Portugal's football federation revamps Campeonato de Portugal format for 2026/27

The Portuguese Football Federation approved a major overhaul of the Campeonato de Portugal for the 2026/27 season. The competition will feature 56 clubs split into four series of 14 teams, playing a double‑round‑robin in the first phase. The top two in each series advance to a promotion phase, with two teams from each series earning promotion to Liga 3 and a final to decide the champion.

A new maintenance play‑off will involve the 11th‑ and 12th‑placed clubs in each series, giving four teams a chance to retain their place while the bottom two (13th and 14th) are directly relegated to district leagues. The reforms aim to boost competitiveness while keeping the battle for survival open until the final rounds. Additionally, match‑day scheduling constraints were outlined to avoid conflicts involving top clubs such as SC Braga, SL Benfica, Sporting CP and FC Porto.