The 2026 Liga Profesional de Primera División season, also known as the Liga AUF Uruguaya 2026, is the 123rd season of the Liga AUF Uruguaya, Uruguay's top-flight football league, and the 96th in which it is professional. The season, which was named "Juan Carlos de Lima", began on 6 February 2026.
Nacional are the defending champions.
Teams Sixteen teams compete in the season: the top thirteen teams in the relegation table of the 2025 season as well as three promoted teams from the 2025 Segunda División.
Team changes The three lowest placed teams in the relegation table of the 2025 season (Plaza Colonia, Miramar Misiones and River Plate) were relegated to Segunda División for the 2026 season. They were replaced by the Segunda División champions Albion, the runners-up Central Español, and the winners of the promotion play-offs Deportivo Maldonado.
Albion returned to the top flight after four years, having participated for the last time in 2022, while Central Español returned after a 13-year absence, and Deportivo Maldonado returned after one season. On the other hand, Plaza Colonia were relegated after one season, Miramar Misiones returned to the second tier after two seasons, and River Plate ended a 21-year spell in the top flight.
Stadiums and locations
Club City Home stadium Capacity Albion Montevideo Luis Franzini 16,000 Boston River Florida Campeones Olímpicos 5,124 Central Español Montevideo Parque Palermo 6,500 Cerro Montevideo Luis Tróccoli 25,000 Cerro Largo Melo Antonio Ubilla 9,000 Danubio Montevideo Jardines del Hipódromo 18,000 Defensor Sporting Montevideo Luis Franzini 16,000 Deportivo Maldonado Maldonado Domingo Burgueño Miguel 22,000 Juventud Las Piedras Parque Artigas 12,000 Liverpool Montevideo Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera 11,000 Montevideo City Torque Montevideo Charrúa 14,000 Montevideo Wanderers Montevideo Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera 11,000 Nacional Montevideo Gran Parque Central 34,000 Peñarol Montevideo Campeón del Siglo 40,700 Progreso Montevideo Abraham Paladino 8,000 Racing Montevideo Osvaldo Roberto 8,500 Notes
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor Albion Federico Macías Diego Franco Kelme Yerba Sara Boston River Jorge Cazulo Kelme Asociación Española, Cotrans Central Español Antonio Pacheco Tiffosi Fix Cerro Alejandro Cappuccio Mgr Sport Médica Uruguaya Cerro Largo Bruno Silva Tiffosi The La Planta Danubio Leonel Rocco Tiffosi Médica Uruguaya Defensor Sporting Mauricio Larriera Kelme Médica Uruguaya Deportivo Maldonado Gabriel Di Noia Kelme Juventud Sergio Blanco Macron MG Motor Liverpool Jorge Fossati Mgr Sport Puritas Montevideo City Torque Marcelo Méndez Puma Mar-Plast Montevideo Wanderers Mathías Corujo Umbro BYD Nacional Daniel Carreño Umbro Antel Peñarol Diego Aguirre Puma Antel Progreso Tabaré Silva Zenit Médica Uruguaya Racing Cristian Chambian Adidas Hidrolágeno
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTorneo AperturaDanubio Gustavo MatosasEnd of caretaker spell8 November 2025Pre-season Diego Monarriz12 December 2025Boston River Gustavo Ferreyra9 November 2025 Israel Damonte19 November 2025Montevideo Wanderers Daniel CarreñoMutual agreement10 November 2025 Mathías Corujo13 December 2025Defensor Sporting Ignacio IthurraldeEnd of contract12 November 2025 Román Cuello9 December 2025Albion Joaquín BoghossianHealth issues4 December 2025 Federico Nieves4 December 2025Liverpool Joaquín PapaEnd of contract12 December 2025 Camilo Speranza12 December 2025Cerro Tabaré Silva31 December 2025 Nelson Abeijón5 January 2026 Nelson AbeijónResigned14 March 202616th Alejandro Apud16 March 2026Boston River Israel DamonteSacked16 March 202615th Ignacio Ithurralde17 March 2026Nacional Jadson Viera21 March 202610th Jorge Bava22 March 2026Juventud Sebastián MéndezMutual agreement4 April 202616th Sergio Blanco6 April 2026Danubio Diego MonarrizSacked5 April 202612th Gustavo Matosas5 April 2026Liverpool Camilo SperanzaResigned6 April 20269th Gustavo Ferrín7 April 2026Progreso Leonel RoccoSacked13 April 202616th Tabaré Silva14 April 2026Liverpool Gustavo FerrínEnd of caretaker spell25 April 20269th Jorge Fossati25 April 2026Torneo IntermedioDanubio Gustavo MatosasEnd of caretaker spell9 May 2026Pre-tournament Leonardo Ramos13 May 2026Central Español Pablo de AmbrosioSacked9 May 2026 Diego Osella13 May 2026Cerro Alejandro ApudMutual agreement11 May 2026 Alejandro Cappuccio13 May 2026Cerro Largo Danielo NúñezLeave of absence18 May 2026Serie A, 7th Ignacio Ordóñez18 May 2026Defensor Sporting Román CuelloSacked25 May 2026Serie A, 8th Gerardo Miranda25 May 2026 Gerardo MirandaEnd of caretaker spell7 June 2026 Mauricio Larriera2 June 2026Danubio Leonardo RamosSacked3 August 2026Serie B, 8th Gustavo Matosas4 August 2026Torneo ClausuraCerro Largo Ignacio OrdóñezEnd of caretaker spell10 August 20268th Danielo Núñez10 August 2026Danubio Gustavo MatosasResigned15 August 202611th Leonel Rocco17 August 2026Nacional Jorge BavaSacked16 August 202615th Daniel Carreño17 August 2026Central Español Diego Osella23 August 202611th Antonio Pacheco24 August 2026Cerro Largo Danielo NúñezResigned5 September 2026 Ignacio Ordóñez5 September 2026Boston River Ignacio IthurraldeSacked19 September 20269th Diego Jaume20 September 2026 Diego JaumeEnd of caretaker spell29 September 202611th Jorge Cazulo29 September 2026Albion Federico NievesSacked29 September 202616th Federico Macías Diego Franco30 September 2026Cerro Largo Ignacio Ordóñez5 October 202614th Bruno Silva5 October 2026 Notes
Torneo Apertura The Torneo Apertura, named "Rafael Peña", was the first tournament of the 2026 season. It began on 6 February and ended on 11 May 2026. Racing won the tournament with two matches in hand on 26 April following a 1–0 win over Cerro Largo and defeats for both Deportivo Maldonado and Peñarol. By winning this tournament, Racing qualified for the semi-final of the Championship playoff.
Standings
Results
Torneo Intermedio The Torneo Intermedio, named "Héctor Castro", was the second tournament of the 2026 season, played between the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. It consisted of two groups whose composition depended on the final standings of the Torneo Apertura, with the Apertura winners playing in Serie A along with the teams placing 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, and last in the Apertura, and the remaining teams being placed in Serie B.
The tournament started on 15 May and ended on 5 August, being paused from 8 June to 5 July due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Peñarol won the tournament after defeating Montevideo Wanderers 5–1 in the final. By winning the Torneo Intermedio, they qualified for the 2027 Supercopa Uruguaya and were assured of a berth into the 2027 Copa Sudamericana.
Serie A
Serie B
Torneo Intermedio Final
Torneo Clausura The Torneo Clausura, named "Juan Lema Benzo", is the third and final tournament of the 2026 season. It began on 7 August and is scheduled to end on 15 November 2026. The winners of this tournament will qualify for the semi-final of the Championship playoff.
Standings
Results
Aggregate table The results of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, as well as the first phase of the Torneo Intermedio, are combined into a single table. The team placing first in this table at the end of the season will qualify for the championship playoff finals and the Copa Libertadores group stage. The aggregate table will also award one berth into the Copa Libertadores second stage, and two berths into the Copa Sudamericana first stage.
Championship playoff The Torneo Apertura winners (Racing) will play a semi-final match against the Torneo Clausura winners, while the top team in the aggregate table will receive a bye to the finals, which will be played over two legs. If the Apertura or Clausura winners also place first in the aggregate table and win the semi-final match, the finals will not be played and they will win the league championship, and in the event that one team wins both the Apertura and Clausura, it will be awarded the league title and the championship playoff will be cancelled.
Both championship playoff finalists will qualify for the Copa Libertadores group stage, while the semi-final loser will be entitled to a Copa Sudamericana berth in case they do not qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
Top scorers
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Rank ! Player ! Club ! Goals |- | align=center | 1 | Maximiliano Gómez |Nacional | align=center | 17 |- | align=center | 2 | Álvaro López |Albion | align=center | 16 |- | align=center | 3 | Matías Arezo |Peñarol | align=center | 14 |- | rowspan=2 align=center | 4 | Salomón Rodríguez |Montevideo City Torque | rowspan=2 align=center | 11 |- | Luciano Cosentino |Montevideo Wanderers |- | rowspan=2 align=center | 6 | Christian Tabó |Deportivo Maldonado | rowspan=2 align=center | 10 |- | Federico Martínez |Liverpool |- | rowspan=3 align=center | 8 | Fernando Mimbacas |Juventud | rowspan=3 align=center | 9 |- | Nahuel Da Silva |Montevideo City Torque |- | Esteban Obregón |Montevideo City Torque
Source: AUF
Relegation Relegation will be determined at the end of the season by computing an average of the total of points earned per game over the two most recent seasons: 2025 and 2026. The three teams with the lowest average at the end of the season will be relegated to Segunda División for the following season.
Team Relegation 1Peñarol 78 62 140 68 2Nacional 79 52 131 68 3Deportivo Maldonado — 58 58 31 4Liverpool 65 49 114 68 5Racing 53 53 106 68 6 49 54 103 68 7Juventud 61 36 97 67 8Defensor Sporting 61 35 96 68 9Boston River 55 30 85 67 10Central Español — 38 38 31 11Cerro Largo 49 33 82 68 12Albion — 37 37 31 13Montevideo Wanderers 31 50 81 68 14Cerro 46 32 78 68 15Danubio 43 29 72 68 16Progreso 39 28 67 68 Updated to match(es) played on 5 October 2026. Source: AUF
See also 2026 Copa de la Liga AUF 2026 Copa Uruguay 2026 Uruguayan Segunda División season
References
External links Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol - Liga AUF Uruguaya