Úrvalsdeild karla (football)


The Úrvalsdeild karla is the paramount men's football league in Iceland. It has been played since 1912. Because of the harsh winters in Iceland, it is generally played in the spring and summer. It is governed by the Football Association of Iceland and has 12 teams. By end of season 2015–2016, UEFA ranked the league No. 35 in Europe. From 27 April 2009, the league has had an active agreement on the league's name rights with Ölgerðin, the Icelandic franchisee for Pepsi. From the 2019 season onwards, the league is popularly referred to as Pepsi Max deildin.
The league has 12 clubs that play an at home and an away match with each other. Point tallies at each season end determine promotion and relegation: the two teams with the fewest points are relegated to 1. deild karla and the two top point teams promote to the higher tier. The winner of the Úrvalsdeild enters the international 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.
In the 2008 season, 12 teams competed in the premier division. An effort by KSI to strengthen Icelandic football had only one team relegated in the 2007 season to the First Division and three clubs promoted to premier division.
Championship title counts are: KR with 27, Valur with 22, and ÍA and Fram Reykjavík each with 18. FH has 8 and Víkingur has 5. The 2019 title holder is KR.

Current clubs (2020)

Source:

History

Championship history

The Icelandic league title has been won in its over 100 years existence by 11 teams. KR has the most titles, with 27. Stjarnan Garðabær are the last team to join the league, winning their first title in 2014.
The league has been dominated by teams from the Capital Region which contains nearly two thirds of Iceland's population. Only four teams from outside the GRA have ever won the league:. ÍBV and KA have won four titles amongst themselves, are located more than an hour's drive from Reykjavík, and the teams of the longest distance from the capital to title.
Single Round
Double Round
*There was no competition in 1913 and 1914, and Fram Reykjavík was awarded the title.

Champions by number of titles

TeamTitlesFirst titleLast title
KR2719122019
Valur2219302018
ÍA1819512001
Fram1819131990
FH820042016
Víkingur519201991
Keflavík419641973
ÍBV319791998
KA119891989
Breiðablik120102010
Stjarnan120142014

Season by season records

All-time top scorers

Top scorers

Player of the Year

Young Player of the Year

Caps correct as of 20 January 2020
SeasonPlayerClubInternational capsInternational goals
1984 Guðni BergssonValur801
1985 Halldór ÁskelssonÞór Akureyri244
1986 Gauti LaxdalFram00
1987 Rúnar KristinssonKR1043
1988 Arnljótur DavíðssonFram30
1989 Ólafur GottskálkssonÍA90
1990 Steinar GuðgeirssonFram10
1991 Arnar GrétarssonBreiðablik712
1992 Arnar GunnlaugssonÍA323
1993 Þórður GuðjónssonÍA5813
1994 Eiður GuðjohnsenValur8826
1995 Tryggvi GuðmundssonÍBV4212
1996 Bjarni GuðjónssonÍA231
1997 Sigurvin ÓlafssonÍBV70
1998 Ólafur Þór GunnarssonÍR10
1999 Grétar HjartarsonGrindavík10
2000 Helgi Valur DaníelssonFylkir330
2001 Grétar Rafn SteinssonÍA464
2002 Gunnar Heiðar ÞorvaldssonÍBV245
2003 Ólafur Ingi SkúlasonFylkir361
2004 Emil HallfreðssonFH711
2005 Hörður SveinssonKeflavik00
2006 Birkir SævarssonValur921
2007 Matthías VilhjálmssonFH152
2008 Jóhann Berg GuðmundssonBreiðablik757
2009 Alfreð FinnbogasonBreiðablik5716
2010 Kristinn SteindórssonBreiðablik32
2011 Þórarinn Ingi ValdimarssonÍBV40
2012 Jón Daði BöðvarssonSelfoss483
2013 Arnór Ingvi TraustasonKeflavík335
2014 Elías Már ÓmarssonKeflavík90
2015 Höskuldur GunnlaugssonBreiðablik10
2016 Óttar Magnús KarlssonVíkingur R.92
2017 Alex Þór HaukssonStjarnan30
2018 Willum Þór WillumssonBreiðablik10
2019 Finnur Tómas PálmasonKR00

Total seasons in Úrvalsdeild by club

Seasons counted up to and including the 2020 season
ClubLocationFirst season in
Úrvalsdeild		Last season in
in
Úrvalsdeild		Seasons
in
Úrvalsdeild		Best result in
Úrvalsdeild		Úrvalsdeild
titles		First
Úrvalsdeild
title		Last
Úrvalsdeild
title
BreiðablikKópavogur19712020351st120102010
FHHafnarfjörður19752020361st820042016
FjölnirReykjavík 2008202084th0--
FramReykjavík 19122014981st1819131990
FylkirReykjavík 19892020232nd0--
GrindavíkGrindavík19952019203rd0--
GróttaSeltjarnarnes202020201-0--
HaukarHafnarfjörður19792010210th0--
HKKópavogur2007202049th0--
ÍAAkranes19462020671st1819512001
ÍBAAkureyri19291974203rd0--
ÍBHHafnarfjörður1957196134th0--
ÍBÍÍsafjörður1962198336th0--
ÍBVVestmannaeyjar19122019511st319791998
ÍRReykjavík 19981998110th0--
KAAkureyri19782020181st119891989
KeflavíkReykjanesbær 19582018521st319641973
KRReykjavík 191220201061st2719122019
LeifturÓlafsfjörður1988200073rd0--
LeiknirReykjavík 20152015111th0--
SelfossSelfoss20102012211th0--
SkallagrímurBorgarnes1997199719th0--
StjarnanGarðabær19902020181st120142014
ValurReykjavík 191520201001st2219302018
VíðirGarður1985199147th0--
VíkingurÓlafsvík20132017310th0--
VíkingurReykjavík
19182020691st519201991
VölsungurHúsavík1987198828th0--
ÞórAkureyri19772014173rd0--
ÞrótturReykjavík 19532016195th0--