A lack of the Colombian football calendar ending in 2025 with two competitions to be defined, the DIMAYOR The draw for the first date of the event was held in Medellín. BetPlay League and BetPlay Tournament.
See also: Is Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid? The locker room made a decision
Sports Tolima and Junior They are playing their luck in this second half of the BetPlay League. Besides, Atlético Nacional and Deportivo Independiente Medellín are mentioned in the final of the BetPlay Cup. For these four teams, the rest time they will have will be complicated, given that it is speculated that the clubs’ preseason will begin on January 1st.
For this first half of 2026, everything must be streamlined for the World Cup that will enter competition in June. The idea is that the contest begins on January 16 and ends on June 5, six days before the start of the event. World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Although the format will be defined in the Extraordinary Assembly of the DIMAYOR on Thursday, December 11, the competition will not have the classic date, one day will be subtracted and it is expected that there will be no semi-final home runs, but that they will be played Play-Offs to reach the final. In the absence of these aspects being defined, the first full day is now ready.
FIRST DATE OF THE BETPLAY LEAGUE: GREAT GAMES ARE COMING
This BetPlay 2026-I League will have the novelty of the inclusion of Jaguars of Córdoba and Cúcuta Deportivo who recently achieved promotion to compete in the highest category again. In addition, it will have the debut of Internacional de Bogotá, previously Equity.
You may be interested in: UEFA Champions League standings: already qualified
Under this panorama, from the first date, the BetPlay 2026-I League will start with big games that will give something to talk about and that already generate expectations, especially with the debuts of the recently promoted, with the hope of big clubs like Millionaires, Atlético Nacional, Santa Fein addition to the starting point for the Junior and the Sports Tolimafinalists this semester.
Without programming yet, but with the confirmation that the BetPlay League will start on January 16 and will go until June 5, this is how the fate of the first date for the 20 teams of the first division was shaped:
Date 1
Junior vs Deportes Tolima | Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium
Atlético Nacional vs Boyacá Chicó | Atanasio Girardot Stadium
Deportivo Pasto vs Deportivo Independiente Medellín | Libertad Departmental Stadium
Independiente Santa Fe vs Águilas Doradas | Nemesio Camacho Stadium El Campín
Cúcuta Deportivo vs Once Caldas | General Santander Stadium
Atlético Bucaramanga vs Millonarios | Américo Montanini Stadium
Dog of Córdoba vs Sportivo Cali | Stadium Jaraguay
Fortaleza vs Alianza Valledupar | Metropolitan Roof Stadium
América de Cali vs Internacional de Bogotá | Pascual Guerrero Stadium
Deportivo Pereira vs Llaneros FC | Hernán Ramírez Villegas Stadium
WHEN IS THE FIXTURE OF THE BETPLAY 2026-I LEAGUE DEFINED?
This draw was just an appetizer for what we want to see and that is to confirm once and for all how the following dates of the BetPlay 2026-I League will be made up. So far there is only knowledge of the first day.
Also read: When does the BetPlay 2026-I League start and end?
Just after the Extraordinary Assembly that will take place in Medellín on Thursday, December 11, the format of the League and the Tournament will be known and when this issue is already defined, the entire fixture will be announced. Juan Pablo Schwitzer, communications director of DIMAYOR, stated that before the end of the week, the programming for the other dates will be ready.
We will then have to wait until Friday, December 12 to find out the complete schedule of all the teams in the first division and promotion. Probably, there will be 19 days and not 20 as has been the custom previously.
