The Paraguayan Primera División Torneo Clausura 2025 officially began on Friday, July 4, igniting the passion of football fans across the nation. The second championship of the year promises intense competition as twelve teams fight for the title, international qualification spots, and survival in the top league.
On Friday, Deportivo Recoleta and Sportivo Trinidense kicked off an action-packed match at the Luis Salinas Stadium in Itauguá, delivering a goal-filled spectacle: 2-4. Sportivo Trinidense surged out of the blocks, netting four goals in the opening 38 minutes, to become the first leader in the Clausura league table of 2025.
League format in Paraguay
In Paraguayan football, the Primera División season splits into two tournaments. First the Torneo Apertura, meaning “opening,” running from February to June, and the Torneo Clausura, meaning “closing,” running from July to December. Each tournament is a separate competition where the twelve teams play each other twice, crowning a champion for each. The winners of the Apertura and Clausura automatically qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
Relegation is based on an averaging system. At the end of each season, the two teams with the worst three-year averages are relegated. The two best teams in the second division of Paraguayan football are promoted to the Primera División.
Champions face surprising upset
On Saturday, the action continued with Cerro Porteño hosting General Caballero JLM in a match that ended 3-1 for Cerro. Later that evening, defending Apertura champions Libertad faced Sportivo Luqueño at their home ground. In a surprising upset, Sportivo Luqueño secured a 1-0 victory, dealing an early blow to Libertad’s title defense.
Early June, Libertad was crowned champion of the Clausura tournament, earning its 26th title star. Libertad scored the most goals, and conceded the fewest in 22 matches. This new title granted the team qualification to the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
Clausura 2025: Finishing up league round one
The weekend’s fixtures continue on Sunday, July 6, with two highly anticipated matches. At 4:00 PM, Olimpia, 2024 Clausura champions, will take on Nacional at the iconic Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción. At 6:30 PM, Guaraní will face Club 2 de Mayo from the city of Pedro Juan Caballero at the Luis Salinas stadium.
The first round of matches will conclude on Monday, July 7, at 6:30 PM, with Sportivo Ameliano facing Atlético Tembetary.
