The Colombian primera División, officially Liga Betplay-1, begins its 2026 season this Friday with a pair of opening-day matches. Clubs across the league have spent the offseason reshaping their squads in anticipation of a competitive campaign vying for a coveted spot in the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores tournaments. Significant player movement-including the return of veterans and the arrival of international talent-signals a renewed focus on contention for several teams, as detailed below.
The Colombian football season kicks off this Friday, January 16th, with Pereira facing Llaneros at 6:20 PM local time, followed by Fortaleza against Alianza Petrolera at 8:30 PM. Teams across the Liga Betplay –1 are finalizing their rosters ahead of what promises to be a competitive campaign.
América de Cali, Santa Fe, and Junior have all announced significant new signings as they prepare for the challenges ahead. América has welcomed Yeison Guzmán, a midfielder with experience at Envigado, Nacional, and Tolima, who returns to Colombia after a stint in the Russian league.
Guzmán arrives to fill the void left by Cristian Barrios, who is reportedly set to be unveiled by Junior de Barranquilla in the coming hours.
América de Cali’s reinforcements also include Dany Rosero, Marlon Torres, Brazilian forward Jean Fernandes, Jan Lucumí, Darwin Machís, and Carlos Sierra. The club is clearly aiming to strengthen its attack and midfield options.
Junior is anticipating the arrival of Luis Fernando Muriel, in addition to Barrios, Jean Pestaña, Jannenson Sarmiento, and Kevin Pérez. The Barranquilla side is bolstering its squad with a mix of experience and emerging talent.
Santa Fe, meanwhile, has secured the services of Argentine forward Nahuel Bustos, alongside Helibelton Palacios, Franco Fagúndez, Yerson Candelo, and Luis Palacios. These additions are expected to provide a significant boost to Santa Fe’s offensive capabilities.
Deportivo Cali has also been busy in the transfer market, bringing in Juan Ignacio Dinneno, Pedro Gallese, Ronaldo Pájaro, Fernando Álvarez, Emanuel Reynoso, Daniel Giraldo, and Joan Sebastián Gómez. The club is undergoing a significant overhaul as it looks to improve its performance.
Once Caldas has reunited with a pair of former players, Jaime Alvarado and Yeferson Rodallega, and has also confirmed the signing of Andrés Roa. The team is hoping to leverage the familiarity and experience of these returning players.
Internacional de Bogotá, formerly known as Equidad, is also making waves with a flurry of new additions, including Facundo Boné, Agustín Irazoque, Fabricio Sanguinetti, Johan Caballero, Kalazán Suárez, Hather Cuesta, Rubén Manjarrés, Emilio Gutiérrez, and Venezuelan goalkeeper Wuilker Faríñez. The rebranded club is signaling its ambition with a substantial investment in new talent.
Llaneros, who begin their Liga Betplay campaign with a visit to Pereira on Friday, has added Kelvin Osorio, Jhonier Blanco, Juan José Ramírez, Juan David Pertúz, Edwin Laszo, Alejandro Morales, Leider Riascos, Jhon Vásquez, Jimmy Medranda, Dennys Quintero, and Kevin Caicedo to their ranks.
Águilas Doradas has confirmed the signings of Bryan Urueña, Andrés Ricaurte, Iván Arboleda, Cristian Caicedo, and Andrés Álvarez, rounding out a busy period of player movement across the league.
