Junior vs Santa Fe reaches its semifinal second leg on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 8:30 p. m. in Barranquilla, with the tie still open after the first meeting ended level. Jairo Mayorga will referee the match at Romelio Martínez, where one finalist in Liga BetPlay 2026-I will come out.
Romelio Martínez Hosts The Decider
The return leg takes place at Romelio Martínez stadium, which holds approximately 10,000 spectators. That setting gives Junior de Barranquilla a home-field edge for a match that follows a drawn first leg and will settle the semifinal on the night.
Win+ Fútbol and Win Play will carry the broadcast. For supporters planning around the kickoff, the match starts at 8:30 p. m., and the venue in Barranquilla keeps the focus on a single winner from the tie rather than a replay or a second chance.
Jairo Mayorga Returns To The Lineup
Mayorga brings a short but busy top-flight record to the assignment. He debuted in first division on July 30, 2024, in the Águilas Doradas vs. Patriotas match, and this will be his 38th match overall and his fifth in Liga final phases.
The referee appointment lands in a tie that already carried refereeing controversy in the first leg, so his decisions will sit at the center of a matchup that is already under scrutiny. Junior and Santa Fe arrived here after drawing the opener, which leaves no margin for a cautious second meeting.
Liga Final Pushed Into June
The semifinal return also sits inside a crowded calendar. The Liga BetPlay final cannot be played in the last week of May because Junior and Santa Fe are both involved in Copa Libertadores group-stage matches between May 26 and 28, so the championship series has been pushed into early June.
That delay changes the path for whoever survives Barranquilla. The winner of this tie moves on to the final with June dates still to be set, while the clubs must first get through a semifinal that now carries the weight of a late-May schedule and a referee who has already reached 38 matches in the top flight.
