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Persian Gulf Pro League

Persian Gulf Pro League
لیگ برتر خلیج فارس
Persian Gulf Pro League Logo.png
Country Iran
Confederation AFC
Founded 1970 officially
2001 with current format
Divisions 1
Number of teams 16
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Azadegan League
Domestic cup(s) Hazfi Cup
Iranian Super Cup
International cup(s) AFC Champions League
Current champions Esteghlal Khuzestan (1st title)
Most championships Persepolis (9 titles)
TV partners IRIB TV3, Jame Jam 1,
Varzesh, Shoma, Local state channels
Website Iranleague.ir,
2016–17 Persian Gulf Pro League

The Persian Gulf Pro League (Persian: لیگ برتر خلیج فارس‎‎) formerly known as Iran Pro League (IPL) (Persian: لیگ برتر فوتبال ایران‎‎), is a professional football league competition for clubs located at the highest level of the Iranian football league system. It was founded in 1970 as the Takht Jamshid Cup, but the current format was adopted in 2001. Contested by 16 teams, it is ranked by the Asian Football Confederation as the 2nd best league in Asia and the best league in Western Asia.

The Persian Gulf Pro League is the top tier of an extensive pyramid-like structure, above the Azadegan League (or 1st Division), the 2nd division, the 3rd Division and the lower local leagues. Since the league's creation in 2001, seven different teams have become league champions. Perspolis is the most successful club with five trophies.

Before the 1970s, Iran did not have an official national league and most teams competed in their local leagues, the most popular being the Tehran Local League which featured teams like Pas Tehran, Persepolis, and Taj.

In 1970, the Local League was created. The league included teams from all Iran in different qualifying tournaments.

In 1972, the Takht Jamshid Cup was created as the national league and included teams from all over the country. Pas Tehran and Persepolis were the most successful clubs in the cup's five-year existence, each club winning the cup twice. In 1978, the league was abandoned because of the Iranian Revolution.


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