Costa Rica's Puntarenas and San Carlos Penalized With 3‑0 Administrative Defeats

The Costa Rican Primera División clubs Puntarenas FC and AD San Carlos each received a 3‑0 administrative loss and were stripped of points after the season’s opening round. San Carlos was unable to field a team because its competition license was suspended for financial reasons, prompting UNAFUT to apply article 89, clause 26 and award a 3‑0 defeat. Puntarenas initially drew 1‑1 with Herediano, but UNAFUT later ruled that the club used Walter Cortés, who was still under a suspension carried over from the lower division. The result was altered to a 3‑0 loss and the club lost the point it had earned on the field.

Both clubs now appear in the league table with an asterisk indicating the administrative defeats, a zero‑point total and a –3 goal difference. The asterisk also serves as a tiebreaker: if either team finishes equal on points with a club that has no sanction, they will be placed lower regardless of goal difference. The sanctions affect early‑season standings and could influence semifinal qualification or relegation battles later in the Apertura 2026 tournament.