Member In Focus – Bulgarian Professional Football League (BUL)

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Bulgarian Professional Football League (BUL)

This month, European Leagues spotlights the BPFL – a competition with a proud history and a strong domestic identity.

League at a glance

  • Country: Bulgaria
  • Founded: 1991 (Bulgarian Football Union founded in 1923)
  • Divisions managed: First Liga & Second Liga
  • Clubs: 32 (16 per division)
  • Other competitions: Bulgarian Cup & Bulgarian Supercup
  • European Leagues member: First joined in 2007, membership resumed in 2022
  • Matchdays (top tier): 36 (30 regular season + 6 playoffs)
  • Format (top tier): Regular season + group playoffs

How the competition works

The First Liga currently features 16 clubs (transitioning to 14 from 2026/27). After a 30-matchday regular season,
the league splits into three groups: Championship (top 4), European (5th–8th) and Relegation (bottom 8).
The first two groups play 6 additional matchdays to determine the title and UEFA spots. The Relegation Group plays 7 matchdays
to decide three direct relegations and one play-off place.

Promotion/relegation: the league is reducing the First Liga from 16 to 14 teams; 3 are relegated directly and 1 enters a play-off against the Second Liga runner-up.

Leadership perspective

“As we recently celebrated the centenary of Bulgarian football, we marked not only 100 years of competition, but a rich and historic legacy within European football.
This heritage continues to shape our identity and our commitment to strengthening domestic football for the future.”

 Atanas Karaivanov, President of the BPFL

 

 

History & identity

31 – Most titles (CSKA Sofia)

461 – Most appearances (Georgi Iliev)

256 – All-time top scorer (Martin Kamburov)

Milestone: Ludogorets Razgrad is on a run of 14 consecutive league titles and could equal the world record of 15 straight national championships this season.

Did you know?

Nine players from Bulgaria’s historic 1994 FIFA World Cup semi-final squad were competing in the domestic league at the time, showing the strong link between domestic competitions and national team success.

European Leagues engagement

  • BPFL rejoined European Leagues as a permanent member in 2022.
  • In March 2026, BPFL will host the 52nd General Assembly of European Leagues in Sofia.

Other

The BPFL is committed to technological innovation and enhancing the fan experience. A landmark development took place during the Bulgarian Supercup in February 2026, which featured the historic first-ever use of “RefCam” technology in a competitive domestic match. The initiative was fully integrated into the live TV broadcast, followed by the public release of more than 20 minutes of raw footage and audio from the referee’s perspective, highlighting the league’s progressive approach to transparency and broadcasting excellence.

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