2026 Liga de Primera
Football league season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 Liga de Primera, known as Liga de Primera Mercado Libre 2026 for sponsorship purposes,[1] is the 96th season of the Liga de Primera, Chile's top-flight football league. The season began on 30 January and is scheduled to end on 6 December 2026.[2][3]
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 30 January – 6 December 2026 |
| Matches | 183 |
| Goals | 520 (2.84 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Fernando Zampedri (25 goals) |
| Biggest home win | U. Católica 6–1 Palestino (2 April) |
| Biggest away win | Everton 0–3 Huachipato (13 February) U. de Concepción 0–3 Everton (1 March) Cobresal 2–5 Dep. Limache (15 March) Huachipato 0–3 U. Católica (31 March) Huachipato 1–4 Everton (8 August) Dep. Limache 0–3 Everton (29 August) |
| Highest scoring | Colo-Colo 6–2 Ñublense (17 May) |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of 16 September 2026. | |
Coquimbo Unido are the defending champions.
Format changes
Although the competition kept its usual double round-robin format with teams playing each other twice for a total of 30 matchdays, changes were made to the distribution of international berths due to the introduction of a new competition named Copa de la Liga starting from this season.
The Liga de Primera champions and runners-up will still qualify for the group stage of the 2027 Copa Libertadores, whilst the team placing third in the league will face the 2026 Copa Chile champions in a play-off match for a berth into the Copa Libertadores second stage. The teams placing from fourth to sixth will qualify for the 2027 Copa Sudamericana, with the loser of the play-off match between the third-placed team and the Copa Chile champions being entitled to claim the last Copa Sudamericana berth.[4]
Teams
Sixteen teams take part in the league in this season: the top 14 teams from the 2025 Liga de Primera, plus the 2025 Primera B champions Universidad de Concepción and the winners of the Primera B promotion play-offs Deportes Concepción. Universidad de Concepción returned to the top tier after five years, clinching promotion as well as winning the Primera B tournament with a 3–0 victory over Deportes Copiapó on 1 November 2025,[5] whilst Deportes Concepción confirmed their first promotion to the top flight in 17 years after defeating Cobreloa in the promotion play-off finals on 7 December 2025.[6]
The promoted teams replaced Deportes Iquique, who were relegated after two seasons,[7] and Unión Española, relegated to the second tier after 28 years.[8]
Stadia and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audax Italiano | Santiago (La Florida) | Bicentenario de La Florida | 11,637 |
| Cobresal | El Salvador | El Cobre | 11,240 |
| Colo-Colo | Santiago (Macul) | Monumental David Arellano | 43,667 |
| Coquimbo Unido | Coquimbo | Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso | 15,809 |
| Deportes Concepción | Concepción | Ester Roa Rebolledo | 30,448 |
| Deportes La Serena | La Serena | La Portada | 17,134 |
| Deportes Limache | Quillota | Lucio Fariña Fernández[i] | 7,680 |
| Everton | Viña del Mar | Sausalito | 21,754 |
| Huachipato | Talcahuano | Huachipato-CAP Acero | 10,032 |
| Ñublense | Chillán | Nelson Oyarzún Arenas | 11,319 |
| O'Higgins | Rancagua | El Teniente | 12,476 |
| Palestino | Santiago (La Cisterna) | Municipal de La Cisterna | 8,000 |
| Unión La Calera | La Calera | Nicolás Chahuán Nazar | 8,353 |
| Universidad Católica | Santiago (Las Condes) | Claro Arena | 20,249 |
| Universidad de Chile | Santiago (Ñuñoa) | Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos | 46,190 |
| Universidad de Concepción | Concepción | Ester Roa Rebolledo | 30,448 |
- Notes
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audax Italiano |  Patricio Graff |
Macron | Apuestas Royal, Traverso |
| Cobresal |  Gustavo Huerta |
KS7 | Apuestas Royal, Pullman Bus |
| Colo-Colo | Fernando Ortiz |
Adidas | JugaBet |
| Coquimbo Unido | Hernán Caputto |
Capelli Sport | Pin-Up Casino |
| Deportes Concepción | Fernando Díaz |
Kelme | Apuestas Royal |
| Deportes La Serena | Felipe Gutiérrez |
Fiume | Apuestas Royal |
| Deportes Limache | Víctor Rivero |
Claus-7 | Apuestas Royal |
| Everton | Walter Ribonetto |
Skechers | Terrawind |
| Huachipato | Jaime García |
Marathon | Apuestas Royal |
| Ñublense | Juan José Ribera |
Macron | Apuestas Royal |
| O'Higgins | Lucas Bovaglio |
Joma | BC.GAME |
| Palestino | Guillermo Farré |
Capelli Sport | Bank of Palestine |
| Unión La Calera | John Armijo |
Givova | Apuestas Royal |
| Universidad Católica | Daniel Garnero |
Puma | BICE |
| Universidad de Chile | Fernando Gago |
Adidas | JugaBet |
| Universidad de Concepción | Cristián Muñoz |
Gladiatore (January – April) Macron (May – December) |
Apuestas Royal |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universidad de Concepción | Cristián Muñoz |
Resigned | 1 December 2025[9] | Pre-season | Juan Cruz Real |
16 December 2025[10] |
| Coquimbo Unido | Esteban González |
6 December 2025[11] | Hernán Caputto |
13 December 2025[12] | ||
| Palestino | Lucas Bovaglio |
End of contract | 7 December 2025[13] | Cristián Muñoz |
19 December 2025[14] | |
| Ñublense | Ronald Fuentes |
8 December 2025[15] | Juan José Ribera |
18 December 2025[16] | ||
| Deportes La Serena | Mario Sciacqua |
Sacked | 11 December 2025[17] | Felipe Gutiérrez |
26 December 2025[18] | |
| O'Higgins | Francisco Meneghini |
End of contract | 22 December 2025[19] | Lucas Bovaglio |
27 December 2025[20] | |
| Universidad de Chile | Gustavo Álvarez |
Mutual agreement | 23 December 2025[21] | Francisco Meneghini |
29 December 2025[22] | |
| Everton | Javier Torrente |
Sacked | 25 February 2026[23] | 16th | Davis González[i] |
25 February 2026[23] |
| Davis González |
End of caretaker spell | 8 March 2026[24] | 15th | Walter Ribonetto |
10 March 2026[25] | |
| Universidad de Chile | Francisco Meneghini |
Sacked | 10 March 2026[26] | 12th | Jhon Valladares[i] |
11 March 2026[27] |
| Universidad de Concepción | Juan Cruz Real |
Resigned | 10 March 2026[28] | 11th | Facundo Gareca[i] |
11 March 2026[29] |
| Deportes Concepción | Patricio Almendra |
13 March 2026[30] | 16th | Walter Lemma |
17 March 2026[31] | |
| Universidad de Chile | Jhon Valladares |
End of caretaker spell | 20 March 2026 | 8th | Fernando Gago |
20 March 2026[32] |
| Universidad de Concepción | Facundo Gareca |
30 March 2026 | 5th |  Leonardo Ramos |
27 March 2026[33] | |
| Palestino | Cristián Muñoz |
Sacked | 24 April 2026[34] | 9th | Guillermo Farré |
26 April 2026[35] |
| Universidad de Concepción | Leonardo Ramos |
Resigned | 12 May 2026[36] | 12th | Ricardo Viveros[ii] |
12 May 2026[38] |
| Deportes Concepción | Walter Lemma |
Mutual agreement | 18 May 2026[39] | 16th | Fernando Díaz[iii] |
21 May 2026[40] |
| Audax Italiano | Gustavo Lema |
Resigned | 20 June 2026[41] | 13th | Patricio Graff[iv] |
1 July 2026[43] |
| Universidad de Concepción | Ricardo Viveros |
Return to the youth setup | 4 August 2026[44] | 14th | Cristián Muñoz |
4 August 2026[44] |
| Unión La Calera | Martín Cicotello |
Mutual agreement | 8 September 2026[45] | 16th | Carlos Galdames[i] |
8 September 2026[45] |
| Carlos Galdames |
End of caretaker spell | 15 September 2026 | John Armijo |
15 September 2026[46] |
- Notes
- Caretaker manager.
- Pablo Álvarez was the caretaker manager for the 2026 Copa Chile's 1st, 4th and 2nd matchdays.[42]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colo-Colo (X) | 23 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 48 | 22 | +26 | 54 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2 | Universidad Católica | 23 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 50 | 33 | +17 | 42 | |
| 3 | Universidad de Chile | 23 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 19 | +16 | 42 | Qualification for Copa Libertadores play-off |
| 4 | Everton | 23 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 36 | Qualification for Copa Sudamericana first stage |
| 5 | Palestino | 23 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 33 | +3 | 36 | |
| 6 | Deportes Limache | 23 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 33 | |
| 7 | Ñublense | 23 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 31 | −3 | 32 | |
| 8 | Deportes Concepción | 23 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 31 | |
| 9 | Deportes La Serena | 23 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 34 | 38 | −4 | 30 | |
| 10 | Coquimbo Unido | 23 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 32 | −1 | 29 | |
| 11 | Audax Italiano | 23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 31 | −5 | 28 | |
| 12 | Huachipato | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 39 | −9 | 28 | |
| 13 | O'Higgins | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 28 | 36 | −8 | 27 | |
| 14 | Cobresal | 23 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 34 | 44 | −10 | 24 | |
| 15 | Universidad de Concepción | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 37 | −20 | 22 | Relegation to Liga de Ascenso |
| 16 | Unión La Calera | 23 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 40 | −21 | 17 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Playoff game (only if needed to decide championship between two teams), 3) Goal difference, 4) Matches won, 5) Goals for, 6) Away goals for, 7) Red cards, 8) Yellow cards, 9) Drawing of lots.
(X) Assured of Copa Sudamericana, but may still qualify for Copa Libertadores
Results
Copa Libertadores play-off
The team placing third in the Liga de Primera at the end of the season will play the 2026 Copa Chile champions in a single match, with the winner qualifying for the 2027 Copa Libertadores second stage as Chile 4. The losing side will enter the 2027 Copa Sudamericana first stage as Chile 4.[48]
| Liga de Primera third place | v | Copa Chile champions |
|---|---|---|
Season statistics
Top scorers
- As of 16 September 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Zampedri |
Universidad Católica | 25 |
| 2 | Daniel Castro |
Deportes Limache | 13 |
| 3 | Javier Correa |
Colo-Colo | 12 |
| 4 | Alan Medina |
Everton | 11 |
| 5 | Nelson Da Silva |
Palestino | 9 |
| Sebastián Sáez |
Unión La Calera | ||
| Lionel Altamirano |
Huachipato | ||
| Eduardo Vargas |
Universidad de Chile | ||
| 9 | Maximiliano Romero |
Colo-Colo | 8 |
 Arnaldo Castillo |
O'Higgins | ||
| Justo Giani |
Universidad Católica |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Zampedri |
Universidad Católica | Universidad de Concepción | 5–1 (H)[50] | 14 June 2026 |
Attendance
Average home attendances
- As of 26 August 2026
| Rank | Team | GP | Cumulative | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colo-Colo | 10 | 317,540 | 38,938 | 21,386 | 31,754 |
| 2 | Universidad de Chile | 10 | 280,697 | 46,000 | 13,921 | 28,070 |
| 3 | Universidad Católica | 10 | 156,261 | 18,516 | 13,872 | 15,626 |
| 4 | Deportes Concepción | 11 | 103,533 | 14,709 | 4,232 | 9,412 |
| 5 | Coquimbo Unido | 9 | 65,353 | 9,690 | 5,304 | 7,261 |
| 6 | O'Higgins | 10 | 56,173 | 7,438 | 4,263 | 5,617 |
| 7 | Ñublense | 10 | 49,245 | 8,881 | 3,237 | 4,925 |
| 8 | Everton[a] | 9 | 43,668 | 9,640 | 2,493 | 4,852 |
| 9 | Deportes La Serena | 10 | 38,572 | 8,995 | 2,185 | 3,857 |
| 10 | Universidad de Concepción | 9 | 33,881 | 16,217 | 525 | 3,765 |
| 11 | Audax Italiano | 11 | 25,320 | 4,632 | 1,045 | 2,302 |
| 12 | Unión La Calera | 10 | 25,024 | 5,600 | 1,440 | 2,502 |
| 13 | Huachipato[b] | 9 | 22,930 | 4,628 | 769 | 2,548 |
| 14 | Deportes Limache | 8 | 22,563 | 4,456 | 1,897 | 2,820 |
| 15 | Palestino | 10 | 19,446 | 2,563 | 833 | 1,945 |
| 16 | Cobresal | 9 | 5,693 | 2,774 | 221 | 633 |
| Total | 155 | 1,265,899 | 46,000 | 221 | 8,167 | |
Source: Worldfootball[53]