Summary
Primera División de Nicaragua (NCA1) is the top level of league style football competition in Nicaragua. The 2021-2022 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. At the end of the 2021-2022 Torneo Clausura, the NCA1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2022 CONCACAF League Round of 16 (or Preliminary Round):
- 2021-2022 Torneo Apertura/Clausura champions
If the same team wins both the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura, then the 2nd place team from each torneo with the most 2021-2022 NCA1 Aggregate Table points receives the 2nd CONCACAF League berth.
Aggregate points are determined by combining results from the 2021-2022 Torneo Apertura and 2021-2022 Torneo Clausura into the 2021-2022 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 30 Jul 2021 - 22 Nov 2021 Apertura - Playoffs 25 Nov 2021 - 19 Dec 2021 | Clausura - Regular 23 Nov 2022 - 6 May 2022 Clausura - Playoffs 9 May 2022 - 29 May 2022 | 10: NCA1 (8 minimum), NCA2 (2 maximum) | |
Season Format
The 2021-2022 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 Preliminary Round. 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th in a "Knockout" matches. The Preliminary Round 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 2021-2022 Torneo Clausura, the 10th place team in the 2021-2022 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 2021-2022 NCA1 and the loser plays in the NCA2.
More Info...
Relegation Playoff
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | CD Junior Managua (NCA2) | 35 | ART Municipal Jalapa (NCA1) |
| 08.06.22 |  | 31 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 12.06.22 | | 40 | CD Junior Managua | Estadio Alejandro Ramos | ||
| ART Municipal Jalapa remains in NCA1 | ||||||
Clausura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | 02 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 02 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Clausura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | CD Walter Ferretti | 43 | Real Estelí FC |
| 08.05.22 | | 23 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 11.05.22 | | 02 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) | ||
| AET | ||||||
| Aggregate | Managua FC | 12 | Diriangén FC |
| 08.05.22 |  | 11 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 11.05.22 | | 10 | Managua FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén | ||
| AET | ||||||
Clausura - Quarterfinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| 10 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 43 | Juventus FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
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 | 10 -5-3 | 35 | - | 38 | 17 | 21 | 9 | 5 -3-1 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 5 |
| 2 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 9 -5-4 | 32 | - | 37 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 3 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 9 -3-6 | 30 | - | 36 | 21 | 15 | 9 | 7 -0-2 | 21 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 9 | 9 | 11 | -2 |
| 4 | Managua FC | 18 | 8 -3-7 | 27 | - | 26 | 22 | 4 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 5 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 6 -6-6 | 24 | - | 13 | 23 | -10 | 9 | 5 -3-1 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 -3-5 | 6 | 4 | 18 | -14 |
| 6 | Juventus FC | 18 | 7 -2-9 | 23 | - | 24 | 25 | -1 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 7 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 5 -8-5 | 23 | - | 30 | 36 | -6 | 9 | 5 -4-0 | 19 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 0 -4-5 | 4 | 9 | 28 | -19 |
| 8 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 4 -8-6 | 20 | - | 21 | 30 | -9 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 10 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 10 | 10 | 17 | -7 |
| 9 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 4 -5-9 | 17 | - | 12 | 23 | -11 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 7 | 19 | -12 |
| 10 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 3 -5-10 | 14 | - | 10 | 29 | -19 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 9 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 4 | 20 | -16 |
Clausura - Quarterfinals Clausura - Semifinals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Apertura - Finals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Diriangén FC | 10 | Real Estelí FC |
| 11.12.21 | | 10 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 18.12.21 | | 00 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
Apertura - Semifinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| Aggregate | Managua FC | 14 | Diriangén FC |
| 27.11.21 | | 12 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 04.12.21 | | 20 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| Aggregate | CD Walter Ferretti | 16 | Real Estelí FC |
| 28.11.21 | | 14 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 05.12.21 | | 20 | Managua FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Apertura - Quarterfinals
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
| 20 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 10 | Juventus FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
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 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 12 -2-4 | 38 | - | 41 | 21 | 20 | 9 | 8 -1-0 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 23 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 16 | 19 | -3 |
| 2 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 12 -2-4 | 38 | - | 38 | 20 | 18 | 9 | 8 -0-1 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 3 | Managua FC | 18 | 9 -4-5 | 31 | - | 31 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 5 -1-3 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| 4 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 8 -4-6 | 28 | - | 40 | 28 | 12 | 9 | 6 -2-1 | 20 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 16 | 22 | -6 |
| 5 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 6 -5-7 | 23 | - | 19 | 28 | -9 | 9 | 4 -3-2 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 8 | 21 | -13 |
| 6 | Juventus FC | 18 | 6 -4-8 | 22 | - | 21 | 27 | -6 | 9 | 5 -1-3 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 1 -3-5 | 6 | 6 | 15 | -9 |
| 7 | Real Madriz FC | 18 | 6 -3-9 | 21 | - | 24 | 32 | -8 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 12 | 20 | -8 |
| 8 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 4 -6-8 | 18 | - | 26 | 33 | -7 | 9 | 1 -4-4 | 7 | 15 | 20 | -5 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 11 | 13 | -2 |
| 9 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 4 -5-9 | 17 | - | 23 | 38 | -15 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 12 | 23 | -11 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 11 | 15 | -4 |
| 10 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 3 -5-10 | 14 | - | 12 | 33 | -21 | 9 | 3 -4-2 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 -1-8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | -22 |
Apertura - Semifinals Apertura - Quarterfinals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 01 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
| 10 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 00 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
 | 00 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 13 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 21 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 80 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 00 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 30 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 00 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
| 01 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 30 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza | |||
| Real Madriz FC wins 3-0 by walkover | ||||||
| 10 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 21 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 20 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
| 00 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 11 | Managua FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
| 22 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 21 | Juventus FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
| 10 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |