All statistics correct as of 25 April 2026 (3 of 4 matches finished).
The 2026 Liga DIMAYOR (officially known as the 2026 Liga BetPlay DIMAYOR for sponsorship purposes) is the 79th season of the first division league of Colombian football. The season began on 16 January 2026.[1]
Two tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) will be played in the season, each one of them being an independent championship. Junior entered the season as defending champions, having won the 2025 Finalización tournament.
Format
The competition format for the season was determined at the Extraordinary Assembly of Dimayor, held on 10 and 11 December 2025. Due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the need to end the Torneo Apertura by 5 June 2026, the format proposed and eventually approved for the Torneo Apertura consisted in playing a round-robin first stage with 19 matchdays (without the extra regional derby matchday), with the top eight teams advancing to a final stage to be played as single-elimination playoffs instead of the semifinal group stage played in recent seasons, thus returning to the format last used in the 2021 Apertura tournament.[2][3]
Unlike the Apertura, the Torneo Finalización will be played under the usual format, with a round-robin first stage in which teams will play each other once (with reversed fixtures) and the top eight teams from the first stage advancing to the following phase. Instead of play-offs, the eight qualified teams will be drawn into two semi-final groups, with the two group winners advancing to play the tournament finals.[4]
Locations of the 2026 Liga DIMAYOR teams in Medellín
Twenty teams take part in the season, the top 18 teams in the relegation table of the previous season as well as the 2025 Torneo DIMAYOR champions Jaguares and Cúcuta Deportivo, who returned to the top flight after one year and six years, respectively. Both teams promoted after winning the season's short tournaments and securing the top two places of the aggregate table.[5][6] The promoted teams replaced Envigado and Unión Magdalena, the bottom two teams in the relegation table of the 2025 season, who were relegated to the second tier after sixteen and one year in the top flight, respectively.[7]
Starting from this season, La Equidad rebranded to Internacional de Bogotá, following the club's takeover by the Tylis-Porter Group in early 2025 and the decision by its former owners Seguros La Equidad to keep the name, symbols and colors to themselves.[8][9] The club's new identity was officially presented on 10 December 2025.[10]
↑Águilas Doradas play their home matches at Estadio Cincuentenario in Medellín due to the closure of their regular stadium Estadio Alberto Grisales in Rionegro for remodeling works.[11][12]
12Deportivo Pereira played their first four Torneo Apertura home matches at Estadio Centenario in Armenia due to remodeling works at their regular stadium Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas.[13] Starting from March, they moved to Estadio Santiago de las Atalayas in Yopal after incidents involving their fanbase led to the cancellation of their lease of Estadio Centenario.[14]
↑Junior play their Torneo Apertura home matches at Estadio Romelio Martínez due to remodeling works at their regular stadium Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez.[15]
↑Braynner García was the caretaker manager for the Torneo Apertura round 5 match against Águilas Doradas on 7 February.[29]
Torneo Apertura
The Torneo Apertura, officially known as Liga BetPlay Dimayor 2026–I, is the 102nd first division football championship and the first tournament of the 2026 season. It began on 16 January and is scheduled to end on 5 June 2026.[45]
Updated to match(es) played on 25 April 2026 (3 of 4 matches finished). Source: Dimayor, Soccerway Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Away goals for, 5) Goals against, 6) Away goals against, 7) Drawing of lots (or play-off matches, only if needed to decide eighth place).[46] (A) Advance to a further round; (E) Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on 25 April 2026 (2 of 4 matches finished). Source: Dimayor, Soccerway Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
A separate table is kept to determine the teams that will be relegated to Torneo DIMAYOR for the next season. This table is elaborated from a sum of all first stage games played in the three most recent seasons (including the 2024–I, 2024–II, 2025–I, 2025–II, 2026–I, and 2026–II tournaments), with the points earned being averaged per match played. The bottom two teams of the relegation table at the end of the season will be relegated to Torneo DIMAYOR.
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