BPI League with fewer teams and 4th Division in 2025/26 :: Zerozero.pt

A real revolution is coming in women's competitions in Portugal. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced on Thursday that new regulations for the premier national leagues have been approved, and the effects will already be felt in the 2024/25 season, although the changes themselves will be completed in 2025/26.

Let's do it step by step. In the 2024/25 season, the BPI League will continue to be played by 12 teams, as is currently the case, but as of this Thursday it is known that in the 2025/26 season, the main women's division will be in Portugal. It will be shortened to ten teams.

In a statement, the Portuguese Federation indicated several objectives that influenced this decision, such as “improving the competitiveness of various competitions,” “increasing the employment base for Portuguese footballers and enhancing the context in which they play,” and “avoiding overloading the calendar in the year.” In light of the increased participation of Portuguese clubs in UEFA competitions” and also “a greater distribution and careful application of support funds to the clubs”. Moreover, for the latter, the federation announced that it already has a sum of 7.8 million euros Designed for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.

But be careful, the changes don't just cover the BPI League: From 2025/26 a women's fourth division will be established. This fourth tier will not have a limit on the number of registered teams, similar to what currently happens with Division Three, the final tier in senior football. At that time, the third division will have a limit of 12 teamsWhile the second section Keep at 16. However, the second tier is also undergoing changes, but late: in 2026/27, which will be the second season with ten teams in the BPI League and with a fourth tier, the second division becomes shorter, moving from 16 to 12 teams.

Given these changes, the coming seasons will bring changes in terms of the number of landings. In addition, there is another relevant fact: as of 2024/25, i.e. next season, All BPI League matches will be played on natural grass.