Segunda División de El Salvador
| Founded | 1950 |
|---|---|
| Country | El Salvador |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of clubs | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Primera División |
| Relegation to | Tercera División |
| Domestic cup | Copa El Salvador |
| Current champions | Atletico Balboa (2025 Apertura) |
| Most championships | Once Lobos (5 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Canal 10 |
| Website | Official website |
| Current: 2025–26 Segunda División | |
The Segunda División de El Salvador (Second Division of El Salvador) is the second tier of football in El Salvador governed by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT). Teams contest to promote to the Primera División.[1][2]
The winning sides of the annual Apertura and Clausura contest each other, the winner directly promotes to Primera División.[3]
The losing side of the match contest the last place team of Primera División to trigger promotion and relegation should the Primera División team lose to the Segunda División side.[4][5][6]
History
The Salvadoran Football Federation decided to improve the quality and competitiveness of football.
Segunda División, also called Liga B or Liga de Ascenso, was created in 1950 divided into two groups to contest within each group. The top sides of each group then contested in order that the winner is directly promotes to Primera División.
Category of Ascent was made of 12 teams, four teams in each zone: central, western and eastern.
The founding 12 teams in Segunda División were ANTEL, Atlético Marte, Marte Soyapango, Caterpillar de San Salvador, Picapiedra del Plan de la Laguna, Antiguo Cuscatlán, Dragón, Once Municipal, Molino F. C, Ahuachapán and Puertas de Santa Ana y San Rafael.
The inaugural President of the Segunda División was Dr Mauro Alfredo Bernal Silva.
The number of teams increased up to twelve teams per zone (36 teams altogether). In 1986 the Legislative Assembly emitted a decree in the Reforms to the Law of Football and the Category of Ascent that Segunda División would be limited to only 24 teams split into two groups.
In 2007, Segunda División adopted an Apertura and Clausura format.[7]
Members of the Segunda División (2025–26 season)
The league currently consists of the following 14 teams:
Centro Occidente Group A
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADET - Aruba FC | Jayaque, La Libertad | Cancha Hacienda El Tránsito | 10,000 |
| AD Espartano | San Julián, Sonsonate | Polideportivo Helen Arias | 10,000 |
| CD Fuerte Aguilares | Aguilares, San Salvador | Complejo Deportivo Mario Jovel | 8,000 |
| CD Inca | Entre Ríos, Lourdes, Colón, La Libertad | Cancha San Isidro | 7,000 |
| AD Juventud Independiente | San Juan Opico, La Libertad | Complejo Deportivo San Juan Opico | 7,000 |
| Sensunte Cabañas FC | Sensuntepeque, Cabañas | Polideportivo Sensuntepeque | 5,000 |
| CD Talleres Jr. | Tejutla, Chalatenango | Cancha José Pio Romero Bosque | 2,000 |
Group B Centro Oriental
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD Atlético Balboa | La Unión | Estadio Marcelino Imbers | 4,000 | |
| AD Batanecos | San Sebastián, San Vicente | Estadio Juan Francisco Molina | 5,000 | |
| CD Cruzeiro | San Cayetano Istepeque, San Vicente | Cancha Municipal Candelaria Abajo | 5,000 | |
| CD Dragón | San Miguel | Estadio de Quelepa | 5,000 | |
| CD Neo Pipil | San Juan Nonualco, La Paz | Estadio San Juan Nonualco | 10,000 | |
| CD Olimpico Litoral | Loma Larga, La Unión | Complejo Deportivo Rafael López | 8,000 | |
| CD Pipil | Cacaopera, Morazán | Estadio Vicente Paul Fuentes | 5,000 |
Division set-up
Changes in division set-up
- Number of clubs: currently 24. From TBD to TBD there were two divisions, each of 20 teams. From TBD to TBD it had 20. The 1991–92 season was played in two groups of 12 teams each; TBD again in one group with 24 teams, TBD with 20 teams.
- Teams promoted to the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador (La Primera): 3; 1981–1991 there was a promotion/relegation round, in 1991–92 there was 1 promotion per group.
- Number of relegations into the Regionalliga (until 1994: Oberliga): 4; 1991–92: 2–3 per group (inclusive relegation); 1992–93: 7.
Promotion and relegation
- From 2007 until 2010, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura would play for automatic promotion, where the loser of the match would play a playoff with the team that finished 9th in La Primera.
After this, and to the present, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura face in a final game with only the winner gaining promotion to La Primera.
- Until the 2015–16 season, the bottom three teams were relegated into the Tercera Division. Since the 2016–17, the bottom three teams of each group play in a round robin tournament; the bottom team of that round robin tournament are relegated to the Tercera Division.
League matches derbies and classics in Segunda División
- Atletico Apopa vs Vendaval Apopa "Clásico de Apopa" (last played in )
- Independiente FC vs CD Platense "Clásico Paracentral" (last played in )
Presidents of Segunda División de El Salvador Trophy & Copa
League champions Segunda División de El Salvador
Source: [8]
See also
- Football in El Salvador – overview of football sport
References
- ^ Gráfico, El. "Once Municipal, el único con ventaja en segunda división". elgrafico.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ "Segunda División afina detalles para el Torneo Apertura - mas.sv". 17 July 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ Gráfico, El. "Chalchuapa y Apastepeque definirán al finalista". elgrafico.com. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ "Leones, el primer descendido - elsalvador.com". elsalvador.com. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Gráfico, El. "Oriente, sin candidatos para el ascenso a la primera división". elgrafico.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ "Once Lobos y Audaz pelean por un puesto en la final de la segunda división". Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ "Segunda tendrá cambios: Jugarán torneo Apertura y Clausura También tendrán reservas". Archived from the original on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ "Magos del ascenso salvadoreño - Culebrita Macheteada – Futbol El Salvador". www.culebritamacheteada.com.sv. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.