Summary
Primera División de Nicaragua (NCA1) is the top level of league style football competition in Nicaragua. The 2018-2019 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. At the end of the 2018-2019 Torneo Clausura, the NCA1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2019 CONCACAF League:
- 2018-2019 Torneo Apertura champion
- 2018-2019 Torneo Clausura champion
While league play from other Central American countries (e.g., Costa Rica, Honduras, etc.) sends champions directly to the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League, NCA1 teams have to play and win in the 2019 CONCACAF League to receive a 2020 CNCFCL berth. If the same team wins both the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura, then the 2nd place team from each torneo with the most 2018-2019 NCA1 Aggregate Table points receives the 2nd CONCACAF League berth.
Aggregate points are determined by combining results from the 2018-2019 Torneo Apertura and 2018-2019 Torneo Clausura into the 2018-2019 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 | 40 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Apertura - Regular 24 Aug 2018 - 4 Nov 2018 Apertura - Playoffs 6 Nov 2018 - 15 Dec 2018 | Clausura - Regular 25 Jan 2019 - 1 May 2019 Clausura - Playoffs 4 May 2019 - 1 Jun 2019 | 10: NCA1 (8 minimum), NCA2 (2 maximum) | |
Season Format
The 2018-2019 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, then (2) goals scored.
Playoffs
At the end of each torneo, the top 6 eligible NCA1 teams participate in playoffs. In the Preliminary Playoffs, the 3rd place team host the 6th place team, and the 4th place team hosts the 5th place team in Knockout matches. In the Semifinals, the Preliminary Playoffs winners play Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins matches (lowest ranked team plays the highest ranked team, etc.). The Semifinals winners advance to a Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins Final.
Relegation
Immediately following the 2018-2019 Torneo Clausura, the 10th place team in the 2018-2019 NCA1 Aggregate Table is immediately relegated, while the 9th place team enters into a Promotion/Relegation playoff with the 2nd place NCA2 team. The playoff winner plays in the 2018-2019 NCA1 and the loser plays in the NCA2.
More Info...
Clausura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Managua FC | 33 | Real Estelí FC |
| 25.05.19 |  | 33 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 01.06.19 | | 00 | Managua FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) | ||
| Real Estelí FC wins w/more away goals (3-0) | ||||||
Clausura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Diriangén FC | 13 | Real Estelí FC |
| 11.05.19 |  | 10 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 18.05.19 | | 30 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| Aggregate | CD Walter Ferretti | 11 | Managua FC |
| 12.05.19 |  | 11 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 19.05.19 | | 00 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol | ||
| Managua FC (higher seed) advances | ||||||
Torneo Clausura
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 14 -3-1 | 45 | - | 44 | 13 | 31 | 8 | 8 -0-0 | 24 | 21 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 -3-1 | 21 | 23 | 9 | 14 |
| 2 | Managua FC | 18 | 13 -1-4 | 40 | - | 51 | 24 | 27 | 9 | 7 -0-2 | 21 | 30 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 21 | 12 | 9 |
| 3 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 11 -3-4 | 36 | - | 31 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| 4 | Juventus FC | 18 | 8 -2-8 | 26 | - | 40 | 40 | 0 | 9 | 6 -2-1 | 20 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 2 -0-7 | 6 | 12 | 27 | -15 |
| 5 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 7 -4-7 | 25 | - | 36 | 29 | 7 | 9 | 5 -3-1 | 18 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 7 | 12 | 18 | -6 |
| 6 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 6 -5-7 | 23 | - | 27 | 25 | 2 | 10 | 4 -2-4 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 2 -3-3 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 7 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 5 -3-10 | 18 | - | 25 | 38 | -13 | 9 | 4 -0-5 | 12 | 16 | 22 | -6 | 9 | 1 -3-5 | 6 | 9 | 16 | -7 |
| 8 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 3 -6-9 | 15 | - | 16 | 31 | -15 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 9 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 9 | 1 -3-5 | 6 | 11 | 22 | -11 |
| 9 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 4 -3-11 | 15 | - | 22 | 54 | -32 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 9 | 11 | 22 | -11 | 9 | 2 -0-7 | 6 | 11 | 32 | -21 |
| 10 | Chinandega FC | 18 | 3 -2-13 | 11 | - | 15 | 38 | -23 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 4 | 11 | 18 | -7 | 9 | 1 -1-7 | 1 | 4 | 20 | -16 |
Clausura - Semifinals Clausura - Preliminary Playoff | ||||||||||||||||||||
Apertura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Real Madriz FC | 01 | Managua FC |
| 08.12.18 |  | 00 | Managua FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 15.12.18 | | 10 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
Apertura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Juventus FC | 37 | Real Estelí FC |
| 24.11.18 |  | 12 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 01.12.18 | | 52 | Juventus FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| Aggregate | Diriangén FC | 14 | Managua FC |
| 25.11.18 | | 12 | Managua FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 02.12.18 | | 20 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
Apertura - Preliminary Playoffs
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| 12 | Juventus FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 01 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
Torneo Apertura
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Managua FC | 18 | 14 -2-2 | 44 | - | 40 | 17 | 23 | 9 | 8 -0-1 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 6 -2-1 | 0 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 10 -6-2 | 36 | - | 33 | 12 | 21 | 9 | 6 -3-0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| 3 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 7 -7-4 | 28 | - | 21 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 0 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 3 -4-2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | -2 |
| 4 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 7 -6-5 | 27 | - | 25 | 29 | -4 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 0 | 12 | 18 | -6 |
| 5 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 7 -5-6 | 26 | - | 23 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 3 -4-2 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 0 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 6 | Juventus FC | 18 | 7 -3-8 | 24 | - | 25 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 5 -0-4 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 0 | 9 | 10 | -1 |
| 7 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 5 -4-9 | 19 | - | 15 | 30 | -15 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 0 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 0 | 8 | 18 | -10 |
| 8 | Chinandega FC | 18 | 4 -6-8 | 18 | - | 24 | 33 | -9 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 0 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 0 | 8 | 18 | -10 |
| 9 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 3 -6-9 | 15 | - | 17 | 32 | -15 | 9 | 1 -5-3 | 0 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 0 | 9 | 20 | -11 |
| 10 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 2 -3-13 | 9 | - | 19 | 32 | -13 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 0 | 13 | 18 | -5 | 9 | 0 -2-7 | 0 | 6 | 14 | -8 |
Apertura - Semifinals Apertura - Preliminary Playoff | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 03 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
 | 30 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
 | 42 | Juventus FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
 | 04 | Managua FC | Estadio La Veranera |
 | 010 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 30 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 31 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 50 | Chinandega FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 23 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 42 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 10 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 53 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 20 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio La Veranera |
| 12 | Juventus FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
| 00 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 23 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio La Veranera |
| 11 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 03 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 00 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 23 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |