, 1931: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1932 Úrvalsdeild, 1932: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1933 Úrvalsdeild, 1933: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1934 Úrvalsdeild, 1934: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1935 Úrvalsdeild, 1935: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1936 Úrvalsdeild, 1936: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1937 Úrvalsdeild, 1937: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1938 Úrvalsdeild, 1938: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1939 Úrvalsdeild, 1939: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1940 Úrvalsdeild, 1940: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1941 Úrvalsdeild, 1941: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1942 Úrvalsdeild, 1942: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1943 Úrvalsdeild, 1943: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1944 Úrvalsdeild, 1944: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1945 Úrvalsdeild, 1945: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1946 Úrvalsdeild, 1946: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1947 Úrvalsdeild, 1947: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1948 Úrvalsdeild, 1948: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1949 Úrvalsdeild, 1949: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1950 Úrvalsdeild, 1950: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1951 Úrvalsdeild, 1951: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1952 Úrvalsdeild, 1952: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1953 Úrvalsdeild, 1953: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1954 Úrvalsdeild, 1954: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1955 Úrvalsdeild, 1955: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1956 Úrvalsdeild, 1956: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1957 Úrvalsdeild, 1957: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1958 Úrvalsdeild, 1958: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) Double Round * 1959 Úrvalsdeild, 1959: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1960 Úrvalsdeild, 1960: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1961 Úrvalsdeild, 1961: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1962 Úrvalsdeild, 1962: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1963 Úrvalsdeild, 1963: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1964 Úrvalsdeild, 1964: Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík, Keflavík (Keflavík) * 1965 Úrvalsdeild, 1965: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1966 Úrvalsdeild, 1966: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1967 Úrvalsdeild, 1967: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1968 Úrvalsdeild, 1968: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 1969 Úrvalsdeild, 1969: Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík, Keflavík (Keflavík) * 1970 Úrvalsdeild, 1970: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1971 Úrvalsdeild, 1971: Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík, Keflavík (Keflavík) * 1972 Úrvalsdeild, 1972: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1973 Úrvalsdeild, 1973: Knattspyrnudeild Keflavík, Keflavík (Keflavík) * 1974 Úrvalsdeild, 1974: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1975 Úrvalsdeild, 1975: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1976 Úrvalsdeild, 1976: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1977 Úrvalsdeild, 1977: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1978 Úrvalsdeild, 1978: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1979 Úrvalsdeild, 1979: ÍBV men's football, ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar) * 1980 Úrvalsdeild, 1980: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1981 Úrvalsdeild, 1981: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 1982 Úrvalsdeild, 1982: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 1983 Úrvalsdeild, 1983: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1984 Úrvalsdeild, 1984: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1985 Úrvalsdeild, 1985: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1986 Úrvalsdeild, 1986: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1987 Úrvalsdeild, 1987: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 1988 Úrvalsdeild, 1988: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1989 Úrvalsdeild, 1989: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar, KA (Akureyri) * 1990 Úrvalsdeild, 1990: Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram (Reykjavík) * 1991 Úrvalsdeild, 1991: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 1992 Úrvalsdeild, 1992: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1993 Úrvalsdeild, 1993: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1994 Úrvalsdeild, 1994: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1995 Úrvalsdeild, 1995: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1996 Úrvalsdeild, 1996: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 1997 Úrvalsdeild, 1997: ÍBV men's football, ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar) * 1998 Úrvalsdeild, 1998: ÍBV men's football, ÍBV (Vestmannaeyjar) * 1999 Úrvalsdeild, 1999: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2000 Úrvalsdeild, 2000: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2001 Úrvalsdeild, 2001: Íþróttabandalag Akraness, ÍA (Akranes) * 2002 Úrvalsdeild, 2002: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2003 Úrvalsdeild, 2003: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2004 Úrvalsdeild, 2004: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2005 Úrvalsdeild, 2005: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2006 Úrvalsdeild, 2006: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2007 Úrvalsdeild, 2007: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 2008 Úrvalsdeild, 2008: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2009 Úrvalsdeild, 2009: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2010 Úrvalsdeild, 2010: Breiðablik men's football, Breiðablik (Kópavogur) * 2011 Úrvalsdeild, 2011: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2012 Úrvalsdeild, 2012: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2013 Úrvalsdeild, 2013: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2014 Úrvalsdeild, 2014: Stjarnan men's football, Stjarnan (Garðabær) * 2015 Úrvalsdeild, 2015: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2016 Úrvalsdeild, 2016: FH men's football, FH (Hafnarfjörður) * 2017 Úrvalsdeild, 2017: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 2018 Úrvalsdeild, 2018: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík) * 2019 Úrvalsdeild, 2019: Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, KR (Reykjavík) * 2020 Úrvalsdeild, 2020: Valur men's football, Valur (Reykjavík)** * 2021 Úrvalsdeild, 2021: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 2022 Besta deild karla, 2022: Breiðablik men's football, Breiðablik (Kópavogur) * 2023 Besta deild karla, 2023: Knattspyrnufélagið Víkingur, Víkingur (Reykjavík) * 2024 Besta deild karla, 2024: Breiðablik men's football, Breiðablik (Kópavogur) * There was no competition in 1913 and 1914, and Knattspyrnufélagið Fram, Fram was awarded the title.
** In 2020 the competition was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Valur men's football, Valur was awarded the title because they were at the top of the table when the season ended.

Champions by number of titles

Clubs in bold are currently playing in the top-tier.

Season by season records

All-time top scorers

Top scorers

Player of the Year

Young Player of the Year

''Caps correct as of 8 October 2023''

Total seasons in Besta deild by club

A total of 31 teams have played at least one season in the top division. Teams in bold play in 2024 season. ''Seasons counted up to and including the 2024 season'' ¹ ÍB Akureyri, ÍBA stood for "Sports Association of Akureyri", composed of Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar, KA and Þór Akureyri, Þór. Disbanded after the 1974 season with KA and Þór fielding their own teams starting from the 1975 season.
² Íþróttabandalag Hafnarfjarðar, ÍBH stood for "Sports Association of Hafnarfjörður", composed of FH men's football, FH and Haukar. Disbanded after the 1963 season with FH and Haukar fielding their own teams starting from the 1964 season.
³ Íþróttabandalag Ísafjarðar, ÍBÍ ran into financial trouble and folded after the 1987 season. Most of the players transferred to BÍ which took over as the main football club in Ísafjörður. BÍ is now known as Vestri (football club), Vestri.
⁴ Leiftur ran into financial trouble and eventually merged with KS from Siglufjörður before the 2006 season. The teams were disbanded before the 2010 season in favour of forming a new football club for both towns, the new club being called Knattspyrnufélag Fjallabyggðar, KF.

References

External links

*
League321.com
– Icelandic football league tables, records & statistics database.

at the RSSSF
IcelandFootball.net
– list of first level champions
SOCCERWAY
– Úrvalsdeild summary {{DEFAULTSORT:Urvalsdeild Úrvalsdeild karla (football), Football leagues in Iceland, 1 Top-level football leagues in Europe, Iceland Summer association football leagues 1912 establishments in Iceland Sports leagues established in 1912 Professional sports leagues in Iceland