The Segunda División de El Salvador (Second Division of El Salvador) is the second tier of football in El Salvador governed by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT). Teams contest to promote to the Primera División.
The winning sides of the annual Apertura and Clausura contest each other, the winner directly promotes to Primera División.
The losing side of the match contest the last place team of Primera División to trigger promotion and relegation should the Primera División team lose to the Segunda División side.
History The Salvadoran Football Federation decided to improve the quality and competitiveness of football.
Segunda División, also called Liga B or Liga de Ascenso, was created in 1950 divided into two groups to contest within each group. The top sides of each group then contested in order that the winner is directly promotes to Primera División.
Category of Ascent was made of 12 teams, four teams in each zone: central, western and eastern.
The founding 12 teams in Segunda División were ANTEL, Atlético Marte, Marte Soyapango, Caterpillar de San Salvador, Picapiedra del Plan de la Laguna, Antiguo Cuscatlán, Dragón, Once Municipal, Molino F. C, Ahuachapán and Puertas de Santa Ana y San Rafael.
The inaugural President of the Segunda División was Dr Mauro Alfredo Bernal Silva.
The number of teams increased up to twelve teams per zone (36 teams altogether). In 1986 the Legislative Assembly emitted a decree in the Reforms to the Law of Football and the Category of Ascent that Segunda División would be limited to only 24 teams split into two groups.
In 2007, Segunda División adopted an Apertura and Clausura format.
On 7 May 2026, FESFUT decided to fold Segunda Division and Tercera Division and create a new a league called Liga de Ascenso.
Members of the Segunda División (2025–26 season) The league currently consists of the following 14 teams:
Centro Occidente Group A
Team Location Stadium Capacity ADET - Aruba FC Jayaque, La Libertad Cancha Hacienda El Tránsito 10,000 AD Espartano San Julián, Sonsonate Polideportivo Helen Arias 10,000 CD Fuerte Aguilares Aguilares, San Salvador Complejo Deportivo Mario Jovel 8,000 CD Inca Entre Ríos, Lourdes, Colón, La Libertad Cancha San Isidro 7,000 AD Juventud Independiente San Juan Opico, La Libertad Complejo Deportivo San Juan Opico 7,000 Sensunte Cabañas FC Sensuntepeque, Cabañas Polideportivo Sensuntepeque 5,000 CD Talleres Jr. Tejutla, Chalatenango Cancha José Pio Romero Bosque 2,000
Group B Centro Oriental Team Location Stadium Capacity CD Atlético Balboa La Unión Estadio Marcelino Imbers 4,000AD BatanecosSan Sebastián, San VicenteEstadio Juan Francisco Molina5,000CD CruzeiroSan Cayetano Istepeque, San VicenteCancha Municipal Candelaria Abajo5,000 CD DragónSan MiguelEstadio de Quelepa5,000CD Neo PipilSan Juan Nonualco, La Paz Estadio San Juan Nonualco10,000CD Olimpico LitoralLoma Larga, La UniónComplejo Deportivo Rafael López8,000CD PipilCacaopera, MorazánEstadio Vicente Paul Fuentes5,000
Division set-up
Changes in division set-up Number of clubs: currently 24. From TBD to TBD there were two divisions, each of 20 teams. From TBD to TBD it had 20. The 1991–92 season was played in two groups of 12 teams each; TBD again in one group with 24 teams, TBD with 20 teams. Teams promoted to the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador (La Primera): 3; 1981–1991 there was a promotion/relegation round, in 1991–92 there was 1 promotion per group. Number of relegations into the Regionalliga (until 1994: Oberliga): 4; 1991–92: 2–3 per group (inclusive relegation); 1992–93: 7.
Promotion and relegation From 2007 until 2010, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura would play for automatic promotion, where the loser of the match would play a playoff with the team that finished 9th in La Primera. After this, and to the present, the winner of the Apertura and Clausura face in a final game with only the winner gaining promotion to La Primera. Until the 2015–16 season, the bottom three teams were relegated into the Tercera Division. Since the 2016–17, the bottom three teams of each group play in a round robin tournament; the bottom team of that round robin tournament are relegated to the Tercera Division.
League matches derbies and classics in Segunda División Atletico Apopa vs Vendaval Apopa "Clásico de Apopa" (last played in ) Independiente FC vs CD Platense "Clásico Paracentral" (last played in )
Presidents of Segunda División de El Salvador Trophy & Copa Name Carlos Burgos Carlos Torres Francisco Hirezi Cecilia Portillo Rafael Burgos Selvin Amaya Cesar Omar Garcia Francisco Velasquez Roberto Alvarenga Elmer Guidos David Hernandez Emerson Leon Elias Martinez Carlos Vanegas Hamilton Benítez Franklin Martínez Diego Mejia Anderes Rivas Argenis Alba Gilberto Baires Sandro Melgarejo Marvin Aranda Xavier Garcia Sebastian Ortiz Alexis Maravilla Edgar Valladares Steve Alfaro Luis Aguilar Vinico Muñoz Ismael Valladares Wilmer Novoa Carlos Arevalo Luis Fernando Espindola Rene Rosales Diego Sibrian Ezequiel Rivas Jimmy Najarro Henry Romero Dennis Garcia Adonay Martínez Joaquin Canales Jaime Rodriguez Carmen Vides Jose Chavez Blanca Crisol Julio César Cortés Ricardo Sol Meza Luis Ohrlich Oscar Antonio Rodriguez Andrès Hernandez Michael Mercado Fredis Benitez Mauricio Villalta Haron Marcheli Gerardo Sosa Ramos Américo Pérez Posadas Salvador de Leon Vincent Vasquez Marvin Bernal Silva (2003) Fredy Espinoza Kevin Melara Osvaldo Pinto (2011-2012) Alcides Ortez (2012-2013) Noel Benítez (2014-2015) Moisés Marín (2016-2017) Carlos Ramírez (2018-) Luis Campos Edwin García José Flores Miguel Granados Carlos Quiros Rafel Ángel Ramírez Gerson Rivas Bryan Membreño Perdomo Òsar Rodriguez Dalila Garces Paúl Magaña Luis Hernandez Alvarez Ricardo Sepúlveda Leyson Vargas Klimar Wilfrdo Echeverría Alfredo Salume Horacio Lugo Eduardo Arias Rank Luis Ernesto Tapia Misael Aifaro Emerson Hernandez Wilian Canales Leonardo Menjìvar Alexis Renderos Walter Montoya Manuel Acevedo Rene David Lopez Crisitan Zañas Karen Ferreira Jessica Lopez Jenifer Cruz Rosa Mèlida Morán Amilcar Guzmán Josè de La Paz Portillo Walter Moreno Herbert Ávila Deppie Gomez Luis Sosa Edwin Deras Cristian Zañas Loia Karina Maria Messing Lisa Baird Cheryl Bailey Jeff Plush Amanda Duff Jessica Berman Brayn Hernandez Walter Cardona Cristopher Ortiz Gabriel Galan Jacob Sensor Garado Contreras Kevin Martinez Luis Hernández Luis Granados Rene Duenas David Montejo Ramiro Guillermo Bryan Rios Noah Gutierrez Luis Moran K Giron H Escobar Rene Aguilar Ovidio Guzman E Sandoval R Castillo D Carcamo J Padraza David Funez Chambita Monje Emerson Avalon Steve Ralton Alejandro Benton William Reyes David Caneda Sophia Smith Jenna Nighswonger Jane Campball Naomi Girma Kerolin Nicoli lsrael Ferraz Juan Carlos Amoròs Carlos Amoròs Gillberto Baires Hamilton Benítez Alexis Maravilla Mango Costa Matheus Da Silva Meyson Ascencio Marlòn Cornejo Luis Aguilar Andrés Rivas Matheus Da SilvaArgeins Alba Magno Costa FernandesDiego Lemus Andres Rivas Meyson Ascencio Jose Rodriguez Serigo Torres Gerson Rodas Jesus Cruz Juan Jose Merino Hector Ferman Jami ChavezNoe Arévalo Alfonso Miranda Afrodicio Valladares Juan Quartrone Mauricio Alfredo Jorge Abrego Guillermo Rivas Gregorio Bundio Jose Cabrera Rajo Maurisio Palma y Juan Quarterone Jorge Tupinambá
League champions Segunda División de El Salvador Source: