LigaPro approves new 2027 tournament format and playoffs

The LigaPro Council of Presidents has approved a new competition format for the 2027 Ecuadorian Serie A season. The tournament will maintain 16 clubs and feature a 30-match regular phase divided into two 15-match stages.

A new competition, the Copa de la Liga, will be held between these two stages. The championship will transition from the current hexagonal system to a playoff format. Following the 30 regular matches, the top four teams in the cumulative table will qualify directly for the quarter-finals, while teams ranked fifth through twelfth will compete in a single-match play-in round to fill the remaining four spots.

Regarding relegation, the four teams finishing between 13th and 16th place in the cumulative table will participate in a quadrangular tournament to determine which two clubs will be relegated to Serie B.

Additionally, the Council decided to maintain the limit of eight foreign players per club for 2027, with the option to replace two players during the mid-year transfer window. The 2027 season is scheduled to begin on January 29. The new format also establishes specific pathways for international qualification, with slots for the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana being distributed among the league champion, the top performers in the cumulative table, the Copa Ecuador winner, and the Copa de la Liga winner.