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:
- 2026 CNCFCAC Group Stage:
- 2025-2026 Apertura and Clausura champions
- 2025-2026 Best non-champion with the most 2025-2026 NCA1 Aggregate Table points
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 | - |
| 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 17 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 against the 1st and 2nd place teams. 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...
Clausura - Quarterfinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
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 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 12 -3-3 | 39 | - | 40 | 19 | 21 | 9 | 6 -2-1 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 8 |
| 2 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 11 -4-3 | 37 | - | 41 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 6 -2-1 | 20 | 22 | 6 | 16 |
| 3 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 9 -6-3 | 33 | - | 29 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 5 -4-0 | 19 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 5 |
| 4 | Managua FC | 18 | 8 -5-5 | 29 | - | 22 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 5 -3-1 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 10 | 12 | -2 |
| 5 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 18 | 5 -7-6 | 22 | - | 30 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 9 | 3 -5-1 | 14 | 17 | 8 | 9 |
| 6 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 5 -6-7 | 21 | - | 18 | 28 | -10 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 9 | 1 -4-4 | 7 | 9 | 15 | -6 |
| 7 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 6 -2-10 | 20 | - | 23 | 24 | -1 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 -0-6 | 9 | 11 | 12 | -1 |
| 8 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 4 -4-10 | 16 | - | 21 | 34 | -13 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 9 | 1 -3-5 | 6 | 9 | 18 | -9 |
| 9 | FC Rancho Santana | 18 | 4 -4-10 | 16 | - | 20 | 43 | -23 | 9 | 0 -3-6 | 3 | 12 | 32 | -20 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 8 | 11 | -3 |
| 10 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 4 -3-11 | 15 | - | 14 | 33 | -19 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 9 | 22 | -13 |
Clausura - Semifinals Clausura - Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Apertura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Managua FC | 01 | Diriangén FC |
| 13.12.25 | | 00 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 20.12.25 | | 10 | Managua FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Apertura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 06 | Diriangén FC |
| 30.11.25 |  | 01 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 06.12.25 | | 50 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| Aggregate | Real Estelí FC | 22 | Managua FC |
| 30.11.25 |  | 02 | Managua FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 06.12.25 | | 02 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez | ||
| Managua FC advances on PKs (5-4) | ||||||
Apertura - Quarterfinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| 20 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 21 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) | |||
| AET | ||||||
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 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 10 -6-2 | 36 | - | 48 | 15 | 33 | 9 | 5 -4-0 | 19 | 27 | 5 | 22 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 11 |
| 2 | Managua FC | 18 | 11 -3-4 | 36 | - | 33 | 14 | 19 | 9 | 7 -2-0 | 23 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 9 -6-3 | 33 | - | 26 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 6 -3-0 | 21 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| 4 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 9 -3-6 | 30 | - | 30 | 29 | 1 | 9 | 7 -2-0 | 23 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 7 | 12 | 23 | -11 |
| 5 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 18 | 8 -4-6 | 28 | - | 29 | 26 | 3 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| 6 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 7 -5-6 | 26 | - | 31 | 26 | 5 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 1 -4-4 | 7 | 9 | 15 | -6 |
| 7 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 7 -3-8 | 24 | - | 33 | 33 | 0 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 11 | 24 | -13 |
| 8 | FC Rancho Santana | 18 | 5 -2-11 | 17 | - | 17 | 47 | -30 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 9 | 21 | -12 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 7 | 8 | 26 | -18 |
| 9 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 3 -3-12 | 12 | - | 20 | 41 | -21 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 9 | 1 -1-7 | 4 | 6 | 20 | -14 |
| 10 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 3 -1-14 | 10 | - | 16 | 38 | -22 | 9 | 2 -1-6 | 7 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 9 | 1 -0-8 | 3 | 8 | 25 | -17 |
Apertura - Semifinals Apertura - Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 00 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 41 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 11 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
 | 13 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
 | 01 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 23 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 40 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 34 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 11 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 40 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 20 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
| 02 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 24 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 12 | Managua FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 02 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 11 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 10 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 03 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 10 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 11 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |