# Peruvian Segunda División

The Peruvian Second Division (Spanish pronunciation:, and Liga 2 1xBet for sponsorship reasons), officially known as Liga 2, is the second-highest division in the Peruvian football league system. Founded in 1943, it is a professional and promotional division organized by the Peruvian Football Federation. Since 2025, it has been contested by 15 teams, with the top two teams being promoted to the Liga 1, and the bottom two teams being relegated to the Liga 3.

## History

The Peruvian Segunda División was the second division of Peruvian football from 1912 to 1925. It allowed promotion to the Primera Division for the starting seasons and was not a professional tournament. In the inaugural 1912 season, the First and Second Division were put together with 8 teams each. It was dissolved in 1925 after the Peruvian Football Federation was formed. The tournament was restarted in 1926, under the organization of the FPF, with the name of "Intermediate Tournament", the first champion was Association Alianza, after that in 1935 the championship was renamed "Ascenso División de Honor" where it granted promotion to teams from Lima and Callao. It would later be replaced by the current Segunda Division, now known as the Liga 2, in 1936. Despite being founded in 1936, the league did not have its first season up until 1943, where Atlético Telmo Carbajo won the tournament.
For decades after it was first formed in 1943, only clubs from the Department of Lima participated in the annual tournament where the winner gets promoted to the Copa Perú. From 1988 to 1990, the winner got promoted to the Torneo Metropolitano Regional. It was not until 1992 when Peruvian football federation expanded the tournament to other regions, expanding it to the Ica and Callao.
From 1993 to 1997 the winner was promoted directly to the Primera División. From 1998 it was established that the champion of this tournament would play a revalidation match with the team that finished second to last in the decentralized championship of the same year. In 2002, following the FPF's policy of increasing the number of teams in the first division, the champion of this tournament was immediately promoted. In 2004 and 2005 the format changed, establishing that the champion and runner-up of the second division would be integrated into Region 4 of the Copa Perú.
In 2006, the Second Division was moved up to the second tier once again, where the winner gets promotion to the First Division. As a result, the Copa Peru was moved down to the third tier. It was only in 2006 that it was decided to decentralize this tournament (until then reserved for teams from Lima and Callao), the championship began to be played with teams from different departments of Peru that obtained the category through a contest called by the FPF or by relegation from the first division. However, despite the decentralist spirit of this measure, some articles were established in the regulations that obliged teams of a certain distance from Lima to pay the tickets of rival teams. It should be said that with this, the duality of promotion to the First Division occurred because the Copa Perú, the traditional amateur football tournament, was also of a national nature, a situation that does not happen in any country worldwide and where it was seen that the Second Division should remain as the only way to promotion to the First Division. However, while it was nominally Second Professional, it was officially promotional.
In 2019, the Peruvian Football Federation announced the creation of the Peruvian Tercera División (Liga 3), which replaced the Copa Peru as the third tier, moving the Copa Peru down to the fourth tier in 2024.

## Division levels

| Year | Level | Promotion to | Relegation to |
| 1943–1950 | 2 | Primera División | Liga Regional de Lima y Callao |
| 1951–1955 | 2 | Primera División | Liga Provincial de Lima Liga Provincial del Callao |
| 1956–1972 | 2 | Primera División | Liga Provincial de Lima Liga Provincial del Callao Liga de los Balnearios del Sur |
| 1983 | 2 | (None) | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 1984–1987 | 3 | División Intermedia | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 1988–1990 | 2 | Primera División | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 1991 | 2 | Torneo Zonal | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 1992–2003 | 2 | Primera División | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 2004–2005 | 2 | Copa Perú (National stage) | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 2006–2018 | 2 | Primera División | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 2019–2023 | 2 | Liga 1 | Copa Perú Ligas Departamentales Ligas Provinciales Ligas Distritales |
| 2024–present | 2 | Liga 1 | Liga 3 |

## Competition format and sponsorship

Since 2006, the winner of the tournament is promoted to the First Division, while the last two teams are relegated from the tournament to the Departamental Stage of the Copa Perú. Their places are taken by the two relegated clubs from the First Division, and the team that finishes second place in the Copa Perú. From 2018 to 2023, the Liga 2 would adopt a new format, where the top ranking team throughout the whole season would win the tournament and be automatically promoted, and the next six teams compete in a bracket Ligiulla stage, with the winner also being promoted.
After the expansion to 18 for the 2024 season, the format was changed to multiple stages. The first stage known as the Regional Stage would split the 18 teams into two groups of nine, called the Zona Norte and Zona Sur, based in the north and the south. The top six of each zone would advance to the Group Stage and bottom three into the Relegation Group. In the Group Stage, the 12 teams will be split into two groups of six with the top three teams advance to the Ligiulla stage, with the top team of each group in the semi-finals and rest in quarter-finals. The finalists of the Ligiulla stage will be promoted to the first division and the winners winning the league. In the relegation group, each team will play in a round-robin format. The lowest ranked team of each group gets relegated to the newly created Liga 3.

### Sponsorship

The Peruvian Second Division is sponsored by Movistar's Gol Perú, which has exclusive broadcasting rights. L1MAX, Nativa TV and FPF Play also broadcast the tournament. Currently, the Liga 2 is sponsored by the sports betting company, 1xBet.

## Criticisms

The Segunda División has received numerous criticisms, chiefly due to the lack of stability in the process of competition and promotion, and the lack of professionalism.

### Team count

The Segunda División has changed the number of teams that operate in the league several times. Over the course of 74 years, the Segunda has had as few as four teams and as many as 16. The early Segunda División were played with an average number of teams ranging from 4 to 10. Prior to the current 12-club Segunda División, during the 2000s, the team count continued to fluctuate between 10, 12, 14, 16 and even a surprising 13. For example, 12 teams competed in 2009, 10 competed in 2008, 11 competed in 2007, and 12 teams competed from 2004 to 2006. The over-all goal of the organization is to have a stable league of 16 teams. It would be expanded to 18 in 2024.

### Artificial turf

Several stadiums used in the second division have artificial grass installed for the so-called massification of sport. Most stadiums in Peru are owned by the IPD (Instituto Peruano del Deporte), which is the state group responsible for supporting the use of artificial turf. This has been severely criticized by top division teams and the media. At first, these artificial turfs were installed for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup; however, more artificial turf was installed in other stadiums after the U-17 World Cup concluded. These turfs are criticized for having a negative influence on the game and for the injuries which they cause to players.

## Clubs

Currently, 15 clubs participate in Liga 2. There are currently no teams from the Lima Metropolitan area with all clubs representing cities from the country's interior. The number of clubs has fluctuated season by season from 10 to 18 teams participating in the tournament. The tournament was finally set to be 18 teams in 2024 but later moved to 15 after the suspension of Juan Aurich, Deportivo Municipal and Unión Huaral.
Ciclista Lima, Unión Huaral, Deportivo Municipal, Guardia Republicana, Mariscal Sucre, Unión Callao, Telmo Carbajo, Sport Boys, Unión Gonzáles Prada, and Carlos Concha trail behind with 3 titles. Universidad César Vallejo, Total Clean, Cobresol, José Gálvez, Los Caimanes, and Comerciantes Unidos are the only clubs outside the metropolitan area of Lima to have won a Segunda Division championship. In addition, Alianza Lima, Atlético Chalaco, Centro Iqueño, Defensor Lima, Municipal, Mariscal Sucre, San Agustín, Sport Boys, and Unión Huaral are the only teams that have been champions of the First and Second Division.
Since the Second Division became a nation-wide tournament in 2006, 20 of the 25 regions have had representative teams in the Segunda División/Liga 2. The only five regions that have never had a representative are Amazonas, Huancavelica, Madre de Dios, Pasco, and Tumbes.

### Stadia and locations

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Academia Cantolao | Callao | Miguel Grau | 17,000 |
| ADA | Jaén | Víctor Montoya Segura | 8,000 |
| Bentín Tacna Heroica | Tacna | Jorge Basadre | 19,850 |
| Cajamarca | Cajamarca | Héroes de San Ramón | 10,465 |
| Carlos A. Mannucci | Trujillo | Mansiche | 25,036 |
| Comerciantes | Iquitos | Max Augustín | 24,576 |
| Deportivo Coopsol | Chancay | Rómulo Shaw Cisneros | 3,000 |
| Deportivo Llacuabamba | Parcoy | Comunal de Llacuabamba | 3,000 |
| Deportivo Moquegua | Moquegua | 25 de Noviembre | 21,073 |
| Pirata | Lambayeque | César Flores Marigorda | 7,000 |
| San Marcos | Huaraz | Rosas Pampa | 20,000 |
| Santos | Nasca | Municipal de Nasca | 10,000 |
| Unión Comercio | Tarapoto | Carlos Vidaurre García | 7,000 |
| Universidad César Vallejo | Trujillo | Mansiche | 25,036 |
| Universidad San Martín | Lima | Iván Elías Moreno | 11,000 |

## Champions

Peruvian Segunda División had amateur status since its foundation until 1987. In the course of this era, Telmo Carbajo, Ciclista Lima, Unión Callao, Carlos Concha and Mariscal Sucre shared the most titles. The first run from 1943 to 1987 featured clubs only from Lima and Callao. In 1988 the league obtained professional status and in 2006 expanded the league to the entire nation, beginning the Segunda División Nacional.
* For the period 1912–1925, see Peruvian Segunda División (1912–1925)
* For the period 1926–1934, see Peruvian División Intermedia
* For the period 1935–1940, see Ligas Provinciales de Lima y Callao
* For the period 1941, see Liga Regional de Lima y Callao
* For the period 1973, see Liguilla de Ascenso a Segunda División
* For the period 1974, see Reclasificatorio Regional
* For the period 1975–1982, see Liga Mayor de Fútbol de Lima / Región IX Metropolitana (Copa Perú)
* (In bracket, title count):
| Ed. | Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| Segunda División ||||
| 1 | 1943 | Telmo Carbajo (1) | Progresista Apurímac |
| 2 | 1944 | Ciclista Lima (1) | Telmo Carbajo |
| 3 | 1945 | Santiago Barranco (1) | Atlético Lusitania |
| 4 | 1946 | Ciclista Lima (2) | Unión Callao |
| 5 | 1947 | Jorge Chávez (1) | Santiago Barranco |
| 6 | 1948 | Centro Iqueño (1) | Santiago Barranco |
| 7 | 1949 | Jorge Chávez (2) | Ciclista Lima |
| 8 | 1950 | Unión Callao (1) | Association Chorrillos |
| 9 | 1951 | Association Chorrillos (1) | Atlético Lusitania |
| 10 | 1952 | Unión Callao (2) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| 11 | 1953 | Carlos Concha (1) | Atlético Lusitania |
| 12 | 1954 | Unión Callao(3) | KDT Nacional |
| 13 | 1955 | Carlos Concha (2) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| 14 | 1956 | Porvenir Miraflores (1) | Unión América |
| 15 | 1957 | Mariscal Castilla (1) | Carlos Concha |
| 16 | 1958 | Unión América (1) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| 17 | 1959 | Mariscal Sucre (1) | KDT Nacional |
| 18 | 1960 | Defensor Lima (1) | Carlos Concha |
| 19 | 1961 | KDT Nacional (1) | Association Chorrillos |
| 20 | 1962 | Mariscal Sucre (2) | Carlos Concha |
| 21 | 1963 | Carlos Concha (3) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| 22 | 1964 | Defensor Arica (1) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| 23 | 1965 | Mariscal Sucre (3) | Íntimos de la Legua |
| 24 | 1966 | Porvenir Miraflores (2) | Racing |
| 25 | 1967 | KDT Nacional (2) | Independiente Sacachispas |
| 26 | 1968 | Deportivo Municipal (1) | ADO |
| 27 | 1969 | Deportivo SIMA (1) | Mariscal Sucre |
| 28 | 1970 | ADO (1) | Centro Iqueño |
| 29 | 1971 | Deportivo SIMA (2) | Atlético Chalaco |
| 30 | 1972 | Atlético Chalaco (1) | Porvenir Miraflores |
| – | 1973–82 | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Segunda División Experimental ||||
| 31 | 1983 | Unión Gonzáles Prada (1) | Academia Cantolao |
| Segunda División Metropolitana ||||
| 32 | 1984 | Unión Gonzáles Prada | Juventud La Joya |
| 33 | 1985 | Alcides Vigo | Centro Iqueño |
| 34 | 1986 | Internazionale | AELU |
| 35 | 1987 | AELU | CITEN |
| Segunda División Profesional ||||
| 36 | 1988 | Defensor Lima (2) | Juventud La Palma |
| 37 | 1989 | Sport Boys (1) | Juventud La Palma |
| 38 | 1990 | Hijos de Yurimaguas (1) | Walter Ormeño |
| 39 | 1991 | Enrique Lau Chun (1) | Deportivo Zúñiga |
| 40 | 1992 | Unión Huaral (1) | Ciclista Lima |
| 41 | 1993 | Ciclista Lima (3) | Guardia Republicana |
| 42 | 1994 | Unión Huaral (2) | Hijos de Yurimaguas |
| 43 | 1995 | Guardia Republicana (1) | Deportivo Zúñiga |
| 44 | 1996 | Alcides Vigo | Hijos de Yurimaguas |
| 45 | 1997 | Lawn Tennis (1) | Bella Esperanza |
| 46 | 1998 | Hijos de Yurimaguas (2) | Alcides Vigo |
| 47 | 1999 | América Cochahuayco (1) | Sporting Cristal B |
| 48 | 2000 | Aviación-FAP (1) | Alcides Vigo |
| 49 | 2001 | Alcides Vigo | AELU |
| 50 | 2002 | Unión Huaral (3) | Defensor Villa del Mar |
| 51 | 2003 | Sport Coopsol (1) | Sporting Cristal B |
| 52 | 2004 | Olimpico Aurora (1) | Deportivo Municipal |
| 53 | 2005 | Olimpico Aurora (2) | Deportivo Aviación |
| Segunda División Nacional ||||
| 54 | 2006 | Deportivo Municipal (2) | Universidad San Marcos |
| 55 | 2007 | Universidad César Vallejo (1) | Atlético Minero |
| 56 | 2008 | Total Clean (1) | Inti Gas |
| 57 | 2009 | Sport Boys (2) | Cobresol |
| 58 | 2010 | Cobresol (1) | Sport Áncash |
| 59 | 2011 | José Gálvez (1) | Deportivo Coopsol |
| 60 | 2012 | Pacífico (1) | Deportivo Coopsol |
| 61 | 2013 | Los Caimanes (1) | Alfonso Ugarte |
| 62 | 2014 | Deportivo Municipal (3) | Deportivo Coopsol |
| 63 | 2015 | Comerciantes Unidos (1) | Los Caimanes |
| 64 | 2016 | Academia Cantolao (1) | Sport Áncash |
| 65 | 2017 | Sport Boys (3) | Universidad César Vallejo |
| 66 | 2018 | Universidad César Vallejo (2) | Carlos A. Mannucci |
| Liga 2 ||||
| 67 | 2019 | Cienciano (1) | Atlético Grau |
| 68 | 2020 | Alianza Atlético (1) | Juan Aurich |
| 69 | 2021 | Atlético Grau (1) | Carlos Stein |
| 70 | 2022 | Cusco (1) | Unión Comercio |
| 71 | 2023 | Comerciantes Unidos (2) | Los Chankas |
| 72 | 2024 | Alianza Universidad (1) | Juan Pablo II College |

## Titles by club

| Rank | Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
| 1 | Carlos Concha | 3 | 3 | 1953, 1955, 1963 | 1957, 1960, 1962 |
| 1 | Ciclista Lima | 3 | 2 | 1944, 1946, 1993 | 1949, 1992 |
| 1 | Deportivo Municipal | 3 | 1 | 1968, 2006, 2014 | 2004 |
| 1 | Mariscal Sucre | 3 | 1 | 1959, 1962, 1965 | 1969 |
| 1 | Unión Callao | 3 | 1 | 1950, 1952, 1954 | 1946 |
| 1 | Sport Boys | 3 | 0 | 1989, 2009, 2017 | — |
| 1 | Unión Huaral | 3 | 0 | 1992, 1994, 2002 | — |
| 2 | Porvenir Miraflores | 2 | 6 | 1956, 1966 | 1952, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1964, 1972 |
| 2 | Alcides Vigo | 2 | 2 | 1996, 2001 | 1998, 2000 |
| 2 | Hijos de Yurimaguas | 2 | 2 | 1990, 1998 | 1994, 1996 |
| 2 | KDT Nacional | 2 | 2 | 1961, 1967 | 1954, 1959 |
| 2 | Olímpico Aurora | 2 | 1 | 2004, 2005 | 2008 |
| 2 | Universidad César Vallejo | 2 | 1 | 2007, 2018 | 2017 |
| 2 | Comerciantes Unidos | 2 | 0 | 2015, 2023 | — |
| 2 | Defensor Lima | 2 | 0 | 1960, 1988 | — |
| 2 | Deportivo SIMA | 2 | 0 | 1969, 1971 | — |
| 2 | Jorge Chávez | 2 | 0 | 1947, 1949 | — |
| 2 | Unión Gonzáles Prada | 2 | 0 | 1983, 1984 | — |
| 3 | AELU | 1 | 3 | 1987 | 1984, 1986, 2001 |
| 3 | Juventud La Palma | 1 | 2 | 1981 | 1988, 1989 |
| 3 | Association Chorrillos | 1 | 2 | 1951 | 1950, 1961 |
| 3 | Santiago Barranco | 1 | 2 | 1945 | 1947, 1948 |
| 3 | ADO | 1 | 1 | 1970 | 1968 |
| 3 | Atlético Chalaco | 1 | 1 | 1972 | 1971 |
| 3 | Atlético Grau | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2019 |
| 3 | Aviación-FAP | 1 | 1 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 3 | Centro Iqueño | 1 | 1 | 1948 | 1970 |
| 3 | Cobresol | 1 | 1 | 2010 | 2009 |
| 3 | Guardia Republicana | 1 | 1 | 1995 | 1993 |
| 3 | Los Caimanes | 1 | 1 | 2013 | 2015 |
| 3 | Telmo Carbajo | 1 | 1 | 1943 | 1944 |
| 3 | Unión América | 1 | 1 | 1958 | 1956 |
| 3 | Academia Cantolao | 1 | 0 | 2016 | — |
| 3 | Alianza Atlético | 1 | 0 | 2020 | — |
| 3 | Alianza Universidad | 1 | 0 | 2024 | — |
| 3 | América Cochahuayco | 1 | 0 | 1999 | — |
| 3 | Cienciano | 1 | 0 | 2019 | — |
| 3 | Compañía Peruana de Teléfonos | 1 | 0 | 1975 | — |
| 3 | Cusco | 1 | 0 | 2022 | — |
| 3 | Defensor Arica | 1 | 0 | 1964 | — |
| 3 | Enrique Lau Chun | 1 | 0 | 1991 | — |
| 3 | Internazionale | 1 | 0 | 1986 | — |
| 3 | José Gálvez | 1 | 0 | 2011 | — |
| 3 | Lawn Tennis | 1 | 0 | 1997 | — |
| 3 | Mariscal Castilla | 1 | 0 | 1957 | — |
| 3 | Pacífico | 1 | 0 | 2012 | — |
| 3 | San Agustín | 1 | 0 | 1984 | — |
| 3 | Sport Coopsol | 1 | 0 | 2003 | — |
| 3 | Total Clean | 1 | 0 | 2008 | — |

## Titles by region

| Region | Nº of titles | Clubs |
| Lima | 45 | Ciclista Lima (4), Unión Huaral (4), Deportivo Municipal (3), Guardia Republicana (3), Mariscal Sucre (3), Unión Gonzáles Prada (3), Alcides Vigo (2), Defensor Lima (2), Olímpico Aurora (2), Porvenir Miraflores (2), América Cochahuayco (1), AELU (1), Association Chorrillos (1), Centro Iqueño (1), Compañía Peruana de Teléfonos (1), Defensor Arica (1), Deportivo Aviación (1), Enrique Lau Chun (1), Juventud La Palma (1), Lawn Tennis (1), Mariscal Castilla (1), Pacífico (1), San Agustín (1), Santiago Barranco (1), Sport Coopsol (1), Internazionale (1), Unión América (1) |
| Callao | 20 | Carlos Concha (3), Unión Callao (3), Sport Boys (3), Hijos de Yurimaguas (2), Jorge Chávez (2), KDT Nacional (2), Deportivo SIMA (2), Atlético Chalaco (1), ADO (1), Academia Cantolao (1), Telmo Carbajo (1) |
| Cajamarca | 2 | Comerciantes Unidos (2) |
| Cusco | 2 | Cienciano (1), Cusco (1) |
| La Libertad | 2 | Universidad César Vallejo (2) |
| Piura | 2 | Alianza Atlético (1), Atlético Grau (1) |
| Ancash | 1 | José Gálvez (1) |
| Arequipa | 1 | Total Clean (1) |
| Huánuco | 1 | Alianza Universidad (1) |
| Lambayeque | 1 | Los Caimanes (1) |
| Moquegua | 1 | Cobresol (1) |

## Half-year / Short tournaments
### Apertura and Clausura / Fase 1 and Fase 2 seasons

| Season | Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 2021 | Fase 1 | Sport Chavelines | Atlético Grau |
| 2021 | Fase 2 | Unión Huaral | Unión Comercio |
| 2022 | Apertura | Cusco | Unión Comercio |
| 2022 | Clausura | Cusco | Unión Comercio |