The 2025–26 Liga 3 was the fifth season of Portuguese football's third-tier league, and the 79th season of recognised third-tier football in 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.
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
Relegated from 2024–25 Liga Portugal 2 Mafra Promoted from 2024–25 Campeonato de Portugal Lusitano Évora Vitória SC B Paredes Amora Marco 09
Promoted to 2025–26 Liga Portugal 2 Lusitânia Lourosa Sporting CP B
Relegated to 2025–26 Campeonato de Portugal Anadia Lusitânia Oliveira do Hospital Vilaverdense
Stadium and locations
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 MunicipalJosé 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 5,700 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 </onlyinclude>
Série B </onlyinclude>
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.
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 </onlyinclude>
Serie 2
References