Liga Portugal 2

Before 1990, there was only one professional nationwide football league in Portugal, the first-tier Primeira Divisão (First Division). Its lower placed teams were relegated to the Segunda Divisão (Second Division), a regionally-divided league, whose top teams were promoted to the first level. From the 1990-91 season onward, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) created a new second-tier professional league, taking the name Segunda Divisão de Honra. Similarly to what would happen in other countries in Europe in the 1990s, the moniker of the previous Segunda Divisão passed down to the level below, making it the third-tier league and was renamed Segunda Divisão B. While statistically,

In 1999, the Portuguese League for Professional Football (LPFP, Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional) took control of the two nationwide levels and renamed the league Segunda Liga (Second League), while in 2005 it was renamed Liga de Honra and the Segunda Divisão B reverted to its original name. In 2012, the second tier of Portuguese football was renamed again Segunda Liga and in 2016 it was renamed LigaPro.

During the course of a season, each club plays every other team twice, once at their home stadium and once at their opponent's, for a total of 34 games. At the end of each season, the two top teams are promoted to the Liga Portugal and the two lowest ranked teams will be relegated to the new Liga 3 (previously they were relegated to Campeonato de Portugal). There will be also a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off involving the 16th placed teams of Primeira Liga and 3rd placed team from Liga Portugal 2., There is also a play-off in the same style between the 16th-placed Liga Portugal 2 team and the third-placed team of the lower Liga 3. The B teams cannot be promoted to Liga Portugal but can be demoted if they end the season in one of the relegation positions or if the main team is also relegated.

Format history

In the 1990-91 season, the new second division kicked-off as a 20-team round-robin league. This was in contrast to the 54-club 1989-90 Segunda Divisão, divided regionally into three groups of eighteen (North, Centre, South). The winner of each group (série) and Famalicão were promoted to the First Division due to a judicial decision forcing a temporary expansion to 20 sides and the new Divisão de Honra was thus composed of two relegated teams from the upper tier (Portimonense and Feirense), six teams from each of the three groups and Leixões, the winner of a play-off called the "Liguilha". Seven teams would be relegated at the end of the season to reduce the championship to 18 for 1991-92.

During this period, three teams would be promoted and relegated on either side of the table, before being reduced again in 2006-07 to 16 teams, forcing a promotion of only two to the Primeira Liga and a relegation of six to the Segunda Divisão «B», the season prior. From that season onwards, only two would be promoted or relegated from the second tier. In 2011-12 and in 2013-14 the league would be increased to 22 and 24 teams, respectively. The initial expansion to 22 would not be done through the lower division however, as the new format allowed the entry of six "B" teams representing Benfica, Braga, Porto, Sporting and Vitória SC into the pyramid as well as the promotion of Marítimo B. At time of approval in December 2011, the Primeira Liga was also meant to increase to 18 sides, allowing two teams to be promoted from the Segunda B. However, three teams (Nacional, Porto and Sporting) impugned the League General Assembly. FPF's Justice Council agreed - expansion without relegation would hurt sporting merit and the decision would therefore be void. Simultaneously, União de Leiria's double relegation (one on sporting merit, one by administration) and third-tier champions Varzim's financial crisis impeded their presence in the league. Aside the fifteen teams and six B teams, the final slot was filled by the lower level runners-up Tondela. Later, in 2013-14 and announced beforehand, relegation was in fact suspended allowing for the enlargement to 24. The latter season also experimented with a promotion playoff with the upper tier due to the administrative reintroduction of Boavista in the top tier, but was not repeated in the seasons directly after.

The excessive number of matches among other factors led the increase to be shortlived. Consequently, the number of teams was reduced every season until it reached 18 teams in the 2018-19 season. In 2016-17, four teams were directly relegated with two others going into a play-off with two of the Campeonato Nacional de Séniores and the following season four more with relegated to reach the intended eighteen-club league. The most recent change is the introduction of play-offs in the 2020-21, in which Liga Portugal created a play-offs between divisions.

Since 2018-19, all the matches are broadcast by Sport TV, though some of them are only broadcast through online streaming due to timetables. The exceptions are Benfica B, Porto B and Sporting B home games, broadcast by Benfica TV, Porto Canal and Sporting TV, respectively.

Stadia and locations

For 2026-27 season.

Performance by club

The all-time Liga Portugal 2 table is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in Liga Portugal 2 since its inception as a professional division in 1990. The table is accurate as of the end of the 2025-26 season. 2019-20 league standings are not attributed due to the competition being abandoned. For comparison, older seasons have been calculated according to the three-points-per-win rule.

A. ^ Club ended football team in 2020. Successor club AVS was founded in 2023.

B. ^ Was deducted 3 points in the 2011-12 season and 1 point in the 2022-23 season for financial irregularities.

C. ^ Club folded in 2021. Successor club União da Bola was founded in 2022.

D. ^ Club folded in 2005. Successor club Felgueiras (2006) was founded in 2006.

E. ^ Was deducted 9 points in the 2006-07 season for fielding ineligible players.

F. ^ Club folded in 2011. Successor club Maia Lidador was founded in 2009.

G. ^ Club folded in 2017. Successor club Naval 1893 was founded in 2017. Was deducted 17 points for financial irregularities in the 2012-13 season.

H. ^ Was deducted 2 points in the 2015-16 season for fielding ineligible players.

I. ^ Was deducted 2 points in the 2012-13 season and 5 points in the 2014-15 season for fielding ineligible players.

J. ^ Club ended football team in 2013.

K. ^ Club folded in 2007. Successor club Marco 09 was founded in 2009.

L. ^ Was deducted 3 points in the 2012-13 season for fielding ineligible players.

M. ^ Club ended football team in 2018.

N. ^ Merged with Portalegrense in 2024.

O. ^ Was deducted 1 point in the 2023-24 season for financial irregularities.