Football league
The Peruvian Third Division, officially known as 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 its creation in 2025.[1] The Liga 3 is contested by 36 teams, with the top two teams gaining promotion to the Liga 2 and the bottom four teams being relegated to the Copa Perú. [2]
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; during the Departmental Stage of said tournament, the 25 champions would participate in the first edition of Liga 3 in 2021.[3] However, the Peruvian Football Federation decided to cancel the 2020 edition of the Copa Perú while the District Stage was in development due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the pause of the creation of the Liga 3.
In 2022, the Peruvian Football Federation, 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 First Division from the Copa Perú.[4]
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.[5][6] In 2024, the Peruvian Football Federation, taking into account CONMEBOL's observations, then decides 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.[7]
Division levels
36 teams take part in the Liga 3. The tournament is split into three stages, the Regional Stage, Second Stage, and the Playoffs. In the Regional Stage, the 36 teams would be 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 Playoffs will be promoted to the Segunda División.[8]
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.[9]
Stadia and locations
Locations of the 2025 Liga 3 teams
| Team
|
City
|
Stadium[10]
|
Capacity[11]
|
| ADT II |
Tarma |
Unión Tarma |
9,100
|
| Alianza Lima II |
Lima |
Esther Grande de Bentín |
–
|
| Alto Rendimiento |
Puerto Maldonado |
IPD de Puerto Maldonado |
2,000
|
| Amazon Callao |
Callao |
Facundo Ramírez Aguilar |
2,000
|
| Carlos Stein |
Chongoyape |
Municipal de la Juventud |
2,500
|
| Centro Social Pariacoto |
Casma |
Valeriano López Mendiola |
3,000
|
| Cienciano II |
Cusco |
Thomas E. Payne |
8,000
|
| Construcción Civil |
Huánuco |
Heraclio Tapia |
25,000
|
| Defensor José María Arguedas |
Andahuaylas |
Los Chankas |
10,000
|
| Deportivo Lute |
Lambayeque |
César Flores Marigorda |
7,000
|
| Deportivo Municipal |
Lima |
Iván Elías Moreno |
11,000
|
| Deportivo Municipal (Pangoa) |
Pichanaqui |
Malaquias Cóndor Aire |
2,500
|
| Diablos Rojos |
Juliaca |
Guillermo Briceño Rosamedina |
20,030
|
| Deportivo Ucrania |
Nueva Cajamarca |
IPD de Nueva Cajamarca |
12,000
|
| Ecosem Pasco |
Cerro de Pasco |
Daniel Alcides Carrión |
12,000
|
| Estudiantil CNI |
Iquitos |
Max Augustín |
24,576
|
| Juan Aurich |
Chiclayo |
Elías Aguirre |
24,500
|
| Juventud Alfa |
Calca |
Thomas Ernesto Payne |
5,000
|
| Juventud Cautivo |
San Miguel de El Faique |
27 de Julio |
2,000
|
| Juventud Santo Domingo |
Nasca |
Municipal de Nasca |
10,000
|
| Juventus |
Huamachuco |
Municipal de Huamachuco |
5,000
|
| Melgar II |
Arequipa |
CAR - FBC Melgar |
–
|
| Nacional |
Mollendo |
Municipal de Mollendo |
5,000
|
| Nuevo San Cristóbal |
Kimbiri |
Municipal de Kimbiri |
5,000
|
| Pacífico |
Huacho |
Segundo Aranda Torres |
11,500
|
| Patriotas |
Tacna |
Jorge Basadre |
19,850
|
| Rauker |
Pucallpa |
Aliardo Soria Pérez |
25,848
|
| Real San Antonio |
Moquegua |
25 de Noviembre |
21,073
|
| Sport Bolognesi |
Tumbes |
Mariscal Cáceres |
12,000
|
| Sport Boys II |
Callao |
Campolo Alcalde |
2,000
|
| Sport Huancayo II |
Huancayo |
Huancayo |
20,000
|
| UDA |
Huancavelica |
IPD de Huancavelica |
8,500
|
| Unión Huaral |
Huaral |
Julio Lores Colán |
6,000
|
| Unión Santo Domingo |
Chachapoyas |
Kuélap |
1,000
|
| Universidad César Vallejo II |
Trujillo |
Villa Poeta |
–
|
| Universitario II |
Lima |
Campo Mar - U |
–
|
| Volante |
Bambamarca |
Municipal El Frutillo |
5,000
|
Champions
| Ed.
|
Season
|
Champion
|
Runner-up
|
1 |
2025 |
|
|
See also
References
External links
- FPF Official Federation Website
