List of winners of the Liga 3 and predecessors
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A national third tier of Portuguese league football was established in 1947–48 as the Terceira Divisão.
| Portuguese League (3rd tier) |
|---|
| Terceira Divisão (1947–1990) Segunda Divisão B (1990–2005) Segunda Divisão (2005–2013) Campeonato Nacional de Seniores (2013–2015) Campeonato de Portugal (2015–2021) Liga 3 (2021–present) |
| Country |
 Portugal |
| Founded |
| 1947 |
| Number of teams |
| 20 (2025–26 season) |
| Current champions |
| Amarante (2025–26) |
| Most successful club(s) |
| Ovarense, Vizela, Sporting da Covilhã, Oliveirense, Varzim, Freamunde, and Cova da Piedade (3 titles each) |
Starting with the 1990–91 season, a new second-tier professional league, initially named Segunda Divisão de Honra, was established.[1] This moved the Terceira Divisão to the fourth tier of Portuguese league football, and Segunda Divisão B was established as the new third-tier league. It was renamed Segunda Divisão in 2005, returning to its previous name from when it was the second tier.[2]
The Campeonato Nacional de Seniores was introduced in 2013 as the new third-level championship, replacing both Segunda Divisão and Terceira Divisão. On 22 October 2015, it was renamed Campeonato de Portugal.[3] The current Liga 3 was created as the new third tier from the 2021–22 season onwards, and the Campeonato de Portugal was demoted one tier.[4]
Cova da Piedade was the first club to be crowned champions, and the competition's record title holders are Ovarense, Vizela, Sporting da Covilhã, Oliveirense, Varzim, Freamunde, and Cova da Piedade with 3 championships each. Almada, Seixal, União de Lamas, Cova da Piedade, Vizela, União de Santarém, Bragança, Portalegrense, and Montijo won the most titles (2) in the Terceira Divisão era, Sporting da Covilhã holds the record with 3 titles in the Segunda Divisão era, while Mafra was the only repeat winner with 2 titles in the Campeonato de Portugal era. As of the 2025–26 season, no team has yet won more than one Liga 3 title.
The current champions of the league are Amarante, having clinched their 1st title in the 2025–26 season.[5]
List of champions by season
- Teams marked with an asterisk (*) were not promoted
| Ed. | Season | Champions (number of titles) | Runners-up (number of times) | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terceira Divisão (1947–1990) | ||||
1 |
1947–48 | Cova da Piedade (1) | Académico de Viseu (1) | |
2 |
1948–49 | Almada (1) | Tirsense (1) | |
3 |
1949–50 | Ovarense (1) | Operário Vilafranquense (1) | |
4 |
1950–51 | Juventude de Évora (1) | Sanjoanense (1) | |
5 |
1951–52 | Lusitano VRSA (1) | Caldas (1) | |
6 |
1952–53 | Vila Real (1) | Farense (1) | |
7 |
1953–54 | Coruchense (1) | Académico do Porto* (1) | |
8 |
1954–55 | O Elvas (1) | Chaves (1) | |
9 |
1955–56 | Almada (2) | Marinhense (1) | |
10 |
1956–57 | Serpa (1) | Vila Real (1) | |
11 |
1957–58 | Oliveirense (1) | Sacavenense (1) | |
12 |
1958–59 | Beira-Mar (1) | Olivais (1) | |
13 |
1959–60 | Benfica e Castelo Branco (1) | Sacavenense (2) | |
14 |
1960–61 | Seixal (1) | Vila Real (2) | |
15 |
1961–62 | Varzim (1) | Luso (1) | |
16 |
1962–63 | Os Leões (1) | Famalicão (1) | |
17 |
1963–64 | União de Lamas (1) | Almada (1) | |
18 |
1964–65 | União de Tomar (1) | Ovarense (1) | |
19 |
1965–66 | Montijo (1) | Tirsense (2) | |
20 |
1966–67 | Vizela (1) | Tramagal (1) | |
21 |
1967–68 | Seixal (2) | Boavista (1) | |
22 |
1968–69 | União de Lamas (2) | Farense (2) | |
23 |
1969–70 | Olhanense (1) | União de Coimbra (1) | |
24 |
1970–71 | Cova da Piedade (2) | Gil Vicente (1) | |
25 |
1971–72 | Caldas (1) | Oliveirense (1) | |
26 |
1972–73 | Lusitânia Lourosa (1) | Lusitano de Évora (1) | |
27 |
1973–74 | Paços de Ferreira (1) | Estrela de Portalegre (1) | |
28 |
1974–75 | União de Santarém (1) | Sporting da Covilhã (1) | |
29 |
1975–76 | Portalegrense (1) | União de Coimbra (2) | |
30 |
1976–77 | Rio Ave (1) | Cova da Piedade (1) | |
31 |
1977–78 | Sacavenense (1) | Desportivo das Aves (1) | |
32 |
1978–79 | Bragança (1) | Oriental (1) | |
33 |
1979–80 | Vasco da Gama (1) | Sanjoanense (2) | |
34 |
1980–81 | União de Coimbra (1) | O Elvas (1) | |
35 |
1981–82 | Vizela (2) | Atlético CP (1) | |
36 |
1982–83 | Esperança de Lagos (1) | Guarda (1) | |
37 |
1983–84 | Championship play-off was canceled | ||
38 |
1984–85 | União de Santarém (2) | Académico de Viseu (2) | |
39 |
1985–86 | Bragança (2) | União de Santiago (1) | |
40 |
1986–87 | Louletano (1) | Marco (1) | |
41 |
1987–88 | Portalegrense (2) | Luso (2) | |
42 |
1988–89 | Mirense (1) | Famalicão (2) | |
43 |
1989–90 | Montijo (2) | Lousada (1) | |
| Segunda Divisão B (1990–2005) | ||||
44 |
1990–91 | Ovarense (2) | Rio Ave (1) | Olhanense |
45 |
1991–92 | Campomaiorense (1) | Felgueiras (1) | Amora |
46 |
1992–93 | Leça (1) | Portimonense (1) | Académico de Viseu |
47 |
1993–94 | Amora (1) | Feirense (1) | União de Lamas |
48 |
1994–95 | Moreirense (1) | Alverca (1) | Académico de Viseu |
49 |
1995–96 | Varzim (2) | Sporting da Covilhã (2) | Beja |
50 |
1996–97 | Maia (1) | Torreense (1) | Nacional da Madeira |
51 |
1997–98 | Santa Clara (1) | Esposende (1) | Naval 1º Maio |
52 |
1998–99 | Freamunde (1) | No championship play-off took place, with each season's 3 regional winners being recognized joint league champions. | |
| Sporting da Covilhã (1) | ||||
| Imortal (1) | ||||
53 |
1999–2000 | Marco (1) | ||
| Ovarense (3) | ||||
| Nacional da Madeira (1) | ||||
54 |
2000–01 | Moreirense (2) | ||
| Oliveirense (2) | ||||
| Portimonense (1) | ||||
55 |
2001–02 | Marco (2) | ||
| Sporting da Covilhã (2) | ||||
| União da Madeira (1) | ||||
56 |
2002–03 | Leixões (1) | ||
| Feirense (1) | ||||
| Estoril Praia (1) | ||||
57 |
2003–04 | Gondomar (1) | ||
| Sporting de Espinho (1) | ||||
| Olhanense (2) | ||||
58 |
2004–05 | Vizela (3) | ||
| Sporting da Covilhã (3) | ||||
| Barreirense (1) | ||||
| Segunda Divisão (2005–2013) | ||||
59 |
2005–06 | Olivais e Moscavide (1) | Trofense (1) | |
60 |
2006–07 | Freamunde (2) | Fátima (1) | |
61 |
2007–08 | Oliveirense (3) | Sporting da Covilhã (3) | |
62 |
2008–09 | Fátima (1) | Chaves (2) | |
63 |
2009–10 | Arouca (1) | Moreirense (1) | União da Madeira* |
64 |
2010–11 | União da Madeira (2) | Atlético CP (2) | Padroense* |
65 |
2011–12 | Varzim*[a] (3) | Tondela (1) | Fátima* |
66 |
2012–13 | Chaves (1) | Farense (3) | Académico de Viseu |
| Campeonato Nacional de Seniores (2013–2015) | ||||
67 |
2013–14 | Freamunde (3) | Oriental (2) | |
68 |
2014–15 | Mafra (1) | Famalicão (3) | |
| Campeonato de Portugal (2015–2021) | ||||
69 |
2015–16 | Cova da Piedade (3) | Vizela (1) | |
70 |
2016–17 | Real (1) | Oliveirense (2) | |
71 |
2017–18 | Mafra (2) | Farense (4) | |
72 |
2018–19 | Casa Pia (1) | Vilafranquense (1) | |
73 |
2019–20 | Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic (Vizela and Arouca were promoted for being the two teams with the most points at the time of the suspension)[7] | ||
74 |
2020–21 | Trofense (1) | Estrela da Amadora (1) | |
| Liga 3 (2021–present) | ||||
75 |
2021–22 | Torreense (1) | Oliveirense (3) | |
76 |
2022–23 | União de Leiria (1) | Belenenses (1) | |
77 |
2023–24 | Alverca (1) | Felgueiras (2006) (1) | Lusitânia Lourosa* |
78 |
2024–25 | Lusitânia Lourosa (2) | Sporting B (1) | Belenenses* |
79 |
2025–26 | Amarante (1) | Académica de Coimbra (1) | Belenenses* |
List of champion clubs by titles won
64 clubs have won the third-tier title, including 38 which have won since professional leagues were introduced (1990–). The most recent to join the list were Amarante (2025–26).
19 teams have at some point held first or joint first place in the number of titles won: Cova da Piedade (1948–1955, 2016–), Almada (1949–1999), Ovarense (1950–1955, 1991–), Juventude de Évora (1951–1955), Lusitano VRSA (1952–1955), Vila Real (1953–1955), Coruchense (1954–1955), O Elvas (1955), Seixal (1968–1999), União de Lamas (1969–1999), Vizela (1982–1999, 2005–), União de Santarém (1985–1999), Bragança (1986–1999), Portalegrense (1988–1999), Montijo (1990–1999), Varzim (1996–1999, 2012–), Sporting da Covilhã (2005–), Oliveirense (2008–), and Freamunde (2014–).
Where teams in the table are tied for championship wins, they are ordered by earliest title won and then number of runner-up seasons.
Performance by district
Clubs from a total of 18 districts have won the second-tier title.
See also
Notes
- Varzim was excluded from 2012–13 Segunda Liga for failing to meet the requirements to join professional competitions.[6]