The Peruvian Third Division, officially known as Liga 3, is the third-highest division in the Peruvian football league system. It is a semi-professional and promotional division organized by the Peruvian Football Federation since its creation in 2025.[1] The Liga 3 replaced the Copa Perú as Peru's third football division, with the Copa Peru moving down to the fourth tier. The Liga 3 is contested by 36 teams.
The idea of a third division was discussed by the Peruvian Football Federation in 2019. However, between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the creation of Liga 3 was a request and requirement established by FIFA. The creation of the third division means that the Copa Perú (equivalent to League 4) becomes a lower category.[2][3]
In 2024, the Peruvian Football Federation, taking into account CONMEBOL's observations, then decides that the Copa Perú would be the tournament that decides the participants in a meritorious manner, based on the original idea from years ago: the 25 representatives of each department that are best placed in the final table of the 2024 Copa Perú's National Stage, whether the departmental champion or runner-up and except for those promoted to Liga 2, will be the clubs that will play the first edition of Liga 3 in the year 2025.[4]
Initially, it had been planned that the 2025 season would be played with 32 teams: 1 relegated from Peruvian Segunda División in 2024, 6 teams qualified from the 2024 Torneo de Reservas and 25 teams promoted from the 2024 Copa Perú. However, after the administrative relegation of Unión Huaral and Juan Aurich, from Liga 2 at the beginning of the season, in addition to the increase to eight of the qualifiers since the 2024 Torneo de Promoción y Reserva, this number was expanded to 36.[5]
