The 2026 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A, known as the 2026 Liga Ecuabet for sponsorship purposes, is 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 began on 20 February and is scheduled to end on 13 December 2026.
Independiente del Valle are 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 retained its two-stage setup, but with minor changes to the final stages: in the first stage the 16 participating teams played each other twice (once at home and once away) for a total of 30 matches, and teams were sorted according to their placement into two hexagonals and one quadrangular group for the final stages.
The top six teams 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 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 were still carried over to the final stage, this time the top team at the end of the first stage was not assured of qualification for the Copa Libertadores group stage.
Teams Team changes Sixteen teams 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, 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, 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.
Although El Nacional avoided relegation on sporting merit, they were administratively relegated to Serie B on 16 December 2025 after defaulting on payments to their creditors on three occasions. The decision caused the club to place last in the 2025 season, thus sparing Técnico Universitario from relegation, which was ultimately confirmed on 9 January 2026.
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 Ibarra Olímpico de Ibarra 18,600 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 Técnico Universitario Ambato Bellavista Universidad Indoamérica 16,467 Universidad Católica Quito Olímpico Atahualpa 35,258
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Aucas Norberto Araujo Lotto Barcelona Pablo Trobbiani Marathon Pilsener, Discover Card, 1xBet Delfín Juan Carlos León Baldo's Deportivo Cuenca Andrés Yllana Lotto Banco del Austro, Chubb Seguros Emelec Ezequiel Medrán Adidas SOLCA Guayaquil City Pool Gavilánez Astro Ecuabet, Zamofruit Company Independiente del Valle Joaquín Papa Marathon Banco Guayaquil, Chubb Seguros, 1xBet LDU Quito Gustavo Álvarez Puma Banco Pichincha Leones Matías Córdoba Umbro Isuzu, San Francisco COAC Ltda. Libertad Jorge Célico Macón Sport Grand Aviation Macará Guillermo Sanguinetti Boman San Francisco COAC Ltda, DFSK, Betgaliano Manta Raúl Duarte Boman Atún Isabel, Terminal Portuaria de Manta, Tadel S.A. Mushuc Runa Paúl Vélez Boman Mushuc Runa COAC Orense Juan Pablo Buch Elohim Banco de Machala, IncarPalm Técnico Universitario Ismael Blanco Vaz Sport San Francisco COAC Ltda. Universidad Católica Diego Martínez Umbro Fundación Crisfe
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentFirst stageTécnico Universitario Alejandro CortezEnd of caretaker spell29 November 2025Pre-season Francisco Usúcar9 January 2026Deportivo Cuenca Norberto AraujoEnd of contract20 December 2025 Jorge Célico23 December 2025Independiente del Valle Javier Rabanal21 December 2025 Joaquín Papa17 December 2025Leones Giovanny EspinozaDemoted to assistant manager1 January 2026 Édison Méndez1 January 2026Aucas Juan Pablo BuchSacked4 January 2026 Norberto Araujo9 January 2026Barcelona Ismael Rescalvo5 January 2026 César Farías7 January 2026Emelec Guillermo DuróMutual agreement3 February 2026 Vicente Sánchez5 February 2026Orense Raúl Antuña6 March 202612th Agustín Robles6 March 2026 Agustín RoblesEnd of caretaker spell23 March 202613th Hernán Torres23 March 2026Libertad Juan Carlos LeónSacked4 May 202614th Juan Pablo Buch4 May 2026Emelec Vicente SánchezMutual agreement14 May 202612th Cristian Nasuti14 May 2026Delfín Juan ZubeldíaResigned30 May 202615th Juan Carlos León9 June 2026Leones Édison MéndezSacked5 June 202613th Matías Córdoba8 June 2026Técnico Universitario Francisco UsúcarResigned27 June 20269th Bernardo Redín27 June 2026LDU Quito Tiago NunesSacked16 July 20266th Patricio Hurtado16 July 2026Orense Hernán TorresMutual agreement20 July 202613th Agustín Robles20 July 2026Deportivo Cuenca Jorge Célico24 July 20269th Daniel Néculman25 July 2026LDU Quito Patricio HurtadoEnd of caretaker spell26 July 20266th Gustavo Álvarez24 July 2026Manta Javier CarvajalResigned30 July 202616th David Mero31 July 2026Barcelona César FaríasSacked10 August 20265th Pablo Trobbiani11 August 2026Manta David MeroEnd of caretaker spell11 August 202616th Raúl Duarte11 August 2026Técnico Universitario Bernardo RedínSacked11 August 202614th Ismael Blanco16 August 2026Emelec Cristian NasutiMutual agreement27 August 202612th Ezequiel Medrán27 August 2026Deportivo Cuenca Daniel NéculmanSacked8 September 2026 Diego Bonelli8 September 2026 Diego BonelliEnd of caretaker spell17 September 2026 Andrés Yllana17 September 2026Final stagesOrense Agustín RoblesSacked24 September 20263rd, relegation hexagonal Juan Pablo Buch24 September 2026Libertad Juan Pablo BuchSigned by Orense24 September 20261st, Copa Sudamericana group Jorge Célico25 September 2026 Notes
First stage The first stage began on 20 February and ended on 14 September 2026.
Standings
Results
Final stages For the final stages, the teams were split into three groups according to their placement in the first stage. The top six teams in the first stage will play the championship hexagonal, in which the championship as well as most of the international berths will be awarded, whilst the next four teams will play a quadrangular for the final Copa Sudamericana berth. The bottom six teams will play the relegation hexagonal, where the two worst placed teams will be relegated at the end of the season. Teams carried over their first stage records to the final stages.
The championship and relegation hexagonals began on 18 and 20 September and are scheduled to end on 13 December, whilst the Copa Sudamericana group is played from 19 September to 8 November 2026.
Championship hexagonal
Copa Sudamericana group
Relegation hexagonal
Top scorers
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Rank ! Player ! Club ! Goals |- | align=center | 1 | Edinson Mero |Guayaquil City | align=center | 13 |- | align=center | 2 | Franco Posse |Macará | align=center | 12 |- | align=center | 3 | José Fajardo |Universidad Católica | align=center | 11 |- | rowspan=5 align=center | 4 | Djorkaeff Reasco |Independiente del Valle | rowspan=5 align=center | 10 |- | Juan Anangonó |Leones |- | Agustín Campana |Macará |- | Ronie Carrillo |Mushuc Runa |- | Agustín Herrera |Orense |- | rowspan=3 align=center | 9 | Carlos González |Independiente del Valle | rowspan=3 align=center | 9 |- | Matías Perelló |Independiente del Valle |- | Vilinton Branda |Libertad
Source: Futbolecuador
See also 2026 Copa Ecuador
References
External links LigaPro's official website