Liga 3 is the third-highest division in the Peruvian football league system. It is a semi-professional and promotional division organized by the Peruvian Football Federation since 2025.¿Qué es la nueva Liga 3, formato del torneo y cómo se jugará la temporada 2024? The Liga 3 is contested by 37 teams, with promotion to the Liga 2 and relegation to the Copa Perú.
History The idea of a third division was discussed by the Peruvian Football Federation in 2019. The president of the National Amateur Football Commission, Luis Duarte Plata, had planned to replace Copa Perú with the Liga 3 and hold the last edition in 2020; the 25 departamental champions would participate in the first edition of Liga 3 in 2021. However, the FPF decided to cancel the 2020 edition of the Copa Perú during the District Stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the FPF, through the National Subcommission of Amateur Football, decided to reconsider the idea of a new league that would be the first step towards professionalization for clubs coming from the Copa Perú. This idea was embodied by President Agustín Lozano through the "reforms of Peruvian football", which would have as their first important change the elimination of promotion to the Liga 1 from the Copa Perú.
Between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the creation of Liga 3 was a request and requirement established by FIFA. The creation of the third division means that the Copa Perú will be moved down tier.¿Qué pasará con la Copa Perú con la creación de la Liga 3?Adios Copa Perú, el 2024 se llamará Liga 3 y será torneo de ascenso para la Liga 2 In 2024, the FPF, taking into account CONMEBOL's observations, then decided that the Copa Perú would be the tournament that decides the participants in a meritorious manner, based on the original idea from years ago: the 25 representatives of each department that are best placed in the final table of the 2024 Copa Perú's National Stage, whether the departmental champion or runner-up and except for those promoted to Liga 2, will be the clubs that will play the first edition of Liga 3 in the year 2025.REGLAMENTO DE LA COPA PERÜ
Division levels Year Level Promotion to Relegation to 2025–present Liga 2 Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales
Competition format and sponsorship 36 teams take part in the Liga 3. The tournament is split into three stages, the Regional Stage, Second Stage, and the Play-offs. In the Regional Stage, the 36 teams are split into four groups of nine based on geographical location. The top four of each group will advance to the Second Stage while the bottom team in each group will be relegated to the Copa Perú. In the Second Stage, the 16 teams will be split into four groups of four. The top two of each group will advance to the Playoffs quarter-finals. The finalists of the Play-offs will be promoted to the Liga 2.
The top three teams in the National Stage of the Copa Perú, along with the champions of the Torneo Juvenil Sub-18 will be promoted to the Liga 3. However, reserve teams will be unable to play in the same division as their first teams, being restricted promotion and always being kept one division separate from their first team. Two teams from the Liga 3 also be invited to the Copa LFP - FPF, based on historic popularity.
Sponsorship The Liga 3 is currently sponsored by the Spanish clothing brand company, Joma. Joma acquired naming rights in 2025, with the leagues official sponsorship name being "Liga 3 Joma".
Clubs Initially, it had been planned that 32 teams will participate in the Liga 3. However, after the administrative relegation of Unión Huaral and Juan Aurich, from the 2024 Liga 2 at the beginning of the season, in addition to the increase to eight of the qualifiers since the 2024 Torneo de Promoción y Reserva, this number was expanded to 36.REGLAMENTO Torneo Promoción y Reservas 2024
Stadia and locations
TeamCityStadiumMost stadiums are owned by the Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD).CapacityADT IITarmaUnión Tarma9,100AD TahuishcoMoyobambaIPD de Moyobamba8,000Alianza Lima IILimaHugo Sotil13,773Amazon CallaoCallaoCampolo Alcalde3,000ANBA PerúJuliacaGuillermo Briceño Rosamedina20,030ASAChancayRómulo Shaw Cisneros3,000Carlos SteinNegritosWilberto Herrera Carlín3,000Centro Social PariacotoCasmaValeriano López2,000Cienciano IICalcaThomas Ernesto Payne8,000Corazón de León – ARYauriMunicipal de Espinar16,000Cultural VolanteBambamarcaMunicipal El Frutillo5,000Deportivo CoopsolChancayRómulo Shaw Cisneros3,000Deportivo LuteLambayequeCésar Flores Marigorda7,000Deportivo Municipal (Pangoa)SatipoMunicipal de Mazamari5,000Deportivo UcraniaNueva CajamarcaIPD de Nueva Cajamarca12,000Ecosem PascoCerro de PascoDaniel Alcides Carrión12,000Juan AurichChiclayoElías Aguirre24,000Juventud CautivoSullanaCampeones del 3612,000Juventud HuracánSupeEdgardo Reyes Bolívar2,000Juventud Santo DomingoNazcaMunicipal de Nasca10,000JuventusHuamachucoMunicipal de Huamachuco5,000Melgar IIArequipaCAR - FBC Melgar–NacionalMollendoMunicipal de Mollendo5,000Nuevo San CristóbalKimbiriMunicipal de Kimbiri5,000PacíficoHuachoSegundo Aranda Torres11,500PatriotasTacnaJorge Basadre19,850Sport Boys IICallaoCampolo Alcalde2,000Sporting CompanyArequipa25 de Noviembre–Sporting Cristal IILimaLa Florida–UcayaliPucallpaAliardo Soria Pérez25,848UDAHuancavelicaIPD de Huancavelica8,500Unión HuaralHuaralJulio Lores Colán6,000Unión Santo DomingoChachapoyasGran Kuélap1,000Universidad César Vallejo IITrujilloCésar Acuña Peralta2,000Universitario IILimaCampo Mar - U–Valle SagradoCalcaThomas Ernesto Payne8,000
Champions Ed. Season Champion Runner-up Winning managerLeading goalscorer(s) 2025 Sport Huancayo II Estudiantil CNI Pedro Garay Juan Martínez (Sport Huancayo II; 18 goals) 2026
Titles by club RankClubWinnersRunners-upWinning yearsRunners-up yearsSport Huancayo II 1 — 2025 —
Titles by region RegionNº of titlesClubs Junín1Sport Huancayo II (1)
See also Football in Peru Peruvian football league system Peruvian Football Federation Peruvian football league system Liga 1 Liga 2 Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales del Peru Ligas Provinciales del Peru Ligas Distritales del Peru
References
External links FPF Official Federation Website