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 | - |
| 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 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 | 13 | 8 -3-2 | 27 | - | 38 | 11 | 27 | 6 | 4 -2-0 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 4 -1-2 | 13 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2 | Managua FC | 13 | 8 -2-3 | 26 | - | 24 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 5 -2-0 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 3 -0-3 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | Real Estelí FC | 13 | 7 -5-1 | 26 | - | 21 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 -2-0 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 2 -3-1 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 4 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 13 | 7 -2-4 | 23 | - | 25 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 5 -2-0 | 17 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 -0-4 | 6 | 12 | 15 | -3 |
| 5 | CD Walter Ferretti | 13 | 5 -4-4 | 19 | - | 25 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 4 -1-0 | 13 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 1 -3-4 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -6 |
| 6 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 13 | 5 -3-5 | 18 | - | 21 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 2 -1-4 | 7 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 6 | 3 -2-1 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 13 | 4 -3-6 | 15 | - | 21 | 26 | -5 | 7 | 4 -1-2 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 0 -2-4 | 2 | 8 | 17 | -9 |
| 8 | FC Rancho Santana | 13 | 3 -1-9 | 10 | - | 13 | 39 | -26 | 6 | 1 -0-5 | 3 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 7 | 2 -1-4 | 7 | 8 | 20 | -12 |
| 9 | UNAN Managua | 13 | 2 -3-8 | 9 | - | 16 | 27 | -11 | 7 | 1 -2-4 | 5 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 6 | 1 -1-4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -6 |
| 10 | Real Madriz FC | 13 | 3 -0-10 | 9 | - | 13 | 31 | -18 | 6 | 2 -0-4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 7 | 1 -0-6 | 3 | 7 | 22 | -15 |
Apertura - Semifinals Apertura - Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
 | 21 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
 | 05 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
 | 11 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
| 30 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 40 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 20 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
 | 22 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
 | 40 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 12 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 21 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 42 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 32 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 00 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 00 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 14 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 11 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 11 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 13 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 00 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 14 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |