Summary
The Russian Premier Liga (RUS1) or the Mir Russian Premier League, is the top football league in Russia's football system.
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, teams from RUS1 will not be allowed to participate in 2025-2026 international club compeitions (UEFACL, UEFAEL, and UEFAECL).
Leagues Pyramid - Russia
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| RUS1 | Russian Premier Liga | 16 |
| RUS2 | Russian First League | 18 |
| RUS3 | Russian Second League | 79 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| 18 Jul 2025 - 17 May 2026 | 16: RUS1 (12 minimum), RUS2 (4 maximum) | ||
Season Format
Each RUS1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 15 RUS1 teams for a total of 30 league matches. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) head-to-head points, (2) head-to-head wins, (3) head-to-head goal difference, (4) head-to-head goals scored, (5) matches won, (6) goal difference, (7) goals scored, (8) 2024-2025 table position, then (9) a playoff.
(Note: The RUS1 shuts down for the Winter, typically mid-November to mid-March.)
Playoffs
Not applicable.
Relegation
At the end of the 2025-2026 RUS1 season, the 15th and 16th place RUS1 teams will be relegated to the RUS2, and the 1st and 2nd place RUS2 teams will be promoted to the 2026-2027 RUS1. The 13th place RUS1 team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 4th place RUS2 teams, and the 14th place RUS1 team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 3rd place RUS2 teams. The playoff winners will play in the 2026-2027 RUS1, and the losers will play in the RUS2.
More Info...
Relegation Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Ural Sverdlovsk (RUS2) | 03 | FK Dynamo Makhachkala (RUS1) |
| 20.05.26 |  | 01 | FK Dynamo Makhachkala | Stadion Central'nyj (Yekaterinburg) |
| 23.05.26 | | 20 | Ural Sverdlovsk | Anzhi-Arena (Kaspiysk) | ||
| FK Dynamo Makhachkala remains in RUS1 | ||||||
| Aggregate | SC Rotor Volgograd (RUS2) | 12 | FK Akron Togliatti (RUS1) |
| 20.05.26 |  | 02 | FK Akron Togliatti | Volgograd Arena |
| 23.05.26 | | 01 | SC Rotor Volgograd | Solidarnost Arena | ||
| FK Akron Togliatti remains in RUS1 | ||||||
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Zenit St Petersburg | 30 | 20 -8-2 | 68 | - | 53 | 19 | 34 | 15 | 13 -2-0 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 23 | 15 | 7 -6-2 | 27 | 22 | 11 | 11 |
| 2 | FK Krasnodar | 30 | 20 -6-4 | 66 | - | 60 | 23 | 37 | 15 | 12 -1-2 | 37 | 36 | 13 | 23 | 15 | 8 -5-2 | 29 | 24 | 10 | 14 |
| 3 | Lokomotiv Moskva | 30 | 14 -11-5 | 53 | - | 54 | 39 | 15 | 15 | 8 -7-0 | 31 | 30 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 6 -4-5 | 22 | 24 | 25 | -1 |
| 4 | Spartak Moskva | 30 | 15 -7-8 | 52 | - | 47 | 39 | 8 | 15 | 10 -3-2 | 33 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 5 -4-6 | 19 | 21 | 22 | -1 |
| 5 | CSKA Moskva | 30 | 15 -6-9 | 51 | - | 44 | 33 | 11 | 15 | 10 -2-3 | 32 | 29 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 5 -4-6 | 19 | 15 | 16 | -1 |
| 6 | FK Baltika Kaliningrad | 30 | 11 -13-6 | 46 | - | 38 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 7 -5-3 | 26 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 4 -8-3 | 20 | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| 7 | Dinamo Moscow | 30 | 12 -9-9 | 45 | - | 51 | 40 | 11 | 15 | 6 -4-5 | 22 | 29 | 23 | 6 | 15 | 6 -5-4 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 5 |
| 8 | FK Rubin Kazan | 30 | 11 -10-9 | 43 | - | 29 | 30 | -1 | 15 | 7 -6-2 | 27 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 15 | 4 -4-7 | 16 | 12 | 18 | -6 |
| 9 | FK Akhmat Grozny | 30 | 9 -10-11 | 37 | - | 35 | 39 | -4 | 15 | 8 -3-4 | 27 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 1 -7-7 | 10 | 15 | 25 | -10 |
| 10 | FK Rostov-na-Donu | 30 | 8 -9-13 | 33 | - | 25 | 32 | -7 | 15 | 3 -5-7 | 14 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 15 | 5 -4-6 | 19 | 15 | 16 | -1 |
| 11 | Kryliya Sovetov | 30 | 8 -8-14 | 32 | - | 35 | 50 | -15 | 15 | 7 -6-2 | 27 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 1 -2-12 | 5 | 11 | 33 | -22 |
| 12 | FC Orenburg | 30 | 7 -8-15 | 29 | - | 29 | 44 | -15 | 15 | 5 -5-5 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 15 | 2 -3-10 | 9 | 13 | 28 | -15 |
| 13 | FK Akron Togliatti | 30 | 6 -9-15 | 27 | - | 35 | 53 | -18 | 15 | 1 -7-7 | 10 | 17 | 25 | -8 | 15 | 5 -2-8 | 17 | 18 | 28 | -10 |
| 14 | FK Dynamo Makhachkala | 30 | 5 -11-14 | 26 | - | 19 | 37 | -18 | 15 | 5 -5-5 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 -6-9 | 6 | 7 | 25 | -18 |
| 15 | FC Nizhny Novgorod | 30 | 6 -5-19 | 23 | - | 26 | 50 | -24 | 15 | 4 -3-8 | 15 | 16 | 19 | -3 | 15 | 2 -2-11 | 8 | 10 | 31 | -21 |
| 16 | PFC Sochi | 30 | 6 -4-20 | 22 | - | 29 | 60 | -31 | 15 | 3 -3-9 | 12 | 15 | 28 | -13 | 15 | 3 -1-11 | 10 | 14 | 32 | -18 |
Relegation Playoff Relegation to RUS2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 30 | FC Orenburg | Ozon Arena |
 | 12 | Dinamo Moscow | Rostec Arena |
 | 01 | Zenit St Petersburg | Rostov Arena |
| 00 | Spartak Moskva | Anzhi-Arena (Kaspiysk) |
 | 11 | FK Akhmat Grozny | Olimpiyskiy Stadion Fisht |
 | 22 | FC Nizhny Novgorod | Ak Bars Arena |
 | 41 | FK Akron Togliatti | Solidarnost Arena |
 | 31 | Lokomotiv Moskva | VEB Arena (Moskva) |
| 21 | FK Krasnodar | VTB Arena |
| 21 | FK Rubin Kazan | Lukoil Arena |
| 12 | CSKA Moskva | Stadion Nizhny Novgorod |
| 13 | FK Rostov-na-Donu | Solidarnost Arena |
| 10 | FK Baltika Kaliningrad | RZD Arena |
| 11 | FK Dynamo Makhachkala | Akhmat-Arena |
| 21 | PFC Sochi | Gazprom Arena |
| 10 | Kryliya Sovetov | Stadion Gazovik |
| 20 | FC Nizhny Novgorod | Akhmat-Arena |
| 01 | FK Krasnodar | Solidarnost Arena |
| 31 | FC Orenburg | Olimpiyskiy Stadion Fisht |
| 13 | Zenit St Petersburg | VEB Arena (Moskva) |