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...
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
| 31 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 10 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
 | 11 | Managua FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
 | 10 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 31 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 30 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 12 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 40 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
| 12 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 03 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 50 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
| 01 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 30 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 21 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 12 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Solidaridad Augusto Cesar Mendoza |
| 10 | Managua FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 21 | Real Madriz FC | Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez |
| 30 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |
| 00 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
| 20 | FC Rancho Santana | Estadio Carlos Fonseca Amador |