Introduction
Liga BetPlay is Colombia’s premier professional football league, Categoría Primera A. It currently has 18 teams across the country and is home to some of the most talented players in South American football. This article will analyze Liga BetPlay based on its history, teams, stars, and other essential factors.
History of Liga BetPlay/Categoría Primera A
Liga BetPlay has existed since 1948 and is thus among the oldest football leagues in South America. Initially, it was an amateur event known as El Campeonato Profesional before the league turned professional in 1950. Some of the league’s initial champions are Independiente Medellin, Millonarios FC, and Atletico Nacional.
In the following decades, Liga BetPlay expanded even further, and more stars and fans in Colombia were attracted to the league. Others: The league also got corporate sponsorships in the early 1990s and early 2000s, which brought more funding and exposure. The club was rebranded as Liga BetPlay in 2020 due to a sponsorship agreement.
Current Liga BetPlay Format
Currently, Liga BetPlay consists of 18 clubs from different cities and regions in Colombia. In the Apertura and Finalización seasons, each club plays the others twice, on a two-legged basis. The teams that finish at the top of the Apertura Finalización rankings are crowned champions. The team with the highest number of points on the aggregate of the entire season is the overall winner.
The eight best teams in each regular season qualify for the playoffs, which consist of quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to decide another champion of Liga BetPlays. Thus, more than one trophy is at stake each season of Liga BetPlays.
Powerhouses of Liga BetPlay
Several clubs have emerged as powerhouses in Liga BetPlays thanks to their storied success: Several clubs have emerged as powerhouses in Liga BetPlays thanks to their storied success:
- Atlético Nacional – Of all clubs in Liga BetPlays history, Atlético Nacional has claimed 16 first division titles. They have a very large following and have been Copa Libertadores champions twice.
- Millonarios F.C. – The Colombian team Millonarios is based in Bogotá and has 14 Liga BetPlays titles. They are also called ‘Los Embajadores’ because they wear blue uniforms.
- América de Cali – They also have 13 titles; América de Cali was among the best teams in South America in the 1980s.
- Junior de Barranquilla – This team represents the coastal city of Barranquilla and has been a Liga BetPlay champion 11 times consecutively in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Other successful clubs featured in Liga BetPlay include Deportivo Independiente Medellín, which boasts six titles, and Deportivo Cali, which has nine titles in its trophy cabinet.
Liga BetPlay Stars
In addition to the top clubs, Liga BetPlay has featured some of the best talent Colombia has ever produced:
- Carlos Valderrama – The blond hero with accurate passing and the captain of the Colombian team in the nineties. Junior de Barranquilla was the club he spent most of his playing time with.
- Faustino Asprilla – An enigma of a striker with unique abilities, he played for teams such as Atletico Nacional and Parma in Italy and Colombia’s senior national team.
- René Higuita – A goalkeeper and a Colombian star in the 1990s. He is known for introducing the ‘scorpion kick’ and the sweeper-keeping style.
- James Rodríguez – Now a star for Colombia’s national team after his time with Envigado and Banfield, James is a top scorer and plays for giants Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Liga BetPlay in 2023 and Beyond
The newly formed Liga BetPlay kicks off the 2023 season with an ambition of further developing the talent level and becoming more widely recognized outside of the Colombian market. Categoría Primera A signed a broadcasting rights deal with ESPN Latin America for the 2023 season to broadcast the matches across the entire Latin America region.
Deportivo Pereira is the defending champion, and they will have a chance to defend their title. At the same time, teams such as Junior, Nacional, América de Cali, and Millonarios will reinforce their squads to challenge for the title. In any case, fans want Liga BetPlay to keep shining young stars and deliver exciting football action.
FAQs About Liga BetPlay
How many teams participate in Liga BetPlay?
At the moment, 18 teams participate in Liga BetPlay every season. Most are affiliated with big cities in Colombia, such as Bogota, Medellin, and Cali.
Which team has the most titles?
Atlético Nacional has the record for the most Liga BetPlays championships, with 16 to its name. Millonarios F.C., with 15 points, and América de Cali, with 13 points, complete the top three clubs.
Who plays in Liga BetPlays this season?
The current champion of Liga BetPlays is Deportivo Pereira for the 2022 season, which broke the team into the higher tier. Junior and Atlético Nacional were the 2021 Apertura and Finalización champions.
Does Liga BetPlays use VAR?
Yes, Liga BetPlays implemented video assistant refereeing (VAR) in 2019 to help the referee make correct decisions and review moments.
What is Categoría Primera B?
Categoría Primera B is the second tier of Colombian club football competition. Some of the teams promoted to Liga BetPlays from Categoría Primera B were Cortulua in the 2022 season and Deportivo Pereira in the 2021 season when they were at the top of this division.
Conclusion
Thanks to clubs that continue to produce young talents and the passion that fans have for football, Liga BetPlays is the epitome of Colombian football. Other talents like James Rodríguez have also come from Liga BetPlays to become well-known players. Behind the scenes, clubs constantly develop plans to enhance facilities, competitions, and relations with fans.
Despite the challenges observed during the 2022 season, the future looks promising for one of South America’s most lively and challenging leagues as Liga BetPlays gears up for its 2023 campaign. Fans can expect great games as players and teams such as Junior de Barranquilla and Atlético Nacional seek more success in Colombia’s closely contested first division.
