A-Liga[2] (formerly the Gjensidige Women's League and The Elite Division) is the top-flight league of Danish women's football. It is semi-professional.[3] The league is overseen by the Danish Football Association (DBU) as part of the nationwide Danish Women's Football Tournament (Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold, sometimes abbreviated as Kvinde-DM).[4] Clubs in the league must meet certain criteria concerning appropriate facilities and finances.[5] All of the league's clubs qualify for the Danish Women's Cup (DBU KvindePokalen). Each season's winners and runners-up qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League qualification, while the bronze medalists qualify for the UEFA Women's Europa Cup qualification.
According to FIFA's 2023 Women's Benchmarking Report, the league in 2021-22 drew an average of 388 fans per game, 57% of players had signed compensated player contracts (of whom, the average annual salary was between $10-15k USD), and 29% of players made their primary living from football.[6] The league's status as semi-professional presented challenges for its return-to-play from the 2019–2020 COVID-19 pandemic, as initially in Denmark only fully professional sports were allowed to resume.[7] A rise in interest and participation in women's football has driven increased investment into the league in recent years, although the best players in Denmark still often depart for fully professional clubs abroad.[8]
In March 2025, TV 2 announced that they had secured the broadcasting rights to the league, running until 2031.[1]
The main round of the league is played in autumn as a double round-robin tournament between the 8 participating teams, where each team plays against each other both at home and away. The six best placed teams qualify for the spring championship play-offs, another double round-robin tournament among the six participating teams. The scores from the main league round carry over into the championship play-offs.
The two bottom ranked teams instead play in qualification play-offs, a double round-robin tournament with the top four teams of 2025–26 B-Liga for two spots in 2026–27 A-Liga. The scores from the main league round are not carried over into the qualification play-offs.[9]
Scope
From 1994 to 2005/06 the league consisted of 8 teams playing each other 3 times and the best team then was awarded the championship. The last team was relegated with the second-to-last team facing the second team of the 1st Division in play-offs. 2006/07 was a transition year, because the league was extended to 10 teams. The last team after the season played a relegation match against the third placed team of the 1. division, for a place in Elitedivisionen. The top two teams of the 1. division were automatically promoted.
From 2007/08 to 2012/13 the league consisted of 10 teams. Those 10 teams played a double round robin as a regular season. After that there are 2 Playoff Groups. Place 1 to 4 of the regular season play the Championship Playoff. Place 5 to 10 play the Relegation Playoff. In the Playoffs, the points accumulated over the regular season are divided by 2 (rounding up if necessary). Those points are the starting points for the playoffs. The Championship group plays another round robin (6 matches each) with the winner being awarded the championship title. The Relegation Group plays a single round robin (5 matches each) after which, the bottom two clubs are relegated.
The 2013/14 season again was played only with eight teams. The top six after the regular season play a championship league, the seventh and the eight placed teams play in a qualification league determining whether they keep their spots or get relegated.
In August 2025, it was announced that the 2026–2027 season would be expanded to include 10 teams.[10][11]
Name
The division has gone through multiple iterations over the course of its history. It began as The Danish Ladies Tournament (Danmarksturneringen i damefodbold, 1975 to 1980), then Danish Ladies 1st Division (Dame 1. division, 1981 to 1992), The Danish Elite Division (Elitedivisionen, 1993 to 2015–16) and The Danish Women's League (Kvindeligaen, 2016–17 to 2024–25).[12][13] For sponsorship reasons, it was known as 3F Ligaen for fourteen seasons (2005–06 until 2018–19) and from 2019–2025 as Gjensidige Kvindeligaen.[14][15]
In 2025, the pyramid was renamed, with the top flight now called A-Liga, and the corresponding lower levels B-Liga and C-Liga, respectively.
The list also includes the national champions of 1973 and 1974 that were crowned before the official establishment of a nationwide top-flight division in 1975.[16][17]Italics indicate former champions that are currently outside the A-Liga.
↑ AGF encompasses the history of former A-Liga clubs Hjortshøj-Egå (HEI), IK Skovbakken, and VSK Aarhus.
Top flight seasons
As of the 2025–26 season
74 teams have played in the top flight since its inaugural season in 1975. However, several teams have merged over the years to form the current clubs, the combined results of which will be displayed where noted. The teams in bold compete in the A-Liga currently, while the teams in italics are now defunct.
↑ Represented by VSK Aarhus from 2016-2020 (a merger between IK Skovbakken and Vejlby IK); IK Skovbakken from 2002–2016; and from the '70s to 2001 by Hjortshøj-Egå Aarhus (HEI).
↑ A merger of Herlufsholm GF (HG) and Næstved IF, the club previously competed in the top flight as Næstved IF.
↑ Frederiksberg Boldklub competed from 2001–2004 as FV Copenhagen, a merger with Vanløse IF.[18]
↑ B.93 competed in the top flight from 2012–2014 as part of a merger with Hellerup IK and BK Skjold.
Hall of Fame members
The Danish Football Association Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to celebrate the achievements and contributions of outstanding Danish players and staff.[19] Four players who have played in the Danish top tier A-Liga, as well as one former A-Liga coach, have been inducted into the Danish Football Hall of Fame thus far.[20][21][22][23][24]
↑ Pedersen, Christine Møller (6 February 2016). "Kvindeligaen: DBU ændrer slutspillet i den bedste række" (in Danish). DR.dk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022. Udover ændringen af slutspillet skifter den bedste danske liga, Elitedivisionen, nu navn til Kvindeligaen.
↑ "Ny turneringsstruktur for pige- og kvindefodbold" (in Danish). Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU). 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022. Fakta: Ændringerne i strukturen for kvinde- og pigehold,- hvis ikke andet nævnt, gældende fra sæson 16/17. 3F-ligaen: Formel ændring af navnet "Elitedivision" til "Kvindeliga"
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