Portuguese football league system
The Portuguese football league system consists of several leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation. Reserve teams are allowed to compete in the main league system, as is the case with most of Europe. However, they are not allowed to compete in the same tier as their senior team, thus no reserve team has ever competed in Portugal's top flight, the Primeira Liga.
Men's league system
[edit]The Portuguese men's football league system consists of four national divisions and up to four district leagues (depending on the district).
National leagues
[edit]All four national divisions provide access to the Portuguese Cup. The first two leagues are operated by the Portuguese Professional Football League, and they also guarantee participation in the Portuguese League Cup. Lastly, the third and fourth divisions are divided into two and four leagues respectively and are the only divisions operated by the Portuguese Football Federation.[1][2] The federation announced the creation of Liga 3 (League 3) for 2021–22.[3][4]
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liga Portugal | |||||||
| ↓↑ 2 clubs + 1 club play-off | ||||||||
| 2 |
Liga Portugal 2 | |||||||
| ↓↑ 2 clubs + 1 club play-off | ||||||||
|
3 |
Liga 3 | |||||||
| Serie A 10 clubs |
Serie B 10 clubs | |||||||
| ↓↑ 4 clubs | ||||||||
|
4 |
Campeonato de Portugal | |||||||
| Serie A 14 clubs |
Serie B 14 clubs |
Serie C 14 clubs |
Serie D 14 clubs | |||||
| ↓↑ 20 clubs | ||||||||
District leagues
[edit]District leagues are operated by 22 District Associations: 18 from each district, plus 1 from Madeira Islands, and 3 from Azores Islands (western, central and eastern groups). The winner of each district league is promoted to the fourth national tier, the Campeonato de Portugal. Moreover, all district leagues provide access to their correspondent district cup, and the winner of the district cup, along with the second-placed team in the district league, is allowed to participate in the next season's Portuguese Cup. The bottom tier of each association is open to any new club or reserve team based on that district.
| District Association | Level 5 | Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porto FA 168 clubs |
Decathlon Pro-League |
Elite Division |
Division of Honour |
First Division |
| Braga FA 132 clubs |
Pro-National |
Division of Honour |
First Division | |
| Lisbon FA 96 clubs |
First Division |
Second Division |
Third Division | |
| Aveiro FA 83 clubs |
SABSEG Championship |
First Division |
Second Division | |
| Coimbra FA 46 clubs |
Elite Division |
Division of Honour 14 clubs |
Second Division 18 clubs | |
| Beja FA 46 clubs |
First Division 12 clubs |
Second Division 29 clubs (Series A, B and C) | ||
| Viseu FA 44 clubs |
Division of Honour 16 clubs |
First Division 28 clubs (Series North, Center and South) | ||
| Santarém FA 41 clubs |
First Division 16 clubs |
Second Division 25 clubs (Series A and B) | ||
| Leiria FA 39 clubs |
Lizsport Championship 16 clubs |
First Division 23 clubs (Series A and B) | ||
| Viana do Castelo FA 34 clubs |
First Division 16 clubs |
Second Division 18 clubs | ||
| Setúbal FA 32 clubs |
First Division 16 clubs |
Second Division 16 clubs | ||
| Évora FA 32 clubs |
Elite Division 10 clubs |
AFE League 22 clubs (Series A and B) | ||
| Algarve FA 31 clubs |
First Division 12 clubs |
Second Division 19 clubs (Series Barlavento and Sotavento) | ||
| Madeira FA 25 clubs |
Division of Honour 12 clubs |
First Division 13 clubs | ||
| Guarda FA 22 clubs |
First Division 14 clubs |
Second Division 8 clubs | ||
| Angra do Heroísmo FA 11 clubs + 10 clubs |
Azores Championship 10 clubs |
Graciosa Championship 6 clubs São Jorge Championship 3 clubs Terceira Championship 2 clubs | ||
| Ponta Delgada FA 10 clubs + 10 clubs |
São Miguel Championship 10 clubs | |||
| Horta FA 5 clubs + 10 clubs |
Horta Championship 5 clubs | |||
| Vila Real FA 19 clubs |
Division of Honour 19 clubs | |||
| Bragança FA 10 clubs |
Division of Honour 10 clubs | |||
| Castelo Branco FA 9 clubs |
Imotroféu League 9 clubs | |||
| Portalegre FA 6 clubs |
Maxfinance Interior League 6 clubs |
Women's league system
[edit]The Portuguese women's football league system consists of four national divisions and no district leagues.[5][6][7][8] All divisions provide access to the Women's Portuguese Cup and are operated by the Portuguese Football Federation. The second and third divisions are divided in series by geographical proximity.
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↓↑ 1 club + 2 clubs play-off | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2 |
Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino II Divisão | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serie North 6 clubs |
Serie South 6 clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↓↑ 1 clubs + 2 clubs play-off | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3 |
Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino III Divisão | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serie North 6 clubs |
Serie South 6 clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↓↑ 2 clubs + 1 clubs play-off | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4 |
Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino IV Divisão | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serie A 6 clubs |
Serie B 6 clubs |
Serie C 6 clubs |
Serie D 6 clubs |
Serie E 6 clubs |
Serie F 6 clubs |
Serie G 6 clubs |
Serie H 6 clubs |
Serie I 6 clubs |
Serie J 6 clubs |
Serie L 5 clubs |
Serie M 5 clubs | |||||||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Regulamento da Liga 3 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Regulamento do Campeonato de Portugal 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "FPF avança com 3.ª Liga em 2021/22 e cria megaplano para o Campeonato de Portugal" [FPF advances with 3rd League in 2021–22 and creates megaplan for the Championship of Portugal]. Record.pt (in Portuguese). 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ↑ "Conhecido o formato da Liga 3". FPF (in Portuguese). 8 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ↑ "Regulamento da Liga BPI 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Regulamento do Campeonato Nacional da II Divisão Feminina 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Regulamento do Campeonato Nacional da III Divisão Feminina 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Regulamento do Campeonato Nacional da IV Divisão Feminina 2025–26". Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
| Men's |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's |
| ||||||
| District Associations | |||||||
| Defunct competitions | |||||||
