V.League 1
| Country | Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | V.League 2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Vietnamese Cup |
| International cup(s) |
AFC Champions League AFC Cup Mekong Club Championship |
| Current champions |
Hà Nội T&T (2016) |
| Most championships | Thể Công (5 titles) |
| TV partners | VTV, VTC, VTVCab, K+, HTV |
| Website | http://www.vnleague.com |
 2017 V.League 1
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V.League 1 (Vietnamese: Giải Bóng đá Vô địch Quốc gia Việt Nam), sometimes called Toyota V.League 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football league in Vietnam controlled by the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company. It is contested by 14 clubs who play each other on a home and away basis. The team finishing at the top at the end of the season is crowned the champion and enters the AFC Champions League.
The league was founded in 1980 as the All Vietnam Football Championship, with Tổng Cục Đường Sắt emerging as the first winner. Thể Công is the most successful club in the league's history, having won the title five times. The league turned professional in the 2000–2001 season, which allowed clubs to hire foreign players. Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) was established in 2012, and the organizing power was transferred from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to VPF.
The V-League 1, as it is known today, dates back to 1980 when the first semi-professional league was launched (then known as the All Vietnam Football Championship). Seventeen clubs participated in the competition which was split into three groups and conducted more like a cup competition, with the winner from each group qualifying for the Championship Stage. Công An Hà Nội, Tổng Cục Đường Sắt and Hải Quan were the three teams to qualify, with Tổng Cục Đường Sắt ultimately taking the title. That format, although the teams were split into two groups, continued until 1995 when the league reverted to a more traditional league format.
League football in Vietnam would turn professional in the 2000–2001 season, which saw the league change its name to its current moniker, V-League 1. In that inaugural V-League 1 season there were only ten clubs, with tighter restrictions meaning fewer teams. Over the next decade the league grew from 10 teams to the current fourteen, with the team that finishes on top of the table qualifying for the AFC Champions League. Clubs were allowed to hire foreign players from this season on.
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