The Faroe Islands Premier League (also known as Meistaradeildin) is the top level of football in the Faroe Islands. It was founded in 1942 as Meistaradeildin, and has been played in its current format since 2005, when the Premier League replaced 1. deild as the country's top football division. The league is organised by the Faroe Islands Football Association.

It is contested by 10 clubs. At the end of every season, two teams are relegated and two promoted from 1. deild.

At the end of the 2025/26 European season, the Faroe Islands Premier League was ranked 40th out of 55 leagues in the UEFA coefficient.

History The league was founded in 1942, although clubs did not take part in European competitions until 1992, because the Faroe Islands Football Association joined UEFA only in 1990. From 1942 to 1946, the competition was played in a knockout format, and from 1947 onwards in a league format.

Before the creation of the Faroe Islands Football Association in 1979, the league was organized by the Faroe Islands Sports Association. The only time a season was not played was during the British occupation in 1944, when a lack of footballs caused the season to be cancelled.

The league has been known by several names; from its foundation in 1942 until 1975, it was known as Meistaradeildin. It changed its name to 1. deild in 1976 and introduced promotion and relegation system. Since 2005 the league has had different sponsored names, being called Formuladeildin from 2005 to 2008, Vodafonedeildin from 2009 to 2012, Effodeildin from 2012 to 2017, Betri deildin menn from 2018 to 2025, and since 2026 Meistaradeildin menn.

Competition format The league is contested by 10 teams, who play each other three times. A draw is made before the elaboration of the next season's fixtures to decide which teams will have an additional home game. Formerly this was decided based on clubs' performance in the previous season.

Promotion and relegation At the end of the season, two teams are relegated and two are promoted to and from 1. deild. Like in Spain, the teams are allowed to put their B and C teams in the lower divisions, and there will only be relegation if at least one non-reserve team finishes in the 1. deild top three.

The league used a promotion-relegation playoff between the 9th placed team and the 2nd placed team in 1. deild from 1995 to 2005.

European qualification For the 2026/27 season the Faroese champion qualifies for the UEFA Champions League 1st qualifying round, while the second and third placed teams enter the UEFA Europa Conference League at the first qualifying round. An additional berth in the Europa Conference League first qualifying round is granted to the Faroe Islands Cup winners. If the winners of that competition have already qualified for a European competition, the berth is given to the fourth placed team in the league. Since the introduction of the Europa Conference League, teams from the Faroe Islands can only qualify directly to the UEFA Europa League by winning the Europa Conference League.

Current teams

ClubPositionin 2024City07 Vestur 6th SørvágurB36 5th TórshavnB68 8th ToftirEB/Streymur 7th StreymnesFC Suðuroy 1st (promoted) VágurHB 3rd TórshavnKÍ 2nd KlaksvíkNSÍ 4th RunavíkTB 2nd (promoted) TvøroyriVikingur 1st Norðragøta

List of seasons Bold indicates teams who also won the Faroe Islands Cup that season, an achievement known as the double.

SeasonChampionRunner-upTop scorer (club)Goals1942KÍTB not available1943TBMB1944No tournament due to lack of footballs during the British occupation of the Faroe Islands.1945KÍ (2)SÍnot available1946B36VB1947SÍKÍ1948B36 (2)HB1949TB (2)HB1950B36 (3)TB1951TB (3)KÍ1952KÍ (3)TB1953KÍ (4)HB1954KÍ (5)HB1955HBTB1956KÍ (6)TB1957KÍ (7)VB1958KÍ (8)HB1959B36 (4)KÍ1960HB (2)B361961KÍ (9)B361962B36 (5)KÍ1963HB (3)KÍ1964HB (4)B361965HB (5)B361966KÍ (10)HB1967KÍ (11)HB1968KÍ (12)B361969KÍ (13)HB1970KÍ (14)HB1971HB (6)KÍ Heri Nolsøe (HB)201972KÍ (15)HB Heri Nolsøe (HB)161973HB (7)KÍ John Eysturoy (HB)131974HB (8)KÍ Johan Johannesen (HB)101975HB (9)KÍ Johan Johannesen (HB)81976TB (4)HB Heri Nolsøe (HB)141977TB (5)HB Dave R. Jones (ÍF)121978HB (10)TB Ásmund Nolsøe (TB)91979ÍFTB Meinhardt Dalbú (ÍF)171980TB (6)HB Sveinbjørn Danielsson (TB)151981HB (11)TB Suni Jacobsen (HB)121982HB (12)TB Henrik Thomsen (TB)71983GÍHB Petur Hans Hansen (B68)101984B68TB Aksel Højgaard (B68) Erling Jacobsen (HB)101985B68 (2)HB Símun Petur Justinussen (GÍ)101986GÍ (2)HB Jesper Wiemer (B68)131987TB (7)HB Símun Petur Justinussen (GÍ) Egill Steinþórsson (TB)101988HB (13)B68 Jógvan Petersen (B68)91989B71HB Egill Steinþórsson (VB)161990HB (14)B36 Jón Pauli Olsen (VB)101991KÍ (16)B36 Símun Petur Justinussen (GÍ)151992B68 (3)GÍ Símun Petur Justinussen (GÍ)141993GÍ (3)HB Uni Arge (HB)111994GÍ (4)HB John Petersen (GÍ)211995GÍ (5)HB Súni Fríði Johannesen (B68)241996GÍ (6)KÍ Kurt Mørkøre (KÍ)201997B36 (6)HB Uni Arge (HB)241998HB (15)KÍ Jákup á Borg (B36)201999KÍ (17)GÍ Jákup á Borg (B36)172000VBHB Súni Fríði Johannesen (B68)162001B36 (7)GÍ Helgi Petersen (GÍ)192002HB (16)NSÍ Andrew av Fløtum (HB)182003HB (17)B36 Hjalgrím Elttør (KÍ)132004HB (18)B36 Sonni Petersen (EB/Streymur)132005B36 (8)Skála Christian Høgni Jacobsen (NSÍ)182006HB (19)EB/Streymur Christian Høgni Jacobsen (NSÍ)182007NSÍEB/Streymur Amed Davy Sylla (B36)182008EB/StreymurHB Arnbjørn Hansen (EB/Streymur)202009HB (20)EB/Streymur Finnur Justinussen (Víkingur)192010HB (21)EB/Streymur Arnbjørn Hansen (EB/Streymur) Christian Høgni Jacobsen (NSÍ)222011B36 (9)EB/Streymur Finnur Justinussen (Víkingur)212012EB/Streymur (2)ÍF Clayton Soares (ÍF) Páll Klettskarð (KÍ)222013HB (22)ÍF Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)212014B36 (10)HB Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)222015B36 (11)NSÍ Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)212016VíkingurKÍ Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)232017Víkingur (2)KÍ Adeshina Lawal (Víkingur)172018HB (23)NSÍ Adrian Justinussen (HB)202019KÍ (18)B36 Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)262020HB (24)NSÍ Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ) Uroš Stojanov (ÍF)172021KÍ (19)HB Mikkel Dahl (HB)272022KÍ (20)Víkingur Sølvi Vatnhamar (Víkingur)202023KÍ (21)Víkingur Sølvi Vatnhamar (Víkingur)212024Víkingur (3)KÍ Páll Klettskarð (KÍ)232025KÍ (22)HB Klæmint Olsen (NSÍ)26

Performance by club

ClubLocationTitlesRunners-upHBTórshavn2427KÍKlaksvík2214B36Tórshavn1110TBTvøroyri710GÍNorðragøta63VíkingurNorðragøta / Leirvík32B68Toftir31EB/StreymurEiði / Streymnes25NSÍRunavík14VBVágur12ÍFFuglafjørður12SÍSørvágur11B71Sandur10MBMiðvágur01SkálaSkála01

Clubs in bold are currently playing in the top tier. Clubs in italics are no longer active in adult football.

Notes

References

External links League at UEFA League at FSF League at Faroe Soccer List of football stadiums on the Faroe Islands – Nordic Stadiums