In a decision that will modify the panorama of Colombian Professional Football, the Dimayor announced the approval of a new rule in its recent Assembly.

Starting in the 2026 season, teams will be able to field up to four foreign players simultaneously on the field of play.

This measure was ratified by the presidents of the 36 clubs, seeking to make payroll management more flexible.

Previously, the regulation allowed the hiring of four foreigners, but restricted their active presence in the party to only three.

The change in regulations comes as a direct response to the frequent alignment errors that have affected several teams.

The previous rule generated confusion: although four foreigners could be on the bench, only three could be on the pitch.

Now why son… I would say Gandolfi! In the assembly, Dimayor approves the presence of 4 foreigners on the field

This demand for concentration, added to the adrenaline of the matches, led some coaches to make the mistake of including four foreigners, which resulted in severe sanctions. The new provision seeks to eliminate this regulatory “trap.”

An emblematic and recent case that accelerated this decision was the one involving the former Atlético Nacional coach, Javier Gandolfi.

During a crucial match against Bucaramanga, the Antioquia strategist committed an improper alignment by having Camilo Cándido, Billy Arce, Facundo Batista and Juan Bauzá on the field at the same time.

The regulation infraction not only transformed a 1-0 defeat into a 3-0 adverse score on the desk, but also precipitated Gandolfi’s unexpected departure from the team for this unforgivable mistake.

Now, with the approval of the four foreigners on the field, the aim is to avoid future setbacks of this type, allowing clubs to use all of the foreign contracting quotas without the pressure of an incomplete or improper lineup.

“Why, son… I would say Gandolfi!” Some ironically about the late change, but the measure finally comes into force to give greater tactical freedom to the coaching staff and reduce the risk of administrative sanctions for the use of contracted footballers.

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