Club Universitario de Deportes
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![Universitario's first champion team (1929): Alva; C. Galindo, Rotta, Denegri, P. Galindo, Astengo, M. Pacheco, P. Pacheco, Góngora, Cillóniz and Souza Ferreyra.](/Images/godic/202502/18/Primer_equipo_campeón_de_Universitario_de_Deportes0650.jpg")
![Universitario celebrates its 2008 Apertura title after beating Cienciano 3–1.](/Images/godic/202502/18/U_Campeon_Apertura0650.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202502/18/Estadio_Monumental_en_la_final_20090651.jpg")
Universitario de Deportes, also popularly known as Universitario and La "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of San Marcos but was forced to rename in 1931. Since 1928, the club competes in the top tier of Peruvian football, the Torneo Descentralizado. In 2000, they opened the 80,000-capacity stadium Estadio Monumental, currently the largest stadium in Peru, retiring their smaller Estadio Teodoro Lolo Fernandez. Universitario and Alianza Lima are involved in the derby el Clásico, which has its roots in the club's first participation in the Primera División in 1928. It also has rivalries with Sporting Cristal, Deportivo Municipal, and Sport Boys.