Liga de Ascenso (Costa Rica) 2026/27

The Liga de Ascenso serves as the second tier of professional football in Costa Rica, operating directly below the first division. Founded in 1921 alongside the top flight, it remains the exclusive feeder league for the country's premier competition. While the top flight maintains complex financial ties within CONCACAF, this league functions primarily as the sole pathway for promotion to the Primera División.

The structure is defined by a single promotion slot per year. The season consists of two short tournaments, the Apertura and Clausura. Each tournament runs as a single-table round-robin. The winners of both phases face each other in a two-legged final series. If one team wins both tournaments, they are automatically promoted without playing the final. This format ensures a clear, albeit limited, route to the higher level.

Historically, the competition has undergone several name changes, including Primera División "B" de Ascenso and Liga Mayor de Fútbol. It was originally established by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol, the precursor to the Costa Rican Football Federation. Currently, it is organized by the Liga de Incentivo de Ascenso de Costa Rica and commercially known as the Liga Transcomer de Ascenso. The league distinguishes itself from the top flight through its semi-professional and amateur nature in the lower tiers.

Relegation from the Segunda División sends teams down to the LINAFA Second B, which forms part of the third tier of the amateur pyramid. There is no second promotion spot via playoffs, making the single final series the critical determinant of success. The most successful club in the league's history is C.S. La Libertad, with seven titles. Other highly successful clubs include A.D. Barrio México, C.S. Uruguay, and A.D. San Carlos, each with six titles. The current champion, having won the Clausura 2024 and securing promotion, is Municipal Santa Ana.