2026 LigaPro Serie A
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 20 February – 13 December 2026 |
← 2025 2027 → | |
The 2026 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A will be the 68th season of the Serie A, Ecuador's top tier football league, and the eighth under the management of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol del Ecuador (or LigaPro). The season is scheduled to begin on 20 February and end on 13 December 2026.[1][2]
Independiente del Valle will be the defending champions.
Format changes
The format for the 2026 season was approved by the Council of Presidents of LigaPro on 15 December 2025. The tournament will retain its two-stage setup, but with minor changes to the final stages: in the first stage the 16 participating teams will play each other twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 30 matches, and teams will be split according to their placement into two hexagonals and one quadrangular group for the final stages. The top six teams will play the first hexagonal in which they will play each other twice to decide the season champions as well as three Copa Libertadores berths and three Copa Sudamericana ones, while the group in which the last berth to the Copa Sudamericana will be decided was downsized from six to four teams, those being the ones placing from seventh to tenth place in the first stage. The bottom six teams will play a hexagonal to decide the two teams that will be relegated to Serie B at the end of the season. Although points from the first stage will still be carried over to the final stage, this time the top team at the end of the first stage will not be assured of qualification for the Copa Libertadores group stage.[1]
Teams
Team changes
Sixteen teams will compete in the season, the top 14 teams from the 2025 LigaPro Serie A and the top two teams of the 2025 Ecuadorian Serie B. Técnico Universitario and Vinotinto Ecuador were relegated from Serie A after finishing in the bottom two places of the relegation group of the previous season,[3] and were replaced by the second tier champions Guayaquil City and runners-up Leones. Guayaquil City returned to the Serie A after two seasons with three matches to go after a 3–1 win over San Antonio on 12 October 2025,[4] whilst Leones clinched a first-ever promotion to the top flight with one match left on 24 October, after Gualaceo was deducted nine points due to match-fixing.[5]
Although El Nacional avoided relegation on sporting merit, they were administratively relegated to Serie B on 16 December 2025 after defaulting on payments to its creditors on three occasions.[6]
Stadia and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aucas | Quito | Cooprogreso Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda | 21,689 |
| Barcelona | Guayaquil | Monumental Banco Pichincha | 57,267 |
| Delfín | Manta | Jocay | 21,000 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Cuenca | Banco del Austro Alejandro Serrano Aguilar | 18,549 |
| Emelec | Guayaquil | George Capwell Banco del Austro | 40,020 |
| Guayaquil City | Guayaquil | Christian Benítez | 10,152 |
| Independiente del Valle | Quito | Banco Guayaquil | 12,000 |
| LDU Quito | Quito | Rodrigo Paz Delgado | 41,575 |
| Leones | Atuntaqui | Olímpico Jaime Terán | 10,000 |
| Libertad | Loja | Reina del Cisne | 14,935 |
| Macará | Ambato | Bellavista Universidad Indoamérica | 16,467 |
| Manta | Manta | Jocay | 21,000 |
| Mushuc Runa | Ambato | COAC Mushuc Runa | 8,200 |
| Orense | Machala | Banco de Machala 9 de Mayo | 16,456 |
| Universidad Católica | Quito | Olímpico Atahualpa | 35,258 |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aucas | Juan Pablo Buch | Lotto | |
| Barcelona | Ismael Rescalvo | Marathon | Pilsener |
| Delfín | Juan Zubeldía | Baldo's | Hotel Oro Verde Manta |
| Deportivo Cuenca | Jorge Célico | Lotto | Banco del Austro, Chubb Seguros |
| Emelec | Guillermo Duró | Adidas | Zapping |
| Guayaquil City | Pool Gavilánez | Astro | Ecuabet, Zamofruit Company |
| Independiente del Valle | Joaquín Papa | Marathon | Ecuabet, Banco Guayaquil, MG Motor, Chubb Seguros |
| LDU Quito | Tiago Nunes | Puma | Banco Pichincha |
| Leones | Giovanny Espinoza | ||
| Libertad | Juan Carlos León | Macón Sport | Grand Aviation |
| Macará | Guillermo Sanguinetti | Boman | San Francisco COAC Ltda. |
| Manta | Javier Carvajal | Jasa Evolution | Atún Isabel, Terminal Portuaria de Manta, Tadel S.A. |
| Mushuc Runa | Paúl Vélez | Boman | Mushuc Runa COAC |
| Orense | Raúl Antuña | Elohim | Banco de Machala, IncarPalm |
| Universidad Católica | Diego Martínez | Umbro | Fundación Crisfe |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Cuenca | Norberto Araujo | End of contract | 20 December 2025[7] | Pre-season | Jorge Célico | 23 December 2025[8] |
| Independiente del Valle | Javier Rabanal | 21 December 2025[9] | Joaquín Papa | 17 December 2025[10] |
First stage
The first stage is scheduled to begin on 20 February 2026.[1]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aucas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to Championship hexagonal |
| 2 | Barcelona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Delfín | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Deportivo Cuenca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Emelec | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Guayaquil City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Independiente del Valle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to Copa Sudamericana group |
| 8 | LDU Quito | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Leones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Libertad | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Macará | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to Relegation hexagonal |
| 12 | Manta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Mushuc Runa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Orense | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Universidad Católica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Away goals for, 5) Head-to-head record, 6) Drawing of lots.
References
- ^ a b c "Con mínimos cambios: se hizo oficial el nuevo formato de torneo para la LigaPro 2026" [With minimal changes: the new tournament format for the 2026 LigaPro was made official] (in Spanish). Olé. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ Palacios, Juan José (21 December 2025). "EL CALENDARIO OFICIAL: Las fechas de inicio y finalización de la LigaPro 2026" [The official schedule: The 2026 LigaPro's start and end dates] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ "El otro descendido: Técnico Universitario acompañará a Vinotinto para jugar la Liga Ecuabet Serie B" [The other relegated team: Técnico Universitario will join Vinotinto to play the Liga Ecuabet Serie B] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 29 November 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Guayaquil City regresa a la Serie A y Chacaritas desciende a Segunda categoría: Así va la Serie B" [Guayaquil City return to the Serie A and Chacaritas are relegated to the Segunda Categoría: this is how the Serie B is going] (in Spanish). Primicias. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Histórico: Leones del Norte concretó el ascenso y jugará la Liga Ecuabet Serie A" [Historic: Leones del Norte achieved promotion and will play the Liga Ecuabet Serie A] (in Spanish). ESPN. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ "La crisis de El Nacional: se confirmó el descenso a la Serie B y renunció Marco Pazos" [El Nacional's crisis: relegation to Serie B was confirmed and Marco Pazos resigned] (in Spanish). Olé. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ Ávila, Andrés (10 December 2025). "¡Fin de ciclo! Norberto Araujo no continuará en Deportivo Cuenca en 2026" [End of cycle! Norberto Araujo will not continue at Deportivo Cuenca in 2026] (in Spanish). El Comercio. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ "Oficial: Jorge Célico es el nuevo director técnico de Deportivo Cuenca" [Official: Jorge Célico is Deportivo Cuenca's new head coach] (in Spanish). Primicias. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Oficial: Javier Rabanal finaliza su contrato con Independiente del Valle y no continuará para 2026" [Official: Javier Rabanal ends his contract with Independiente del Valle and will not continue for 2026] (in Spanish). Primicias. 13 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Ulloa, Ramiro (17 December 2025). "Santiago Morales confirmó a Joaquín Papa como nuevo entrenador de Independiente del Valle para el 2026" [Santiago Morales confirmed Joaquín Papa as new Independiente del Valle coach for 2026] (in Spanish). Ecuavisa. Retrieved 17 December 2025.