The Chinese football champions indicates all past winners of the Chinese top-tier football league since it first started in 1951.
The professional football league of China was found in 1994 as the Chinese Jia-A League (甲A联赛). After ten years of existence, the Chinese FA decided to create a new top tier league known as the Chinese Super League.
Since 1994, 30 professional seasons have been contested, with 20 seasons as the Chinese Super League. Dalian Shide and Guangzhou FC are the most successful teams in the professional period with eight titles each. Dalian won three consecutive titles on two occasions (1996–1998 and 2000–2002), while Guangzhou won seven consecutive titles from 2011 to 2017.[1]
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1951
|
North East | East China | Peoples Liberation Army |
1953
|
Peoples Liberation Army | East China | North East |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1954
|
North East (2) | South Central | East China |
1955
|
Central Sports Institute | Dalian Shipyards | Huochetou |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1956
|
Beijing Youth B | Shanghai Sports Institute | Shenyang Sports Institute |
1957
|
Beijing | Tianjin | August 1st |
1958
|
Beijing (2) | Shenyang | Tianjin |
1960
|
Tianjin | Liaoning | Shanghai |
1961
|
Shanghai | August 1st | Tianjin |
1962
|
Shanghai (2) | August 1st | Liaoning |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1963
|
Beijing Youth | Liaoning | Tianjin |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1964
|
Beijing Sports Institute (2) | Shanghai | August 1st |
1965
|
Jilin | August 1st | Beijing |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1973
|
Beijing (3) | Shanghai | Liaoning |
1974
|
August 1st (2) | Tianjin | Beijing |
1977
|
August 1st (3) | Beijing | Guangdong |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
1978
|
Liaoning | August 1st | Beijing |
1979
|
Guangdong | Liaoning | August 1st |
1980
|
Tianjin (2) | Liaoning | Beijing Army Unit |
1981
|
August 1st (4) | Shandong | Beijing |
1982
|
Beijing (4) | Shandong | Tianjin |
1984
|
Beijing (5) | Tianjin | Liaoning |
1985
|
Liaoning Dongyao (2) | August 1st | Dalian Pearl |
1986
|
August 1st (5) | Hubei Power28 | Beijing Snowflakes |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liaoning Dongyao (3) | Tianjin Seagull | Shanghai | |
| Liaoning Dongyao (4) | China B | Tianjin Seagull | |
| China B | Liaoning Dongyao | Shenzhou Shanghai | |
| Liaoning Dongyao (5) | August 1st | Dalian Xinghai | |
| Liaoning Dongyao (6) | Shanghai Shenhua | Beijing Shenzhou | |
| Liaoning Dongyao (7) | Guangzhou Baiyun | Dalian Xinghai | |
| Liaoning Dongyao (8) | Guangdong Hongyuan | Beijing Guoan |
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalian Wanda | Guangzhou Apollo | Shanghai Shenhua | |
| Shanghai Shenhua (3) | Beijing Guoan | Dalian Wanda | |
| Dalian Wanda (2) | Shanghai Shenhua | Bayi | |
| Dalian Wanda (3) | Shanghai Shenhua | Beijing Guoan | |
| Dalian Wanda (4) | Shanghai Shenhua | Beijing Guoan | |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | Liaoning | Sichuan Quanxing | |
| Dalian Shide (5) | Shanghai Shenhua | Sichuan Quanxing | |
| Dalian Shide (6) | Shanghai Shenhua | Liaoning | |
| Dalian Shide (7) | Shenzhen Ping An | Beijing Guoan | |
| Not awarded | Inter Shanghai | Dalian Shide |
Teams in bold compete in the Chinese Super League as of the 2023 season. Italics indicates defunct clubs.
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liaoning | 8
|
6
|
1978, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| Guangzhou | 8
|
4
|
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 |
| Dalian Shide | 8
|
0
|
1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 |
| Beijing Guoan | 6
|
5
|
1957, 1958, 1973, 1982, 1984, 2009 |
| Bayi | 5
|
6
|
1953, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1986 |
| Shandong Taishan | 5
|
6
|
1999, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2021 |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 3
|
11
|
1961, 1962, 1995 |
| Tianjin Jinmen Tiger | 2
|
5
|
1960, 1980 |
| Shanghai Port | 2
|
3
|
2018, 2023 |
| North East | 2
|
0
|
1951, 1954 |
| Beijing Sports Institute | 2
|
0
|
1955, 1964 |
| Jiangsu | 1
|
2
|
2020 |
| Guangdong Winnerway | 1
|
1
|
1979 |
| China B | 1
|
1
|
1989 |
| Shenzhen | 1
|
1
|
2004 |
| Changchun Yatai | 1
|
1
|
2007 |
| Beijing Youth B | 1
|
0
|
1956 |
| Beijing Youth | 1
|
0
|
1963 |
| Yanbian Funde | 1
|
0
|
1965 |
| Wuhan Three Towns | 1
|
0
|
2022 |
| East China | 0
|
2
|
|
| South Central | 0
|
1
|
|
| Dalian Shipyards | 0
|
1
|
|
| Shanghai Sports Institute | 0
|
1
|
|
| Shenyang | 0
|
1
|
|
| Hubei | 0
|
1
|
|
| Beijing Chengfeng | 0
|
1
|
| City/Town | Titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Dalian | 8
|
Dalian Shide (8) |
| Guangzhou | 8
|
Guangzhou (8) |
| Jinan | 5
|
Shandong Taishan (5) |
| Shanghai | 3
|
Shanghai Port (2), Shanghai Shenhua (1) |
| Beijing | 1
|
Beijing Guoan (1) |
| Changchun | 1
|
Changchun Yatai (1) |
| Shenzhen | 1
|
Shenzhen (1) |
| Nanjing | 1
|
Jiangsu (1) |
| Wuhan | 1
|
Wuhan Three Towns (1) |
| Region | Titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| South Central | 10
|
Guangzhou (8), Shenzhen (1), Wuhan Three Towns (1) |
| Northeast | 9
|
Dalian Shide (8), Changchun Yatai (1) |
| East | 9
|
Shandong Taishan (5), Shanghai Port (2), Shanghai Shenhua (1), Jiangsu (1) |
| North | 1
|
Beijing Guoan (1) |