Liga Primera
FIFA Region
CONCACAF
Season
2025-2026
Location
Nicaragua
Abbreviation
NCA1

Summary

Primera División de Nicaragua (NCA1) is the top level of league style football competition in Nicaragua. The 2025-2026 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. At the end of the 2025-2026 Torneo Clausura, the NCA1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:

If the same team wins both the 2025-2026 Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura, then the runner-up with the most 2025-2026 NCA1 Aggregate Table points from both torneos is awarded the 2nd 2026 CNCFCAC champions berth.

Aggregate points are determined by combining results from the 2025-2026 Torneo Apertura and 2025-2026 Torneo Clausura into the 2025-2026 NCA1 Aggregate Table.

Leagues Pyramid - Nicaragua

Abbrev League # of Teams
NCA1 Liga Primera 10
NCA2 Segunda División de Nicaragua 20
NCA3 Tercera División de Nicaragua -
NCA3 Tercera División de Nicaragua -
NCA4 Cuarta División de Nicaragua -

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Apertura - Regular
17 Jul 2025 - 26 Nov 2025
Apertura - Playoffs
29 Nov 2025 - 17 Dec 2025
Clausura - Regular
18 Jan 2026 - 28 Apr 2026
Clausura - Playoffs
1 May 2026 - 18 May 2026
 10: NCA1 (8 minimum), NCA2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2025-2026 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. In each torneo, each NCA1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 9 NCA1 teams for a total of 18 league matches. A playoff is held upon the completion of each torneo to determine the torneo champion. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, (5) head-to-head goals scored, then (6) a draw.

Playoffs

At the end of each torneo, the top 6 eligible NCA1 teams participate in playoffs. In the Quarterfinals, 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th in a "Knockout" matches. The winners advance to a Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins Semifinals. The Semifinals winners advance to a Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins Final.

Relegation

Immediately following the 2025-2026 Torneo Clausura, the 10th place team in the 2025-2026 NCA1 Aggregate Table is immediately relegated to NCA2, while the 9th place team enters into a Promotion/Relegation playoff with the 2nd place NCA2 team. The playoff winner plays in the 2025-2026 NCA1 and the loser plays in the NCA2.


More Info...


Torneo Clausura

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Diriangén FC 116 -4-122-2181374 -2-114157842 -2-08615
2Real Estelí FC 106 -3-121-25101553 -1-110137653 -2-0111239
3ART Municipal Jalapa 114 -5-217-136752 -3-0962462 -2-28743
4Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 113 -6-215-1110151 -2-2547-362 -4-010734
5Managua FC 124 -3-515-1317-453 -1-11053271 -2-45814-6
6H&H Export Sébaco FC 114 -1-613-1212063 -1-21085351 -0-4347-3
7UNAN Managua 93 -3-312-1111032 -1-0761561 -2-35510-5
8CD Walter Ferretti 103 -3-412-713-663 -1-21047-340 -2-2236-3
9FC Rancho Santana 112 -4-510-1223-1160 -4-24713-652 -0-36510-5
10Real Madriz FC 101 -2-75-520-1551 -1-3428-650 -1-41312-9
Clausura - Semifinals
Clausura - Quarterfinals

Apertura - Finals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateManagua FC  01 Diriangén FC  
13.12.25Managua FC 00 Diriangén FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
20.12.25Diriangén FC 10 Managua FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén

Apertura - Semifinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateH&H Export Sébaco FC  06 Diriangén FC  
30.11.25H&H Export Sébaco FC 01 Diriangén FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
06.12.25Diriangén FC 50 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
AggregateReal Estelí FC  22 Managua FC  
30.11.25Real Estelí FC 02 Managua FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
06.12.25Managua FC 02 Real Estelí FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Managua FC advances on PKs (5-4) 

Apertura - Quarterfinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Thu - 27 Nov 2025
 H&H Export Sébaco FC 20 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
 Real Estelí FC 21 CD Walter FerrettiEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 AET 

Torneo Apertura

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Diriangén FC 1810 -6-236-48153395 -4-0192752295 -2-217211011
2Managua FC 1811 -3-436-33141997 -2-0232071394 -1-4131376
3Real Estelí FC 189 -6-333-26141296 -3-0211641293 -3-31210100
4H&H Export Sébaco FC 189 -3-630-3029197 -2-0231861292 -1-671223-11
5Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 188 -4-628-2926394 -1-4131614294 -3-21513121
6CD Walter Ferretti 187 -5-626-3126596 -1-21922111191 -4-47915-6
7ART Municipal Jalapa 187 -3-824-3333096 -1-2192291391 -2-651124-13
8FC Rancho Santana 185 -2-1117-1747-3093 -1-510921-1292 -1-67826-18
9UNAN Managua 183 -3-1212-2041-2192 -2-581421-791 -1-74620-14
10Real Madriz FC 183 -1-1410-1638-2292 -1-67813-591 -0-83825-17
Apertura - Semifinals
Apertura - Quarterfinals

Fixtures

Wed - 4 Mar 2026
 CD Walter Ferretti   H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC   Real Madriz FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
 UNAN Managua   Diriangén FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
Thu - 5 Mar 2026
 Managua FC   FC Rancho SantanaEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Real Estelí FC   ART Municipal JalapaEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
Sat - 7 Mar 2026
 UNAN Managua   Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 CD Walter Ferretti   Diriangén FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
Sun - 8 Mar 2026
 ART Municipal Jalapa   H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Alejandro Ramos
 Real Madriz FC   Managua FCEstadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza
 FC Rancho Santana   Real Estelí FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez

Results

Sun - 1 Mar 2026
 UNAN Managua FT Real Estelí FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Real Madriz FC FT CD Walter FerrettiEstadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza
 FC Rancho Santana 00 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 ART Municipal Jalapa 00 Diriangén FCEstadio Alejandro Ramos
Sat - 28 Feb 2026
 H&H Export Sébaco FC 02 Managua FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
Thu - 26 Feb 2026
 CD Walter Ferretti 20 UNAN ManaguaEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Real Estelí FC 30 Real Madriz FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 Diriangén FC 51 FC Rancho SantanaEstadio Cacique Diriangén
Wed - 25 Feb 2026
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 21 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
 Managua FC 10 ART Municipal JalapaEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
Mon - 23 Feb 2026
 FC Rancho Santana 33 Real Madriz FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
Sun - 22 Feb 2026
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 11 Real Estelí FCEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
 H&H Export Sébaco FC 41 UNAN ManaguaEstadio Carlos Fonseca Amador
 Diriangén FC 11 Managua FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
Sat - 21 Feb 2026
 CD Walter Ferretti 00 ART Municipal JalapaEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
Thu - 19 Feb 2026
 UNAN Managua 31 Managua FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 Real Madriz FC 01 Diriangén FCEstadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza
Wed - 18 Feb 2026
 Real Estelí FC 32 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 CD Walter Ferretti 03 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Nacional Dennis Martínez
 ART Municipal Jalapa 20 FC Rancho SantanaEstadio Alejandro Ramos