2018–19 Liga Nacional de Honduras


The 2018–19 Liga Nacional de Honduras season was the 53rd edition of the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top football league in Honduras, since its establishment in 1965. The tournament started in July 2018 and ended in June 2019. The season was divided into two halves, each crowning one champion. F.C. Motagua as winners of both tournaments, qualified to the 2019 CONCACAF League as HON1. Club Deportivo Olimpia as runner-ups and C.D. Marathón as the team with the third best record, also qualified to international contention for next season.

2018–19 teams

A total of 10 teams will contest the tournament, including 9 sides from the 2017–18 season plus C.D. Real de Minas, promoted from the 2017–18 Liga de Ascenso.
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Honduras ProgresoEl ProgresoEstadio Humberto Micheletti5,000
JuticalpaJuticalpaEstadio Juan Ramón Brevé Vargas20,000
MarathónSan Pedro SulaEstadio Yankel Rosenthal15,000
MotaguaTegucigalpaEstadio Tiburcio Carías Andino35,000
OlimpiaTegucigalpaEstadio Tiburcio Carías Andino35,000
PlatensePuerto CortésEstadio Excélsior7,910
Real de MinasTegucigalpaEstadio Tiburcio Carías Andino35,000
Real EspañaSan Pedro SulaEstadio Francisco Morazán26,781
UPNFMTegucigalpaEstadio Tiburcio Carías Andino35,000
VidaLa CeibaEstadio Nilmo Edwards18,000

Apertura

The Apertura tournament was the first half of the 2018–19 season which run from 28 July to 16 December 2018. The schedule of the Apertura was released on 13 July. F.C. Motagua finished at the top of the standings for their first time since 2010. Meanwhile, Lobos UPNFM reached their best regular season performance finishing third. C.D. Real de Minas finished last in their first league appearance. Club Deportivo Olimpia eliminated Real C.D. España and qualified to their first final series since 2016. Motagua, their rivals on the other side, qualified to their fifth consecutive final. With a 2–1 aggregate score, Motagua conquered their 16th national title.

Regular season

Standings

Results

Playoffs

Results


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Clausura

The Clausura tournament was the second half of the 2018–19 season which ran from January to June 2019. The schedule was released on 20 December 2018. Club Deportivo Olimpia finished on top of the standings for the first time since 2017. Lobos UPNFM made history in the play-offs stage after beating Real C.D. España and qualifying to their first ever semifinal. Just as it happened in the Apertura tournament, F.C. Motagua defeated their city rivals in the final series and conquered their 17th national title.

Regular season

Standings

Results

Playoffs

Results


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Top goalscorers

The top scorer was determined by the addition of goals of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments in all their phases.
Relegation was determined by the aggregated table of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments. After 36 rounds, C.D. Real de Minas, Juticalpa F.C. and C.D. Honduras Progreso finished with 31 points each, with the goal difference being irrelevant. All three teams had to play a one round-robin playoff to determine the team to be relegated. It was only the second time in league's history that three teams were involved in a relegation triangular, the first one being held back in 1989.

Relegation playoffs

Controversies