Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A. (), commonly known as Junior de Barranquilla, by its old name Atlético Junior or simply as Junior, is a Colombian professional football team based in Barranquilla, capital of the department of Atlantico, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. Junior is the main Caribbean team in the top flight of Colombian football. In 2026, they were ranked #34 in the CONMEBOL annual club rankings.
The club was founded on 7 August 1924. Known as Los Tiburones (The Sharks), or El Equipo Tiburón (The Shark Team). Junior have won the Colombian professional football championship twelve times (1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004 Finalización, 2010 Apertura, 2011 Finalización, 2018 Finalización, 2019 Apertura, 2023 Finalización, 2025 Finalización, and 2026 Apertura). Some of the most notable players that have played for the club include Heleno de Freitas, Garrincha, Dida, Juan Ramón Verón, Efraín Sánchez, Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama, Iván Valenciano, Teófilo Gutiérrez, Carlos Bacca, Julio César Uribe, Giovanni Hernández, Sebastián Viera and Luis Díaz.
History In the early 1920s a team named Juventus came into being at the Colegio Salesiano in the San Roque neighborhood of Barranquilla, made up primarily of Italian immigrants. Soon after its launch the name was changed to the Spanish Juventud, though both translate the same in English: youth. In August 1924 some of the younger members of Juventud along with other young men from San Roque created an offshoot of Juventud: Juventud Infantil.
Around the 1940s (and the club's name was shortened to simply Junior) they became known as one of the country's best clubs. In 1945 the players of Junior were selected to represent Colombia at the South American Championship (now known as the Copa América), finishing a respectable fifth (though losing 7–0 to Uruguay and 9–1 to Argentina along the way). In 1949 they were again selected to represent Colombia (finishing last place) but this time their decision to play would have its consequences.
In 1948 Junior were founder members of División Mayor del Fútbol Profesional Colombiano (commonly known as the Dimayor). Their debut match as a professional outfit came at home on 15 August 1948, against Deportivo Cali, which ended in a 2–0 victory for the home side. Early the following year they were again chosen to play as the de facto Colombia national team. Because of ongoing strife between Adefutbol (the original amateur Colombian football association) and the Dimayor, Junior were threatened with expulsion from the Dimayor if they participated. They went ahead and did so and were initially given a two-year suspension from the league. This was later reduced to one year and they returned to the Dimayor for the 1950 season.
This was the golden age of Colombian football commonly referred to as El Dorado, a time when the Dimayor was a "rebel league" unaffiliated with FIFA and many high-profile players from around the world broke their contracts and came to play. Junior were no exception, picking up players from Brazil, Argentina, Hungary and the Czech Republic in these years. But El Dorado eventually came to an end for Colombian football.
A way ahead surfaced in the mid-1960s when a rift had again developed in Colombian football, this time between Adefutbol and the newly created Federación Colombiana de Fútbol, an organization devoted to developing professional football in the country. Adefutbol was still the official body in the eyes of FIFA and organized the national team in this period and additionally Colombian clubs did not enter the Copa Libertadores. Peace was finally made and the bulk of the amateur team that had attempted to qualify for the England World Cup signed up for Junior, who returned to the Dimayor in 1966. Junior have remained in the top level ever since.
In 1977 Junior won their first Colombian championship, finishing first place in the Apertura. They won further championships in 1980, 1993, 1995, the 2004-II (Finalización), the 2010-I (Apertura), the 2011-II (Finalizacion), the 2018-II (Finalización), the 2019-I (Apertura) and the 2023-II (Finalización). They also won Copa Colombia in 2015 and 2017. Junior have appeared in the Copa Libertadores eighteen times (reaching the semi-finals in 1994), the Copa Sudamericana 8 times (reaching the final in 2018), and the Copa CONMEBOL 1 time.
Symbols
Badge The team's badge has a Swiss shaped; proportionally 6 wide by 8 tall, divided into two horizontal stripes. The inferior stripe is divided into nine alternating vertical red and white stripes. The superior part is an horizontal dark blue stripe where the stars are placed. Each of the five-pointed stars represents a league championships the team has won. Superimposed on the vertical bars of red and white, is a horizontal white stripe that reads JUNIOR.
Flag Junior's flag is composed of nine horizontal stripes, five red and four white ones which alternate, the superior and the inferior ones are red. Overlapped on top of the strips there is a blue triangle. This triangle occupies all the wide of the flag on its vertical side. The white five-pointed stars are superimposed on the triangle, symbolizing the Colombian championships won.
Honours Domestic Categoría Primera A Winners (12): 1977, 1980, 1993, 1995, 2004–II, 2010–I, 2011–II, 2018–II, 2019–I, 2023–II, 2025–II, 2026–I Copa Colombia Winners (2): 2015, 2017 Superliga Colombiana Winners (2): 2019, 2020
Continental Copa Sudamericana Runners-up (1): 2018
Performance in CONMEBOL competitions Copa Libertadores: 19 appearances
1971: Group stage 1978: Group stage 1981: Group stage 1984: Group stage 1994: Semifinals 1996: Quarterfinals 2000: Round of 16 2001: Round of 16 2005: Round of 16 2010: Preliminary round
2011: Round of 16 2012: Group stage 2017: Third stage 2018: Group stage 2019: Group stage 2020: Group stage 2021: Group stage 2024: Round of 16 2026: Group stage 2027: TBA
Copa Sudamericana: 10 appearances
2004: Quarterfinals 2015: Second stage 2016: Quarterfinals 2017: Semi-finals 2018: Runners-up
2020: Quarterfinals 2021: Round of 16 2022: Group stage 2023: First stage 2025: Preliminary round
Copa CONMEBOL: 1 appearance 1992: Quarter-finals
Players Current squad
Out on loan
World Cup players The following players were chosen to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup while contracted to Junior de Barranquilla.
Carlos Hoyos (1990) Alexis Mendoza (1994) José María Pazo (1994) Luis Carlos Perea (1994) Carlos Valderrama (1994) Iván René Valenciano (1994) Jorge Bolaño (1998) Alberto Rodríguez (2018)
Club captains Hermenegildo Segrera (1966–1971) Dulio Miranda (1972–1973) Gabriel Berdugo (1974–1982) Dulio Miranda (1983–1985) Alexis Mendoza (1985–1990) Gabriel Martínez (1990–1992) Carlos Valderrama (1993–1995) Jorge Bolaño (1996–1999) Marquinho (1999–2004) Roberto Peñaloza (2004–2005) Hayder Palacio (2005–2007) Giovanni Hernández (2008–2012) Sebastián Viera (2012–2014; 2015–2023) Macnelly Torres (2015) Carlos Bacca (2023–2025) Yimmi Chará (2025–2026) Fabián Ángel (2026–)
Personnel Coaching staff
Notable players Most appearances RankPlayerAppearances1. Sebastián Viera6272. Dulio Miranda4453. Hayder Palacio4324. Alexis Mendoza4175. José María Pazo3926. Gabriel Berdugo3797. Víctor Pacheco3678. Jesús Rubio 3639. Luis Grau 34110. Othon Dacunha333
Most goals
RankPlayerGoals 1. Ivan Valenciano1802. Carlos Bacca 1313. Teófilo Gutiérrez 944. Víctor Ephanor865. Nelson Silva Pacheco816. Víctor Pacheco787. Martín Arzuaga708. Vladimir Hernández659. Orlando Ballesteros5610. Marcos Cardoso55
Historic players
Carlos Babington Edgardo Bauza Juan Carlos Delménico Carlos Ischia Omar Pérez Walter Ribonetto Fabián Sambueza Juan Ramón Verón Paulo César Caju Cassiano Dida Garrincha Heleno de Freitas Quarentinha Víctor Ephanor Cristián Montecinos José Amaya Alfredo Arango Martín Arzuaga Carlos Bacca Orlando Ballesteros Gabriel Berdugo Jorge Bolaño Miguel Ángel Borja Déiber Caicedo Víctor Campaz Víctor Cantillo Yimmi Chará José Luis Chunga Víctor Cortés Gustavo Cuéllar Luis Díaz José Enamorado Fernando Fiorillo Gabriel Fuentes Miguel Ángel Guerrero Teófilo Gutiérrez Giovanni Hernández Vladimir Hernández William Knight Homer Martínez Roberto Meléndez Alexis Mendoza Dulio Miranda Didier Moreno Luis Muriel Luis Narváez Víctor Pacheco Hayder Palacio José María Pazo Rafael Perez Marlon Piedrahita Efraín "El Caimán" Sánchez Iván Valenciano Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama Alex "Didi" Valderrama Béla Sárosi Román Torres Julio César Uribe Lorenzo Carrabs Julio Comesaña Santiago Mele Héctor Gerardo Méndez Nelson Silva Pacheco Mauro Silveira Sebastián Viera Luis Daniel "Cariaco" González
International players The following players, despite not having been able to establish themselves as idols, had a stage as internationals with their national teams.
Daniel Carnevali Santiago Santamaría Luis Carlos Perea René Higuita Carlos Hoyos Juan Fernando Quintero Matías Fernández Nelson Tapia Román Torres Alberto Rodríguez
Managers
Affiliated clubs Barranquilla - Currently competing in Categoría Primera B.
References
External links
Junior at Dimayor Junior at FIFA