Like many South American countries, Colombia is obsessed with football. Owning football clubs gives cartels power, status and the ability to influence public opinion. One of the best known examples is Columnbian cCartel King, Pablo Escobar, who ran Atlético Nacional in Medellín.

The Colombian league system consists of two categories. At the top of the pyramid is the Primera A, which includes the best teams in the country. One level below is the Primera B.

Football is the most popular sport in Colombia. Other popular sports in the country are athletics, baseball (all baseball bets) and cycling.

Betting on the Colombian league

The Colombian league champion earns the right to play in the Copa Libertadores, the most important international competition on the South American continent.

The best leagues in South America are still those of Argentina and Brazil. However, the Colombian league is catching up and is approaching the level of the elite leagues on the South American continent.

Since 2000, Colombian teams have won the Copa Libertadores (all Copa Libertadores bets)- the equivalent of the European Champions League and the Copa Sudamericana, similar to the Europa League.

Betting on a football match in Colombia

Created in 1948, the Colombian league lasts six months instead of a full year as in many other countries. This means that there are two champions every year in Colombia. The league of the first semester is called the Apertura, and the league of the second one is called the Clausura.

Each team has to play a match against all the other teams, and then only the top 8 teams qualify for the league final. The league matches are usually scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays.

Nowadays, the most talented Colombian players tend to leave their national league early, often destined for their South American neighbours, Brazil or Argentina. If they go to Europe, it is usually to leagues considered as a "stepping stone" to the bigger ones - Holland, Portugal or Turkey, for example.

Recommended betting on the Colombian league

Make your bets on football, the most popular sport worldwide, for many reasons.

The Primera A is a fairly closed league. A recommended bet on the football championship in Colombia is to bet on a match with less than 2.5 goals.