Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League (Chinese: 中国足球协会超级联赛; pinyin: Zhōngguó Zúqiú Xiéhuì Chāojí Liánsài), commonly known as the Chinese Super League or the CSL, currently known as the China Resources C'estbon Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional football in China, operating under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The league was established in 2004 by the rebranding of the former top division, Chinese Jia-A League.
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | China League One |
| Domestic cup(s) | Chinese FA Cup Chinese FA Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Elite (1st tier) AFC Champions League 2 (2nd tier) |
| Current champions | Shanghai Port (2023) |
| Most championships | Guangzhou (8 titles) |
| Most appearances | Wang Song (393 games) |
| Top goalscorer | Wu Lei (138 goals) |
| TV partners | CCTV Migu |
| Website | csl-china.com |
| Current: 2024 Chinese Super League | |
| Chinese Super League | |||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 中国足球协会超级联赛 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中國足球協會超級聯賽 | ||||||
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Initially contested by 12 teams in its inaugural year, the league has since expanded, with 16 teams competing in the 2024 season. A total of 38 teams have competed in the CSL since its inception, with 9 of them winning the title: Guangzhou (eight), Shandong Taishan (four), Shanghai Port (two), Shenzhen, Dalian Shide, Changchun Yatai, Beijing Guoan, Jiangsu, and Wuhan Three Towns (one title each). The current Super League champions are Shanghai Port, who won the 2023 edition.
The Chinese Super League is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in China, with an average attendance of 24,107 for league matches in the 2018 season. This was the twelfth-highest of any domestic professional sports league in the world and the sixth-highest of any professional association football league in the world, behind the Bundesliga, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Liga MX.
The League is now running under the authorization of the Chinese Football Association, The CSL Company, which is currently the commercial branch of the League, is a corporation in which the CFA and all of the member clubs act as shareholders. It is planned that the CFA will ultimately transfer their shares of The CSL Company to the clubs and professional union which consists of CSL clubs will be established as the League's management entity.