FC Porto prepare to enter futsal’s third tier in 2026/27 after regulations update | OneFootball

FC Porto will field a senior futsal team in 2026/27 and are preparing to register directly for the third division after a rules update.

André Villas-Boas announced the project in late May at Festival ECO, and on Thursday the club confirmed preparations to enter the third tier. The club said in a statement that next season the competition will feature 50 clubs and up to three places for top-20 football teams across the past five seasons, a group that includes FC Porto.

The eligibility is set out in updated FPF regulations published on Wednesday. Up to three clubs among the 20 with the best average finish in professional football between 2020/21 and 2024/25, without a senior futsal side in 2025/26 and meeting participation and certification criteria, can join the third division.

In 2026/27 the third tier will comprise 50 clubs split geographically into three series of 14, with the Azores series the exception at eight teams.

Teams play home and away in the first phase. The winners of each 14-team series gain automatic promotion to the second division, while the runners-up join the Azores winners in a neutral-venue play-off of two ties, with the final winner also promoted.

The third-division title will then be decided in a stage featuring the three winners from the 14-team series, who face each other once at a neutral venue.

Source: O Jogo