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Russian Premier League

The Russian Premier League is the top professional football league in Russia.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Russian Premier League is the top professional football league in Russia. It features 16 clubs and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Russian First League. Zenit are the reigning champions, having won the 2025–26 season.

Competition format

The Russian Premier League is a round-robin football competition for 16 clubs. Teams are ranked by points, with goal difference and goals scored used as tiebreakers in league tables.

Recent seasons

The 2024–25 season was won by Krasnodar, while Zenit are listed as the reigning champions for 2025–26. Recent tables show a tightly contested top end among clubs such as Krasnodar, Zenit, CSKA Moscow, Spartak Moscow, and Dynamo Moscow.

Club structure

The league includes clubs from major Russian cities and regions such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar, Kazan, and Kaliningrad. It sits at the top of the Russian football pyramid, with movement between divisions through promotion and relegation.

Standings

League standings are typically presented in a table showing games played, wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against, goal difference, and total points. Official and media standings sources may differ slightly depending on the date and whether they reflect an active season or a completed one.

Key facts

  • The Russian Premier League is Russia's highest level of men's professional football.
  • The league currently consists of 16 teams.
  • Zenit won the 2025–26 title.
  • The league uses a table format based on matches played, wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against, goal difference, and points.
  • The 2024–25 season table placed Krasnodar first and Zenit second.
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Canadian context

Canadian readers may know the league through Canadian players, coaches, and scouting interest in European football, but it has no major direct Canada-specific institutional link.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Russian Premier League?
It is the top professional football league in Russia and the highest tier of the Russian men's league system.
How many teams are in the league?
The league has 16 teams.
Who are the current champions?
Zenit are listed as the reigning champions after winning the 2025–26 season.
Who won the 2024–25 season?
Krasnodar finished first in the 2024–25 league table.
How is the league table decided?
Teams are ranked by points earned from wins and draws, with goal difference and goals scored used as common tiebreakers.

References

  1. Wikipediahttps://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Premier_League
    Supports: League identity, country, founding year, and reigning champions
  2. ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/rus.1
    Supports: Current season standings format and 16-team table structure
  3. BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.com/sport/football/russian-premier-league/table
    Supports: 2024–25 final table standings
  4. Wikipediahttps://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024%E2%80%9325_Russian_Premier_League
    Supports: 2024–25 season winner and league table