The 2026 Liga FUTVE, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano, and known as 2026 Liga FUTVE TriunfoBet for sponsoring purposes, is the 70th season of the Liga FUTVE, the top-flight football league in Venezuela, and the 45th season since the start of its professional era. The season started on 29 January and is scheduled to end in December 2026.
Universidad Central are the defending champions.
Teams Fourteen teams compete in the season, having fulfilled club licensing requirements: the top 13 teams of the 2025 season as well as the 2025 Liga FUTVE 2 champions Trujillanos, who defeated Titanes in the Liga FUTVE 2 finals on 16 November 2025 to return to the top flight after a four-year absence. Trujillanos replaced Yaracuyanos, relegated at the end of the previous season after finishing last in the aggregate table.
Relegated to 2026 Liga FUTVE 214Yaracuyanos
Promoted to 2026 Liga FUTVE1Trujillanos
Stadia and locations Team City Stadium Capacity Academia Puerto Cabello Puerto Cabello La Bombonerita 2,500 Anzoátegui Puerto La Cruz José Antonio Anzoátegui 37,485 Carabobo Valencia Misael Delgado 10,400 Caracas Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Deportivo La Guaira Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Deportivo Táchira San Cristóbal Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo 38,755 Estudiantes de Mérida Mérida Metropolitano de Mérida 42,200 Metropolitanos Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Monagas Maturín Monumental de Maturín 51,796 Portuguesa Acarigua General José Antonio Páez 18,000 Rayo Zuliano Maracaibo José Pachencho Romero 40,800 Trujillanos Valera José Alberto Pérez 25,000 Universidad Central Caracas Olímpico de la UCV 23,940 Zamora Barinas Agustín Tovar 29,800
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsors Academia Puerto Cabello Eduardo Saragó Adidas CLX Samsung Anzoátegui Marcelo Zuleta Givova Apuestas Royal, Banco del Tesoro Carabobo Daniel Farías Runic Frigilux, Fospuca, Apuestas Royal Caracas Noel Sanvicente Zeus 1XBET, Maltín Polar Deportivo La Guaira Mariano Rodríguez Runic Traki, Apuestas Royal Deportivo Táchira Álvaro Recoba Boman TriunfoBet, Rutaca Airlines, Grupo JHS Estudiantes de Mérida Jesús Gómez Econtex Daka, Apuestas Royal Metropolitanos Francesco Stifano RS Aerolíneas Estelar, Forum Supermayorista Monagas Jesús Ortiz RS Banplus Portuguesa Leonardo González Boman Apuestas Royal, Alimentos Mary Rayo Zuliano Johanny García Adidas Campestre, Daka, Javitour, BDT, Farma Express Trujillanos Mariano Echeverría A2vzla Fospuca, Bancamiga Universidad Central Luis De Oliveira (caretaker) Adidas PDVSA, Bolipuertos, Apuestas Royal, CSC, CANTV, CLX Samsung Zamora Josué Ortiz Givova Thundernet, Apuestas Royal
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTorneo AperturaEstudiantes de Mérida Jesús OrtizResigned9 October 2025Pre-season Jesús Gómez30 October 2025Portuguesa Giancarlo MaldonadoEnd of contract12 October 2025 Leonardo González21 November 2025Anzoátegui Leonardo GonzálezSacked23 October 2025 Adrián Sánchez5 January 2026Monagas Enrique García17 November 2025 Octavio Zambrano2 December 2025Deportivo Táchira Edgar Pérez GrecoEnd of contract18 November 2025 Álvaro Recoba19 November 2025Zamora José María MorrMutual agreement17 December 2025 Noel Sanvicente17 December 2025Deportivo La Guaira Juan Domingo TolisanoSigned by Venezuela U2020 January 2026 Héctor Bidoglio26 January 2026Trujillanos Oswaldo ChaurantSacked10 March 202611th Pedro Vera12 March 2026Anzoátegui Adrián Sánchez11 March 202612th Giancarlo Maldonado12 March 2026Caracas Fernando AristeguietaResigned22 April 202611th Henry Meléndez22 April 2026Monagas Octavio ZambranoMutual agreement28 April 202612th Jesús Ortiz12 June 2026Torneo ClausuraZamora Noel SanvicenteResigned17 June 2026Pre-tournament Josué Ortiz8 July 2026Trujillanos Pedro VeraPromoted to sporting director13 July 2026 Mariano Echeverría13 July 2026Caracas Henry MeléndezMutual agreement15 August 20267th Noel Sanvicente16 August 2026Universidad Central Daniel Sasso16 August 202612th Luis De Oliveira16 August 2026Anzoátegui Giancarlo Maldonado27 August 2026 Marcelo Zuleta27 August 2026Deportivo La Guaira Héctor Bidoglio1 October 20266th Mariano Rodríguez1 October 2026 Notes
Torneo Apertura The Torneo Apertura was the first tournament of the 2026 season. It began on 29 January and ended on 7 June 2026. Carabobo won the tournament after defeating Academia Puerto Cabello 2–1 in the final and advanced to the season's grand final against the Torneo Clausura winners. They also qualified for the 2027 Copa Libertadores, while the runners-up Academia Puerto Cabello were assured of a berth into the 2027 Copa Sudamericana.
Regular stage Standings
Results
Final stages The eight teams that advanced to the final stages were drawn into two groups of four teams, with the teams placing first and second at the end of the regular stage being seeded in Group A and Group B, respectively. The two group winners advanced to the final.
Group A
Group B
Final
Torneo Clausura The Torneo Clausura is the second and final tournament of the 2026 season. The tournament started on 31 July 2026, and the winners will advance to the season's grand final against the Torneo Apertura winners. They will also qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores, while the runners-up will be assured of a berth into the 2027 Copa Sudamericana.
Regular stage Standings
Results
Final stages The eight teams that advance to the final stages will be drawn into two groups of four teams, with the teams placing first and second at the end of the regular stage being seeded in Group A and Group B, respectively. The two group winners will advance to the final.
Group A
Group B
Final
Grand Final The winners of the Apertura (Carabobo) and Clausura tournaments will play a two-legged final series to decide the season champions (Campeón Absoluto). The season champions will qualify for the Copa Libertadores group stage while the season runners-up will qualify for the Copa Libertadores second stage.
If Carabobo also end up winning the Clausura tournament, they will be awarded the league championship and this series will not be held.
Aggregate table The results of the regular stage of both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments are combined into a single table to determine the distribution of the remaining Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana berths as well as relegation to Liga FUTVE 2. The best-placed team in this table (other than the league champions) will qualify for the Copa Libertadores group stage, with the next one (also excluding the league runners-up) entering the Copa Libertadores first stage, while the next two teams not yet qualified for an international tournament will enter the Copa Sudamericana first stage. The team placing last in the aggregate table will be relegated to the second tier.
Top goalscorers
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Rank ! Player ! Club ! Goals |- | rowspan=2 align=center | 1 | Miku Fedor |Metropolitanos | rowspan=2 align=center | 14 |- | Rodrigo Pollero |Deportivo Táchira |- | align=center | 3 | Jonathan Cañete |Portuguesa | align=center | 13 |- | align=center | 4 | Kevin Quejada |Estudiantes de Mérida | align=center | 12 |- | align=center | 5 | Ronald Rodríguez |Monagas | align=center | 11 |- | rowspan=2 align=center | 6 | Juan Carlos Castellanos |Deportivo La Guaira | rowspan=2 align=center | 9 |- | José Luis Ochoa |Rayo Zuliano |- | align=center | 8 | Loureins Martínez |Carabobo | align=center | 8 |- | rowspan=5 align=center | 9 | Jovanny Bolívar |Universidad Central | rowspan=5 align=center | 7 |- | Jean Castillo |Academia Puerto Cabello |- | Juan Manuel Cuesta |Universidad Central |- | Kavier Ortiz |Metropolitanos |- | Eric Ramírez |Carabobo
Source: Soccerway
See also 2026 Copa Venezuela
References
External links Liga FUTVE of the Venezuelan Football Federation