Kategoria Superiore


Kategoria Superiore, also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's premier football competition. It is contested by 10 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Kategoria e Parë. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 36 matches each.
The competition was founded in 1930 as the Albanian National Championship during the reign of King Zog, shortly after the creation of the Albanian Football Association. Since 1930, 45 clubs have competed in recognised competitions, while only ten clubs have won the title: Tirana, [FK FC Dinamo City|Dinamo Tirana|Dinamo Tirana], Partizani, [KF KS Vllaznia|Vllaznia Shkodër|Vllaznia], Skënderbeu, Elbasani, Teuta, Egnatia, Flamurtari and Kukësi. The current champions are Egnatia, who won their 2nd title in 2024–25.
WWW fshf.org/competition/supe...

History

Early years

Football was first introduced to Albania by an English-Maltese priest named Gut Ruter, who visited the Saverian college in Shkodër in 1908. The first football club in Albania was Indipendenca, founded in Shkodër in 1912 by Palokë Nika. The first 90-minute game with two 45-minute halves was played in October 1913 between Indipendenca Shkodër and the occupying Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy. The game is considered to be the first international game to be played in Albania, and it ended in a 2–1 loss for Indipendenca, with the captain and founder of the club Palokë Nika scoring the only goal for the Albanians.

World War II championships

Albania was invaded by Italy in April 1939 and World War II soon broke out, meaning the Albanian Football Association, much like the other organisations in the country, ceased operating. Despite the war, three championships were held between 1939 and 1942, with Tirana winning the championships in 1939 and 1942 and Shkodra winning in 1940. Despite calls to recognise these championships, the Albanian Football Association maintains the position that the championships were not organised by them and cannot be formally recognised.

Records

Most points in a season 84 points. KF Tirana
Most points without winning the league title 79 points. KF Elbasani
First Albanian team to qualify for a European competition proper stage. KF Skenderbeu Europa League

Competition format

Since the 2023-24 season, the league consists of 10 clubs, who face each other four times in a season for a total of 36 matches. At the end of the season, the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to the Kategoria e Parë, while two highest-placed teams of the Kategoria e Parë are promoted in their place. The 8th ranked team qualifies to the play-off round, which they play against the Kategoria e Parë play-off winner. The 4 highest place teams at the end of the season play a knockout tournament with a semi-final and a final. If in the semi-final and the end of 90 minutes the game is tied the winner will be decided by the regular season finish in the table.

Clubs (2025–26)

Current members

The following teams are competing in the Kategoria Superiore during the 2025–26 season.
ClubPosition
in 2025–26
Bylis
Dinamo City
Egnatia
Elbasani
Flamurtari
Partizani
Teuta
Tirana
Vora
Vllaznia

List of champions

Since 1930, the competition has not been played a total of 9 times: 1935, 1938–44, 1949, 1962. Furthermore, the champion award was not given during the 1968–69 season.

Performance by club

ClubChampionsRunners upThird placesSeasons
Tirana
26*14141930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968, 1969–70, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999-2000, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2019–20, 2021–22
Dinamo City
189101950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1989–90, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2009–10
Partizani
1722121947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1992–93, 2018–19, 2022–23
Vllaznia9*13131940, 1945, 1946, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1991–92, 1997–98, 2000–01
Skënderbeu8341933, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
Teuta2671993–94, 2020–21
Elbasani2 111983–84, 2005–06
Egnatia2-12023–24, 2024–25
Flamurtari1741990–91
Kukësi1612016–17
Besa-212-
Laçi-12-
Luftëtari-11-
Tomori-1--
Bylis--1-

  • Tirana and Vllaznia would have accordingly 28 and 10 titles, if the three seasons played during WW2 are officially recognised from AFA.

All time table

The all-time table of football clubs that have participated in the Kategoria Superiore, prior to the 2024–2025 season. The ranking is based on the total accumulated points by each club. Teams in bold are part of the 2024–25 season. In the all-time table are not included the results in the final four round, introduced by 2024–25 season. Teams in bold are part of 2025–2026 season.
No.ClubApps.MatchesWinsTiesLossesGoals ±GDif.PointsTitles
1Tirana85216810995724973537:1966+1571322126
2Partizani72185011173783243238:1609+1629294817
3Vllaznia8421359695206683362:2201+116128599
4Teuta8421607996177652157:2408-25125042
5Dinamo6418238854994112871:1650+1221248018
6Flamurtari7319066635167272150:2320-17020601
7Skënderbeu6816375484286461745:1988-24317708
8Elbasani6616295244406621713:2067-35416762
9Besa6315755424445891790:1908-1181670—
10Lushnja4111392993265111069:1559-4901046—
11Laçi25819301197321898:985-871042—
12Luftëtari4311323222705501047:1616-5691014—
13Tomori4410522973214711026:1487-461938—
14Apolonia37989277232465984:1505-521879—
15Shkumbini18553211107228660:708-48713—
16Kukësi12419192106115567:412+1556811
17Bylis17495162131227550:688-118612—
18Kastrioti15494155107231469:660-191527—
19Besëlidhja22575148167260556:721-165497—
20Naftëtari1638490109185322:635-313289—
21Egnatia5180634869200:197+32352
22Shkëndija102586887103217:283-66223—
23Erzeni8170374786169:313-144155—
24Albpetrol6167493385158:259-101136—
25Pogradeci92103839133167:466-299118—
26Sopoti4112362551107:150-43110—
27Kamza49823215472:139-6790—
28Burreli510923236396:183-8777—
29Luftëtari Tiranë5501972460:64-445—
30Spartaku Tiranë36610173968:132-6437—
31Spartaku Shkodër23812101645:82-3734—
32Dinamo Shkodër1301371046:41+533—
33Dinamo Durrës3408131930:71-4129—
34Selenica1301071333:54-2127—
35Gramozi133681925:43-1826—
36Kombinati Tiranë2307111228:39-1125—
37Korabi2583134221:116-9521—
38Tërbuni136462622:81-5918—
39Dinamo Vlorë120641019:48-2916—
40Iliria130722122:64-4216—
4124 Maj Përmet1264519:44-3513—
42Ylli Shkodër11051429:15+1411—
43Liria Korçë11032516:15+18—
44Studenti12616199:43-348—
45Spartaku Korçë11221910:45-355—
46Vora--------—

UEFA rankings

Current rankings (2024–25)

UEFA Country Ranking for league participation in 2024–25 European football season.