Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The First League Championship was one of two national competitions held annually in Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Cup being the other.
The league became fully professional in 1967.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1923–1940)
This was the first club competition on a national level for clubs from Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The league was started in 1923 and the first four seasons had a cup tournament format, while the first round-robin league competition was held in 1927. In the period from 1927 to 1940 seventeen seasons were completed, with all the titles won by clubs from Croatia or Serbia.It was governed at first by the Croatian-named Nogometni Savez Jugoslavije , founded in April 1919 in Zagreb, until in late 1929 disagreements arose between the Zagreb and Belgrade branches of the association. This resulted in the association headquarters being moved to Belgrade in May 1930 where it adopted the Serbian name Fudbalski Savez Jugoslavije and continued operating the league until it was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II. Consequently, with the moving of headquarters, Croatian players and coaches boycotted Yugoslavia national team. With the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, separate Croatian and Serbian leagues were established, which operated during the World War II.
Champions and top scorers
Performance by clubs
World War II competitions
- Serbian Football League, in Serbia
SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)
Champions and top scorers
Titles by club
Titles by republic
Performance by club
All-Time First Yugoslav League table
Top 12 only:| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P |
| 1 | Red Star | 1335 | 719 | 328 | 288 | 2560 | 1415 | +1145 | 1766 |
| 2 | Partizan | 1335 | 657 | 354 | 324 | 2285 | 1428 | +857 | 1668 |
| 3 | Dinamo Zagreb | 1302 | 597 | 366 | 339 | 2151 | 1495 | +656 | 1560 |
| 4 | Hajduk Split | 1302 | 587 | 346 | 369 | 2088 | 1486 | +602 | 1520 |
| 5 | Vojvodina | 1221 | 465 | 311 | 445 | 1670 | 1595 | +75 | 1241 |
| 6 | Sarajevo | 1228 | 447 | 311 | 470 | 1674 | 1773 | -99 | 1205 |
| 7 | Velež Mostar | 1174 | 435 | 309 | 430 | 1668 | 1615 | +53 | 1179 |
| 8 | Željezničar | 1063 | 403 | 274 | 386 | 1456 | 1424 | +32 | 1080 |
| 9 | OFK Beograd | 977 | 343 | 281 | 353 | 1355 | 1355 | 0 | 967 |
| 10 | Radnički Niš | 979 | 339 | 250 | 390 | 1088 | 1244 | -156 | 928 |
| 11 | Vardar | 1005 | 328 | 251 | 426 | 1195 | 1459 | -264 | 907 |
| 12 | Rijeka | 898 | 310 | 252 | 336 | 1083 | 1163 | -80 | 857 |
Best finish in Europe by club
Table only shows best-finish achievements in major European/Intercontinental competitions during the SFR Yugoslavia period.No minor European tournaments included.
Table sorted by success at European Cup / UEFA Champions League first and foremost.
| Club | European Cup / UEFA Champions League | UEFA Cup / Europa League | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | UEFA Super Cup | Intercontinental Cup | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | UEFA Intertoto Cup |
| Red Star Belgrade | bgcolor="gold" 1990–91 | bgcolor="silver" 1978–79 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1974–75 | bgcolor="silver" 1991 | bgcolor="gold" 1991 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1961–62 | – |
| Partizan | bgcolor="silver" 1965–66 | 1974–75; 1984–85; 1990–91 | 1989–90 | – | – | 1967–68 | – |
| Hajduk Split | 1975–76; 1979–80; 1994-1995 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1983–84 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1972–73 | – | – | 1970–71 | – |
| Vojvodina | 1966–67 | – | – | – | – | 1961–62 as Novi Sad XI | bgcolor="gold" 1976 |
| Sarajevo | 1967–68 | 1982–83 | – | – | – | – | 1962–63; 1964–65 |
| Željezničar | 1972–73 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1984–85 | – | – | – | 1970–71 | 1965–66 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1982–83 | 1971–72; 1976–77; 1988–89 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1960–61 | – | – | bgcolor="gold" 1966–67 | – |
| Vardar | 1987–88 | 1985–86 | 1961–62 | – | – | – | – |
| Radnički Niš | – | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1981–82 | – | – | – | – | 1964–65; 1965–66 |
| OFK Beograd | – | 1972–73 | bgcolor="#9acdff" 1962–63 | – | – | bgcolor="9acdff" 1958–60 as Belgrade XI | – |
| Velež Mostar | – | 1974–75 | 1981–82; 1986–87 | – | – | – | 1962–63; 1963–64 |
| Rijeka | – | 1984–85 | 1979–80 | – | – | – | 1962–63 |
| Sloboda Tuzla | – | 1977–78 | – | – | – | – | bgcolor="gold" 1983 |
| Rad | – | 1989–90 | – | – | – | – | bgcolor="silver" 1988 |
| Borac Banja Luka | – | – | 1975–76 | – | – | – | – |
| Olimpija Ljubljana | – | - | 1970–71 | – | – | 1966–67; 1968–69 | bgcolor="silver" 1990 |
| Bor | – | – | 1968–69 | – | – | – | – |
| Budućnost | – | – | – | – | – | – | bgcolor="gold" 1981 |
| Čelik Zenica | – | – | – | – | – | – | bgcolor="gold" 1975 |
While the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup is recognised as the predecessor to the UEFA Cup, it was not organised by UEFA. Consequently, UEFA do not consider clubs' records in the Fairs Cup to be part of their European record. However, FIFA do view the competition as a major honour.
All time top goalscorers
Complete list of players who scored 100 goals or more in the 1946-1992 SFR Yugoslavia period.Source: RSSSF; Last updated 14 December 2007
| # | Name | Goals | Matches | Goal ratio | Clubs | Years |
| 1 | Slobodan Santrač | 218 | 365 | 0.60 | OFK Beograd, Partizan, Galenika | 1965-1974, 1976-1980, 1982-1983 |
| 2 | Darko Pančev | 168 | 243 | 0.69 | Vardar, Red Star Belgrade | 1982-1992 |
| 3 | Dušan Bajević | 166 | 322 | 0.51 | Velež Mostar | 1966-1977, 1981-1983 |
| 4 | Bora Kostić | 158 | 257 | 0.61 | Crvena Zvezda | 1951-1961, 1962-1966 |
| 5 | Frane Matošić | 149 | Hajduk Split | 1946-1953 | ||
| 6 | Toza Veselinović | 145 | 227 | 0.64 | Vojvodina, Partizan, Proleter Zrenjanin | 1948-1949, 1951-1961, 1967-1968 |
| 7 | Stjepan Bobek | 129 | 201 | 0.64 | Partizan | 1945-1956 |
| =7 | Zoran Prljinčević | 129 | FK Radnički Beograd, Crvena Zvezda | |||
| 9 | Dušan Savić | 120 | 202 | 0.59 | Red Star Belgrade | 1973-1982 |
| 10 | Dragan Džajić | 113 | 306 | 0.37 | Red Star Belgrade | 1963-1975, 1977-1978 |
| 11 | Vojin Lazarević | 112 | 188 | 0.60 | Sutjeska Nikšić, Red Star Belgrade | 1964-1965, 1966-1970, 1972-1974 |
| =11 | Momčilo Vukotić | 112 | 395 | 0.28 | Partizan | 1968-1978, 1979-1985 |
| 13 | Josip Bukal | 111 | 258 | 0.43 | Željezničar | 1963-1973, 1977-1978 |
| 14 | Petar Nadoveza | 108 | 217 | 0.50 | Hajduk Split | 1963-1973 |
| 15 | Kosta Tomašević | 104 | 156 | 0.67 | Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Subotica | 1946-1956 |
| 16 | Vahid Halilhodžić | 103 | 207 | 0.50 | Velež Mostar | 1972-1981 |
| 17 | Snješko Cerin | 103 | Dinamo Zagreb | 1976–1986 | ||
| 18 | Petar Nikezić | 102 | 301 | 0.34 | Vojvodina, Osijek | 1967–1978, 1979–1982 |
| 19 | Zlatko Vujović | 101 | 240 | 0.42 | Hajduk Split | 1977–1986 |