Millonarios FC gears up with friendly win, striker signing and player bans

Millonarios FC traveled to Lima for a pre‑season friendly against Universitario de Deportes on 11 July 2026. The Colombian side lost 2‑0, with José Rivera scoring both goals for the hosts. The match featured the debut of Argentine goalkeeper Javier Burrai and the return of coach Fabián Bustos, who also oversaw several tactical changes and the inclusion of new signings such as Gianluca Lapadula. Despite the defeat, the game served as a preparation platform ahead of the Colombian Liga BetPlay II.

In a separate development, Millonarios announced the acquisition of Andrey Estupiñán, the top scorer of the 2026 BetPlay I season, to strengthen their attack for the second half of the year. However, both Estupiñán and defender Andrés Llinás have been handed suspensions by DIMAYOR – Estupiñán for a red‑card in the Copa Sudamericana and Llinás for accumulated yellow cards – meaning they will miss the club’s opening league fixture on 25 July against Atlético Bucaramanga. The club hopes the new striker will be available for the upcoming friendly against Colo Colo on 18 July.

The friendly was broadcast live on Universitario TV via YouTube, with a scheduled kickoff at 3:30 p.m. local time (Peru).