2025–26 Liga 3 (Portugal)

Liga 3
Season2025–26
Dates8 August 2024 – 18 May 2026
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 Liga 3 is the fifth season of Portuguese football's third-tier league, following the reorganization which saw the Campeonato de Portugal moving one level down in the Portuguese football league system.

Format

Main article: Liga 3 (Portugal) § Format

This competition consists of a first stage with all the teams then proceed to a promotion or relegation series depending on their performance.[1]

Teams

A total of 20 teams will contest the league, including 1 team relegated from the 2024–25 Liga Portugal 2, 14 teams from the 2024–25 Liga 3 and 5 teams promoted from the 2024–25 Campeonato de Portugal.

Team changes

Stadium and locations

Location of teams in 2025-26 Liga 3 (Mainland).
Yellow: Serie A;
Blue: Serie B.
Locations of teams in the 2025–26 Liga 3 from Lisbon
Team Location Stadium Capacity 2024–25 finish
Belenenses Lisbon Estádio do Restelo 19,856 3rd Promotion
Braga B Braga Estádio Amélia Morais 2,500 1st Relegation S1
Académica Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra 29,622 2nd Relegation S2
Amora Amora Estádio da Medideira 1,500 2nd CP Promotion Serie 2
Varzim Póvoa de Varzim Estádio do Varzim Sport Club 7,280 4th Promotion
Atlético CP Lisbon Estádio da Tapadinha 4,000 7th Promotion
Sp. Covilhã Covilhã Estádio Municipal
José dos Santos Pinto 		3,500 4th Relegation S2
Fafe Fafe Estádio Municipal de Fafe 4,000 5th Promotion
Trofense Trofa Estádio do Clube Desportivo Trofense 5,017 3rd Relegation S1
Caldas Caldas da Rainha Campo da Mata 9,600 3rd Relegation S2
Sanjoanense São João da Madeira Estádio Conde Dias Garcia 8,500 2nd Relegation S1
USC Paredes Paredes Estádio Municipal das Laranjeiras 3,000 2nd CP Promotion Serie 1
1.º Dezembro Sintra Complexo Desportivo do Real SC 1,200 6th Promotion
Amarante Amarante Estádio Municipal de Amarante 5,000 8th Promotion
Mafra Mafra Estádio Municipal de Mafra 1,249 18th LP2
São João de Ver Santa Maria da Feira Estádio Sporting Clube São João de Ver 5,000 4th Relegation S1
Marco 09 Marco de Canaveses Estádio Municipal do Marco de Canaveses 6,000 3rd CP Promotion Serie 1
Lusitano Évora Évora Campo Estrela 4,000 1st CP Promotion Serie 2
União de Santarém Santarém Campo Chã das Padeiras 2,167 1st Relegation S2
Vitória SC B Guimarães Academia Vitória Sport Clube 2,500 1st CP Promotion Serie 1

First stage

In the first stage, the 20 clubs will be divided in two series (Série A and B) of 10 teams, according to geographic criteria.

Série A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VIT AMA TRO VAR PAR BRA FAF MAR SJV SAN
1 Vitória S.C. B 18 8 5 5 20 16 +4 29 Qualification for Promotion Stage 2–3 1–2 1–2 1–3 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0
2 Amarante 18 8 5 5 19 17 +2 29 1–2 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–0 3–2 3–2 2–2 0–0
3 Trofense 18 7 7 4 23 15 +8 28 0–1 0–1 2–1 0–0 2–0 5–1 0–1 1–1 1–2
4 Varzim 18 7 7 4 26 17 +9 28 1–1 0–0 0–1 2–2 3–1 1–1 2–1 4–0 2–0
5 Paredes 18 6 9 3 22 12 +10 27 Qualification for Relegation Stage 1–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–0 3–0
6 Braga B 18 6 7 5 16 17 −1 25 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 0–0 2–2
7 Fafe 18 6 6 6 23 21 +2 24 1–0 3–0 1–2 1–0 2–1 2–2 0–0 2–0 0–2
8 Marco 09 18 4 7 7 15 22 −7 19 0–0 1–0 1–1 1–3 0–3 2–2 1–1 2–1 2–1
9 São João de Ver 18 2 8 8 11 26 −15 14 0–2 0–1 0–0 1–1 1–2 1–0 0–4 0–0 2–1
10 Sanjoanense 18 2 7 9 20 32 −12 13 2–3 0–2 2–4 3–3 2–2 0–2 1–1 0–0 2–2
Source: Liga 3
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) head-to-head points, 3) head-to-head goal difference, 4) goal difference, 5) matches won, 6) goals scored

Série B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification BEL MAF ACA USA ATL LUE AMO CAL 1DE SPC
1 Belenenses 18 12 2 4 27 16 +11 38 Qualification for Promotion Stage 2–1 1–1 0–2 1–0 1–0 3–1 0–2 1–0 3–0
2 Mafra 18 9 7 2 28 19 +9 34 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 2–0 4–2 3–1 2–0
3 Académica de Coimbra 18 7 7 4 29 18 +11 28 4–1 3–3 1–0 2–0 3–1 2–0 0–0 1–1 0–1
4 União de Santarém 18 6 7 5 15 14 +1 25 2–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–1
5 Atlético CP 18 6 4 8 16 17 −1 22 Qualification for Relegation Stage 1–2 1–2 1–4 1–2 1–0 0–1 2–0 4–0 0–0
6 Lusitano Évora 18 6 4 8 19 19 0 22 0–1 4–1 0–2 1–0 0–1 3–1 1–0 2–0 2–1
7 Amora 18 5 6 7 19 22 −3 21 0–2 1–2 3–3 3–0 1–1 1–1 0–1 1–1 2–0
8 Caldas 18 6 3 9 17 23 −6 21 1–2 1–1 1–0 0–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–2 2–1
9 1.º Dezembro 18 3 8 7 13 21 −8 17 0–1 1–1 2–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 1–1
10 Covilhã 18 2 8 8 10 24 −14 14 0–4 0–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 2–1 0–1
Source: Liga 3
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) head-to-head points, 3) head-to-head goal difference, 4) goal difference, 5) matches won, 6) goals scored

Second stage

Promotion stage

The eight qualified teams from the first stage play against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system, with the winners and runners-up being promoted to Liga Portugal 2 and the third-placed team qualifying for a playoff against the 16th-placed team of Liga Portugal 2.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification ACA AMA BEL VIT VAR USA TRO MAF
1 Académica de Coimbra 5 4 0 1 9 4 +5 12 Promotion to Liga Portugal 2 1–0 3–1 2–0
2 Amarante 5 4 0 1 7 4 +3 12 1–0 1–0
3 Belenenses 6 3 2 1 11 8 +3 11 Qualification for Promotion play-off 3–2 1–2 3–2 0–0
4 Vitória S.C. B 6 3 1 2 9 6 +3 10 2–2 3–0 1–2
5 Varzim 7 3 0 4 7 9 −2 9 0–1 2–1 1–0 2–0
6 União de Santarém 7 2 0 5 7 11 −4 6 1–2 0–2 0–1 3–1
7 Trofense 6 1 2 3 4 7 −3 5 1–2 1–1
8 Mafra 6 1 1 4 4 9 −5 4 1–2 1–0
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: Liga 3
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) head-to-head points, 3) head-to-head goal difference, 4) goal difference, 5) matches won, 6) goals scored

Relegation stage

The bottom 12 teams were divided in two series of 6 teams, playing against each other in a home-and-away double round-robin system and the bottom two teams of each series being relegated to Campeonato de Portugal. To account for their performance in the first stage, teams started with bonification points, as follows:

  • The best-5th-placed team (Paredes) started with 9 points.
  • The worst 5th-placed team (Atlético CP) and best 6th-placed team (Braga B) started with 8 points.
  • The worst 6th-placed team (Lusitano Évora) started with 7 points.
  • The 7th-placed teams (Amora and Fafe) started with 6 points.
  • The best 8th-placed team (Caldas) started with 5 points.
  • The worst 8th-placed team (Marco 09) started with 4 points.
  • The best 9th-placed team (1.º Dezembro) started with 3 points.
  • The worst 9th-placed team (São João de Ver) started with 2 points.
  • The 10th-placed teams (Covilhã and Sanjoanense) started with 1 point.

Serie 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Relegation BRA PAR FAF SJV MAR SAN
1 Braga B 6 2 2 2 7 6 +1 16 1–0 0–1 2–0
2 Paredes 5 2 1 2 6 5 +1 16 0–0 3–1
3 Fafe 5 2 2 1 6 5 +1 14 2–1 1–1 3–2
4 São João de Ver 6 3 2 1 8 5 +3 13 1–1 3–1 1–0
5 Marco 09 6 1 3 2 4 7 −3 10 Relegation to Campeonato de Portugal 0–2 2–1 0–0
6 Sanjoanense 6 0 4 2 7 10 −3 5 2–2 1–1 1–1
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: Liga 3
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) head-to-head points, 3) head-to-head goal difference, 4) goal difference, 5) matches won, 6) goals scored

Serie 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Relegation ATL CAL LUE SPC 1DE AMO
1 Atlético CP 5 4 0 1 11 3 +8 20 3–0 1–2
2 Caldas 5 3 0 2 5 4 +1 14 0–1 2–1 2–1
3 Lusitano Évora 5 2 1 2 5 6 −1 14 0–1 1–0
4 Covilhã 6 4 0 2 9 7 +2 13 1–0 1–3 0–2
5 1.º Dezembro 6 2 1 3 10 10 0 10 Relegation to Campeonato de Portugal 1–5 1–1 1–2
6 Amora 5 0 0 5 1 11 −10 6 0–1 0–3 0–4
Updated to match(es) played on 21 March 2026. Source: Liga 3
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) head-to-head points, 3) head-to-head goal difference, 4) goal difference, 5) matches won, 6) goals scored

References

  1. ^ "Da subida à manutenção na Liga 3: todas as contas para a última jornada (Lembrando o formato para 2023/24)". Mais Futebol (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-06-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.