Historic Milestone: Shakhtar and Dynamo Reach 1,000 Matches in Ukrainian Premier League
Today marks a momentous occasion in Ukrainian football history, as both Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv are set to play their 1,000th match in the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL).
The two iconic clubs stand alone as the only sides to have featured in every single season of the top-flight since the league's inception in 1992. Across 34 seasons — including the current campaign — they have competed in the maximum number of matches possible, a testament to their consistency and dominance in Ukrainian football.
Trailing behind in the all-time appearances chart is Vorskla Poltava, with 844 matches played. Close behind is Chornomorets Odesa, currently in the First League, with 823 games. In eighth place sits Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, though there remains debate over whether the club’s current iteration, founded in 2020, should inherit the historical statistics of its predecessor.
Zorya Luhansk follows with 702 matches to date. Meanwhile, many of the UPL’s original mainstays that might have reached this historic milestone have either folded or vanished from the professional scene.
