The Colombian football teams Junior de Barranquilla and Deportes Tolima will meet in the final of the second half of Colombia’s top flight, with the two-legged series kicking off Friday at Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla and concluding Dec. 16 at Tolima’s Manuel Murillo Toro in Ibague.
Tolima punched its ticket to the title match earlier in the week after a 0-0 draw at Atletico Bucaramanga that left the Pijaos with 11 points and an unassailable lead in Group B. That result, secured by Tolima’s consistency across the play-offs and a superior tie-break, made the side the first team to qualify for the finals in the second semester. The club then closed the semifinal phase with a 1-0 home win over Fortaleza on Dec. 8; Juan Torres scored the lone goal as Tolima finished the group unbeaten.
Junior reached the final under pressure after losing 2-1 at Medellin on the final day of the cuadrangulares, but results elsewhere, notably America’s 3-2 win over Atletico Nacional, handed the Barranquilla club a place in the title series. Alfredo Arias’ side missed a penalty in that match and showed defensive lapses that the coach said they must correct. “We have to be calm. It was a difficult match to manage the result, especially when we were losing,” Arias said.
Deportes Tolima will close the league final against Junior de Barranquilla at home
Tolima will close the series at home after finishing the year atop the overall table, granting the Vinotinto y Oro the right to host the decisive second leg. Tolima’s run to the final is the club’s 10th appearance in short-format finals; the Pijaos will be chasing a fourth league title.
Key players to watch include Junior winger Yimmi Chara, who raised his level in the semifinals, and midfielder Sebastian Guzman, a stabilizing presence for the Tiburon. Tolima’s compact attack and stingy defense, conceding only once late in the semifinal stage, will present a stern test for Junior’s back line.
The first leg in Barranquilla kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday and will be televised live on WIN; the return in Ibague is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Dimayor compressed the calendar to meet CONMEBOL’s deadlines ahead of the Dec. 18 Copa Libertadores draw.
As the 2026 Colombian league ends, international participants have been confirmed
The league’s reclassification table also settled spots for continental competitions next year. According to Dimayor standings, the following clubs earned places in 2026 international tournaments:
• Deportes Tolima — 93 points: preliminary stage, Copa Libertadores 2026.
• Independiente Medellin — 89 points: preliminary stage, Copa Libertadores 2026.
• Independiente Santa Fe — 86 points: group stage, Copa Libertadores 2026.
• Atletico Nacional — 85 points: preliminary stage, Copa Sudamericana 2026.
• America de Cali — 82 points: preliminary stage, Copa Sudamericana 2026.
• Junior FC — 81 points: preliminary stage, Copa Sudamericana 2026.
• Atletico Bucaramanga — 74 points: preliminary stage, Copa Sudamericana 2026.
• Millonarios FC — 73 points: preliminary stage, Copa Sudamericana 2026.
Those allocations leave several slots still contingent on final outcomes and CONMEBOL confirmation, and clubs will await the continental draw and official registrations in the coming weeks.