Ecuador's top football league, LigaPro, introduces a complex new structure for its 2026 season
In short: The 68th season of Ecuador's premier football competition, the LigaPro Serie A, has overhauled its tournament format. While sixteen teams compete for the title, the season now splits into two distinct phases, incorporating hexagonals and a quadrangular group to determine both the national champion and the teams facing relegation.
The 2026 campaign, officially known as the Liga Ecuabet, represents the eighth season managed by the Liga Profesional de Fútbol del Ecuador. The tournament structure, finalized by the Council of Presidents on 15 December 2025, maintains a two-stage format. During the first stage, which ran from 20 February to 14 September 2026, all 16 participating clubs played each other twice, totaling 30 matches per team. Unlike previous iterations, the top team at the end of this initial phase was no longer guaranteed a direct spot in the Copa Libertadores group stage.
Following the first stage, teams were divided into three groups based on their standings. The top six clubs entered a championship hexagonal to compete for the title and international berths. The next four teams joined a quadrangular group to fight for the final Copa Sudamericana slot, while the bottom six teams faced a relegation hexagonal. In this final group, the two worst-performing teams are relegated to Serie B. Crucially, teams carried their first-stage points and records into these final stages, ensuring that early-season performance remained a factor until the final matches on 13 December 2026.
The composition of the league saw significant shifts before the season began. Guayaquil City secured promotion after a 3–1 victory over San Antonio on 12 October 2025, while Leones earned their first-ever top-flight promotion on 24 October 2025. Administrative issues also played a role; El Nacional was relegated on 16 December 2025 due to unpaid debts, a move that ultimately spared Técnico Universitario from relegation. This complex interplay of sporting merit and administrative oversight highlights the rigorous, high-stakes environment of Ecuadorian football as it navigates its 68th season.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 LigaPro Serie A
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