Colombian Football League (Categoría Primera A): Brief History, Main Teams and Star Players
Colombian Football League - History, Clubs and Star Players
Colombia’s professional era began in 1948 when clubs formed DIMAYOR. This kicked off the first championship on 15 August 1948, which was won by Independiente Santa Fe.
The league has seen a lot of change since then. So, which clubs dominate today? Who are Colombia’s star players? Here’s everything you need to know.
Dayro Moreno is the all-time top scorer in Colombian professional football. Image credits: El Colombiano
How Does the Colombian Football League Work Today?
From long single seasons, the Categoría Primera A shifted to two tournaments per year (I and II) with playoffs. By December 2024, the all-time roll of champions had Atlético Nacional leading with 18 league titles, followed by Millonarios at 16, América de Cali at 15, Deportivo Cali at 10 and Junior at 10.
The official 2025 DIMAYOR rulebook confirms two league championships per year with a regular season, then semifinal quadrangulars for the top eight, and a two-leg final. It details seeding, draws and home-and-away scheduling for the groups.
Read more on our football blog - iconic players, great goalscorers and the best moments in football history!
There are six matchdays in the quadrangulars, three at home and three away for each club, with the two group winners advancing to the final.
Main Clubs in the Colombian Football League and Their Achievements
The main teams in Colombian football pair large fan bases with impressive trophy lists. The following stats explain how power and dominance have swung between Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla.
Atlético Nacional (Medellín)
18 league titles
7 Copa Colombia
4 Superliga
2 Copa Libertadores (1989, 2016)
2 Merconorte
1 Recopa Sudamericana
According to ESPN, Atlético Nacional has also achieved domestic cups through 2024 and Superliga 2025.
Millonarios (Bogotá)
16 league titles
3 Copa Colombia
2 Superliga
Copa Merconorte 2001 - among other international honours
América de Cali (Cali)
América has 15 league titles in Primera A, plus a landmark return to the top-flight title in 2019–2020. The club’s 1980s era produced four Libertadores runner-up finishes.
Deportivo Cali (Cali)
10 league titles
A renowned youth pipeline
Copa Libertadores finals appearances
The club’s title count is verified in national rollups.
Junior (Barranquilla)
10 league titles after winning 2023-II
2 Copa Colombia trophies
2 Superliga trophies
These successes underpin the Caribbean club’s modern era weight.
Independiente Santa Fe (Bogotá)
Santa Fe were the inaugural 1948 champions. They later lifted Colombia’s most recent major international honour, the Copa Sudamericana 2015, beating Huracán on penalties in Bogotá.
Once Caldas (Manizales)
Once Caldas were the winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. They defeated the Boca Juniors on penalties in one of the tournament’s greatest shocks.
Colombian Football on the Continental Stage
Colombian teams have delivered defining nights in South America despite competing with bigger budgets in Brazil and Argentina. The benchmark list is short but elite.
Only two Colombian clubs have won the Copa Libertadores: Atlético Nacional twice (1989, 2016) and Once Caldas once (2004). Santa Fe achieved the country’s latest major continental crown in the Copa Sudamericana 2015.
Nacional’s 1989 title put Colombia on the continental stage, and the club’s 2016 triumph proved sustained success. Once Caldas’ 2004 victory remains a byword for underdog pedigree.
The Sudamericana win by Santa Fe in 2015 gave Bogotá its own international star on the shirt and reinforced the league’s ability to produce knockout runners capable of upsetting richer squads.
All of these results lift club coefficients, add broadcast value and strengthen academy reputations that power sales to Europe and Mexico each season.
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Iconic Clubs, Classic Eras and Rivalries
The Colombian Football League’s story is written in eras of dominance and city rivalries that fill El Campín, the Atanasio Girardot, the Pascual Guerrero, Palmaseca and the Metropolitano.
Bogotá’s blue-versus-red, Medellín’s green-versus-red, Cali’s twin powers and Barranquilla’s Caribbean push all frame the title race year after year.
Here are some key Colombian Football League moments from throughout the years:
El Dorado era: Millonarios’ golden age in the early 1950s set the foundations for today’s 16 league titles and a storied capital-city identity
Medellín vs Cali cycles: key sources underscore the long cycles of dominance between Medellín and Cali, with Atlético Nacional at 18 and América at 15. This has driven many modern records
Caribbean rise: Junior’s 10 league crowns make Barranquilla a permanent counterweight to the interior hubs, especially after the 2019–2023 surge
Star Players and Record Scorers
The Categoría Primera A has been a springboard for the Colombian national team and a home for prolific goal scorers.
All-Time Goal Record in Colombia’s Top Flight
On 16 March 2024, DIMAYOR confirmed Dayro Moreno as the all-time top scorer in Colombian professional football with 225 goals, surpassing Sergio Galván Rey’s 224.
Great Goalkeepers and Cult Figures
René Higuita of Atlético Nacional turned a goalkeeper’s clearance into global theatre with the famed “scorpion” save at Wembley in 1995, a moment archived by major broadcasters and official highlight channels.
Colombian Attackers Who Defined Eras
Faustino Asprilla rose with Atlético Nacional before starring at Parma; his early-90s domestic and international haul appears across recognised career records.
Carlos Valderrama anchored Junior de Barranquilla during key 1990s seasons, linking club success to the national team’s golden generation.
Víctor Aristizábal and Iván René Valenciano also chased historic tallies through the 1990s and 2000s. They were later overtaken by Galván Rey and then Dayro in the modern era.
Where Does the Colombian Football League Stand in 2025?
Parity is a hallmark of Primera A. With two titles per year and a playoff phase, tables often compress, and late-season tiebreakers matter.
For the current campaign, standings and fixtures are tracked live by Colombia’s major sports outlets and DIMAYOR.
Colombian Football League - Everything You Need to Know
From its launch in 1948 to today’s split-season drama, the Categoría Primera A blends tradition with volatility at the top. Atlético Nacional’s 18 championships and Santa Fe’s Copa Sudamericana victory show the power of Colombian football on a continental stage.
Add to that Dayro Moreno’s 225 career league goals, and you have a competition where history is constantly re-written in real time!
