The final phase of the Clausura begins and the Player of the Match award debuts

Home Sport The final phase of the Clausura begins and the Player of the Match award debuts
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April 29, 2026April 29, 2026By Mario Vásquez
The final phase of the Clausura begins and the Player of the Match award debuts

This Wednesday, April 29, the final phase of the Clausura 2026 tournament of the National League, with the start of the quarterfinals, where eight teams remain in the fight for the Guatemalan soccer title.

The current two-time champion, Antigua GFC, continues in the race in defense of its crown and will be one of the main protagonists of this round, in which every detail can make the difference towards the championship.

The activity starts this Wednesday with the duel between Cobán Imperial and Deportivo Mixco, who will face each other at the José Ángel Rossi stadium. Later, Antigua GFC will host Comunicaciones in one of the most attractive matches of the day.

The series will continue on Thursday, April 30, when Marquense is home to Xelajú MC, while Guastatoya will face Municipal to close the first leg games.

The return matches will be played over the weekend, between Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, dates on which the four teams that will advance to the semifinals will be defined.

“Player of the Match” award debuts

As a novelty in this final phase, the Guatemala National Soccer League will implement the “Player of the Match” recognition, which will be awarded to the most outstanding soccer player in each match.

The award will debut in the quarterfinals and the first game in which it will be awarded will be Cobán Imperial vs. Deportivo Mixco.

The League announced it through its social networks: “Liga Bantrab will recognize and reward the ‘Player of the Match’ in each of the matches in the final stages of this Clausura 2026 Tournament.”

This type of recognition is already common in international tournaments such as the Champions League, European leagues and the World Cup, so its implementation represents an advance in the assessment of individual performance in national football.

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