Fortaleza F.C.

History

The club was founded on 15 November 2010 as Fortaleza F.C., based in the municipality of Soacha. The club joined the Categoría Primera B after buying the licence of the recently dissolved club Atlético Juventud.

In the 2013 Primera B season, the team was champion of the Finalización tournament, allowing them play the finals against Uniautónoma. The team lost the title, losing the home match with a 0–2 score, and drawing 1–1 in the away match. However, the team was promoted to the Primera A after winning against Cúcuta Deportivo in the Promotion/relegation playoff with a 2–1 global score.

Fortaleza was relegated after its first year in the Primera A. The club ranked 16th in the Apertura tournament and 13th in the Finalización tournament, being the worst team in the Relegation table.

In 2015, the club was renamed Fortaleza C.E.I.F. after merging with the amateur football club C.E.I.F. (Centro de Entrenamiento Integrado para el Fútbol), founded in 2008. That season, the club was promoted after reaching the finals, however they lost the title against Atlético Bucaramanga with a 0–2 aggregate score. Fortaleza's second spell in the top flight also lasted one season, sealing their relegation back to Primera B with three matches to go after losing to Patriotas on 22 October 2016.

After two seasons of mid-table performances, Fortaleza found themselves contending for promotion in the 2019 Primera B season, in which they made it to the Torneo II semi-finals but were knocked out at that stage by the eventual runners-up Boyacá Chicó, and were a serious contender in the final tournament of the 2021 season. They advanced to the semi-finals after placing fourth in the first stage, and were leading their group with 10 points prior to the final matchday. Fortaleza needed to hold on to the top spot in order to achieve promotion, which they would manage by avoiding defeat against Bogotá, while at the same time Llaneros and Unión Magdalena were playing their match in Villavicencio, with the latter side having a chance at promotion if they won and Fortaleza lost their match. Despite losing their match to Bogotá, Fortaleza were promoting to Primera A since Llaneros were winning their game, however, two goals scored by Unión Magdalena in stoppage time ended Fortaleza's promotion chances and triggered a match-fixing inquiry. Although Fortaleza officially requested to get the match played in Villavicencio annulled and Unión Magdalena's promotion reversed, the inquiry failed to find any irregularity.

Fortaleza returned to Primera A at the end of the 2023 Primera B season, sealing promotion after defeating Cúcuta Deportivo in the Torneo II finals and securing the top spot in the season's aggregate table. They eventually ended as season runners-up after losing the grand final to Patriotas.

Fortaleza managed to avoid immediate relegation back to Primera B in its third spell in the top tier, placing 13th in the relegation table of the 2024 Primera A. On 22 January 2025, the club presented Colombian singer Carlos Vives and former cyclist Rigoberto Urán as its new shareholders, and in the 2025 Finalización tournament it managed to advance to the final stages of the league for the first time ever. On 25 November 2025, Fortaleza announced the exit of Carlos Barato, founder of the club CEIF and former Fortaleza CEIF chairman. As part of the agreement reached with Barato for his departure, the club ended its partnership with CEIF and reverted to its previous name Fortaleza Fútbol Club effective from 1 January 2026.

Honours

Domestic

• Categoría Primera B
  • Runners-up (3): 2013, 2015, 2023

Current squad

Managers

• Colombia Jaime Manjarrés (2011–2012)
• Colombia Roberto Vidales (2012–2013)
• Colombia Hernán Pacheco (2013–2014)
• Colombia Alexis García (2014)
• Colombia Nilton Bernal (2015–2016)
• Colombia Freddy Amazo (2016)
• Colombia Carlos Barato (2016–2017)
• Colombia Carlos Mora (2017)
• Colombia David Barato (2018–2019)
• Argentina Pablo Garabello (2020)
• Colombia Nelson Flórez (2021–2023)
• Colombia Sebastián Oliveros (2023–present)

Source: Worldfootball.net

References

References

1. (18 November 2023). "Fortaleza es de la A: los 'Amix' vencieron al Cúcuta". El Deportivo.
2. "Fortaleza FC cambia de sede y técnico – Código Fútbol".
3. "Archived copy".
4. "Soacha volverá a tener fútbol profesional, con Fortaleza FC".
5. "DIMAYOR | División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano".
6. (22 October 2016). "Fortaleza cae ante Patriotas y sentencia su regreso a la segunda división". Caracol Radio.
7. (16 November 2019). "Un sueño llamado ascenso: Boyacá Chicó certificó su paso a la final". Futbolred.
8. (6 November 2023). "Fortaleza reviviría una de sus pesadillas: así fue como le habrían "robado" el ascenso en 2021". [[Infobae]].
9. (6 December 2023). "Match-fixing inquiry ordered after bizarre Colombian match between Llaneros, Union Magdalena". [[ESPN]].
10. (6 December 2021). "Carlos Barato, presidente de Fortaleza: "Solicitamos la nulidad de Unión Magdalena vs Llaneros"". Gol Caracol.
11. (17 November 2023). "Fortaleza vence a Cúcuta y asegura su ascenso a primera división". [[Diario AS]].
12. (29 November 2023). "Patriotas se corona campeón del torneo de ascenso y regresa a la primera división". [[Caracol Radio]].
13. (22 January 2025). "Carlos Vives y Rigoberto Urán se presentaron como nuevos accionistas del Fortaleza". La República.
14. (29 October 2025). "Fortaleza confirmó su histórica clasificación a los cuadrangulares de la Liga BetPlay". [[El Espectador]].
15. (25 November 2025). "Liga Betplay: otro equipo anunció cambio de nombre a partir de 2026". Antena 2.
16. "FORTALEZA C.E.I.F". División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano.
17. "Soacha volverá a tener fútbol profesional, con Fortaleza FC".
18. "Hernán Pacheco es el nuevo técnico de Fortaleza Fútbol Club".