Portuguese football league system
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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. The federation announced the creation of Liga 3 (League 3) for 2021–22.[1][2]
| 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 | Elite Pro-National | Division of Honour | First Division | Second Division |
| Lisbon FA | First Division | Second Division | Third Division | |
| Aveiro FA | Elite | First Division | Second Division | |
| Braga FA | Pro-National | Division of Honour | First Division | |
| Algarve FA | First Division 12 clubs | Second Division 14 clubs | ||
| Beja FA | First Division 13 clubs | Second Division 26 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | ||
| Coimbra FA | Division of Honour 16 clubs | First Division 18 clubs | ||
| Évora FA | Elite Division 14 clubs | Division of Honour 15 clubs | ||
| Guarda FA | First Division 14 clubs | Second Division 7 clubs | ||
| Leiria FA | Campeonato Lizsport 16 clubs | First Division 25 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | ||
| Madeira FA | Division of Honour 12 clubs | First Division 10 clubs | ||
| Santarém FA | First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 22 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | ||
| Setúbal FA | First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 16 clubs | ||
| Viana do Castelo FA | First Division 16 clubs | Second Division 16 clubs | ||
| Viseu FA | Division of Honour 16 clubs | First Division 27 clubs (Series 1 and 2) | ||
| Angra do Heroísmo FA | Azores Championship 10 clubs | Graciosa Championship 3 clubs São Jorge Championship 5 clubs Terceira Championship 5 clubs | ||
| Horta FA | Horta Championship 5 clubs | |||
| Ponta Delgada FA | São Miguel Championship 10 clubs | |||
| Bragança FA | Division of Honour 11 clubs | |||
| Castelo Branco FA | Division of Honour 10 clubs | |||
| Portalegre FA | First Division 9 clubs | |||
| Vila Real FA | Division of Honour 17 clubs |
Women's league system[edit]
The Portuguese women's football league system consists of three national divisions and no district leagues.
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 8 clubs | Serie South 8 clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↓↑ 4 clubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Campeonato Nacional de Futebol Feminino III 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 6 clubs | Serie M 5 clubs | |||||||||||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "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.
| Men's |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's |
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| District Associations | |||||||
| Defunct competitions | |||||||
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