2024 Categoría Primera A Season

The 2024 Categoría Primera A season (officially known as the 2024 Liga BetPlay Dimayor season for sponsorship purposes) was the 77th season of the Categoría Primera A, Colombia's top-flight football league. The season began on 19 January and ended on 22 December 2024.

Two tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) were played in the season, each one of them being an independent championship. In the Torneo Apertura, Atlético Bucaramanga were the champions, defeating Santa Fe on kicks from the penalty mark after a 3–3 draw on aggregate in the finals to claim their first league title, while in the Torneo Finalización Atlético Nacional were the champions, claiming their eighteenth league title after beating Deportes Tolima 3–1 on aggregate in the finals. Junior were the defending champions, having won the 2023 Finalización tournament.

Format changes

The competition format for this season was approved by the Extraordinary Assembly of DIMAYOR on 12 December 2023, which decided to keep the same system used in the previous seasons, with two tournaments (Apertura and Finalización) of three stages each: a first stage in which the 20 teams play each other once (with the fixtures being reversed for the Finalización tournament), a semi-final stage (''cuadrangulares'') played by the top eight teams from the previous stage and a double-legged final series. The Assembly also decided to remove the regional derbies round that is usually played halfway into the first stage of each tournament as well as a change to the distribution of international berths, with all four Copa Libertadores berths being awarded through league performance (two to the champions of both tournaments and the remaining two to the best-placed teams in the aggregate table), instead of one of those being awarded to the Copa Colombia champion, which would qualify for the Copa Sudamericana instead.

Teams

20 teams take part in the season, the top 18 teams in the relegation table of the previous season as well as the 2023 Primera B champions Patriotas and runners-up Fortaleza. Fortaleza were the first team to earn promotion, after defeating Cúcuta Deportivo in the 2023 Primera B's ''Torneo II'' final on 17 November 2023 and securing the top spot in the season's aggregate table, thus returning to the top flight after eight years, whilst Patriotas clinched promotion back to the top flight after one season on 28 November 2023 by beating Fortaleza in the Primera B's Grand Final. The promoted teams replaced Unión Magdalena and Atlético Huila, the bottom two teams in the relegation table of the 2023 season, who were relegated to Primera B after two and one year in the top flight, respectively.

On 16 January 2024, Alianza Petrolera announced a relocation starting from this season, moving from Barrancabermeja to Valledupar, Cesar Department. With the move to Valledupar, the club also announced that it was dropping the word ''Petrolera'' from their name and changing colors, being rebranded to Alianza F.C. The new club was presented that same day at a press conference in Valledupar.

Prior to the start of the season, and due to disagreements and clashes with the local administration of Rionegro that derived into the eviction from their training venue, Águilas Doradas were granted approval by the General Assembly of DIMAYOR to seek a new venue for their home matches. Although the club stayed in Rionegro to play their home matches during the Apertura tournament, on 23 July 2024 it announced the relocation of its home matches to Sincelejo, Sucre Department, given the lack of support from Rionegro's new local government and the difficulty in obtaining sponsorship by private enterprises based in the zone, as well as an invitation from the local government of Sincelejo to play there.

Stadia and locations

;Notes

Personnel and kits

Managerial changes

;Notes

Torneo Apertura

The Torneo Apertura (officially known as ''Liga BetPlay Dimayor 2024–I'') was the first tournament of the 2024 season. It began on 19 January and ended on 15 June 2024.

First stage

Standings

Results

Semi-finals

The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from the first stage being seeded in each group. The two group winners advanced to the finals.

Group A

Group B

Finals

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''Tied 3–3 on aggregate, Atlético Bucaramanga won on penalties.''

Top scorers

Source
Soccerway
/small>

Attendances

Source
World Football
/small>

Torneo Finalización

The Torneo Finalización (officially known as ''Liga BetPlay Dimayor 2024–II'') was the second and last tournament of the 2024 season. It began on 15 July and ended on 22 December 2024.

First stage

Standings

Results

Semi-finals

The eight teams that advanced to the semi-finals were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the top two teams from the first stage being seeded in each group. The two group winners advanced to the finals.

Group A

Group B

Finals

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''Atlético Nacional won 3–1 on aggregate.''

Top scorers

Source
Soccerway
/small>

Aggregate table

Relegation

A separate table is kept to determine the teams that are relegated to the Categoría Primera B for the next season. This table is elaborated from a sum of all first stage games played in the three most recent seasons (including the 2022–I, 2022–II, 2023–I, 2023–II, 2024–I, and 2024–II tournaments), with the points earned being averaged per match played. The bottom two teams of the relegation table at the end of the season were relegated to Categoría Primera B.

Source
Dimayor
br/>Rules for classification: 1) average, 2) 2024 points, 3) 2024 goal difference, 4) 2024 goals scored, 5) 2024 away goals scored, 6) 2024 away goals against, 7) 2024 wins, 8) 2024 yellow cards, 9) 2024 red cards, 10) drawing of lots.

See also

* 2024 Categoría Primera B season
* 2024 Copa Colombia

References

External links

Dimayor's official website

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Categoría Primera A seasons
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