Liga Nusantara
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Third tier in Indonesian football league system
Football league
| Organising body | PSSI (2014–2024) PT Liga Indonesia Baru (2024–present) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994; 31 years ago (1994) (As Liga Indonesia Second Division in 3rd tier) 2008; 17 years ago (2008) (As Liga Indonesia First Division in 3rd tier) 2014; 11 years ago (2014) (as Liga Nusantara in 4th tier) 2016; 9 years ago (2016) (as ISC Liga Nusantara in 3rd tier) (Unofficial Competition) 2017; 8 years ago (2017) (as Liga 3 in 3rd tier) 2024; 1 year ago (2024) (as Liga Nusantara in 3rd tier) |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 24 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Liga 2 |
| Relegation to | Liga 4 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Piala Indonesia |
| Current champions | Sumut United 1st Liga Nusantara title 2nd third-tier title (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Sumut United Persik Kediri (2 titles) |
| TV partners |
|
| Website | Official website |
| Current: 2025–26 Liga Nusantara | |
Liga Nusantara (English: Archipelago League), officially known as PNM Liga Nusantara for sponsorship reasons, is the third-tier of the football competition system in Indonesia, organized by Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).[1] The competition started in 2014 after PSSI merged the previous competitions, Liga Indonesia Second Division and Liga Indonesia Third Division. The competition is usually divided into several groups because of factors in terms of geography and number of participants. However, in the 2024–25 season liga 3 competition which was previously held and run by the PSSI Provincial Association is now managed by PT. Liga Indonesia Baru.
History
[edit ]The competition was established after Liga Indonesia Second Division and Liga Indonesia Third Division merged in 2014. Starting in 2015, the Liga Indonesia First Division was also merged with Liga Nusantara making it the third-tier level in Indonesian football system.[1] Persatu Tuban won the competition's first season.[2]
In 2017, Liga Nusantara was renamed to Liga 3, along with Indonesian Super League and Indonesian Premier Division which were renamed to Liga 1 and Liga 2, respectively.[3]
In 2024, Liga 3 was renamed back to the Liga Nusantara, along with the establishment of Liga 4 as fourth-tier level.
Format
[edit ]Old format
[edit ]The system that will be used in Liga 3 is a full competition with a home-away format. Each participating club is required to compete at least 18 times during the competition season. This is different from previous amateur competitions where the number of matches per club can be uneven. There are those who can compete more than 10, but there are also those who only competed 2 times.
Provincial phase
[edit ]Each province will hold a provincial phase, they are followed by amateur clubs without a limit of participants with different competition formats, the difference in the format is due to the different number of participants in each province. Furthermore, the teams that qualify from the provincial phase will compete in national phase.
National phase
[edit ]A total of 80 teams will enter this phase.
- First round: 80 teams are divided into sixteen groups of 5. Each group is played on a home tournament basis. Winner and runner-up of each group advance to the second round.
- Second round: 32 teams which are the winners and runners-up from each group of the first round. They divided into eight groups of 4 and each winner and runner-up advances to the third round.
- Third round: 16 teams are divided into two groups. Each group is played on a home tournament basis. Same as previous round, the winner and runner-up of each group advance to the fourth round.
- Fourth round: 8 teams are divided into two groups. The three best teams of each group are promoted to the Liga 2. The winner of each group also advances to the final.
- Final: The 2 group winners from the fourth round play in the final match. The final played as a single match.
New format
[edit ]The league format was announced on 7 November 2024. There will be no provincial or national phase. Instead, there will be four rounds:[4]
- Regular round: 16 teams being divided into two group of eight, with the round being played in a centralized format of double round-robin matches. The top three teams of each group will qualify for the championship round, while the remaining teams will qualify for the relegation play-offs.
- Relegation play-offs: 10 teams will be divided into two groups of five teams, with the round will be played in a centralized format of single round-robin matches. The bottom three teams of each group will be relegated to the 2025–26 Liga 4.
- Championship round: 6 teams will be divided into two groups of three teams ,with the round will be played in home-and-away round-robin matches. The group winners will advance to the final and promoted to the 2025–26 Liga 2. The group runners-up will enter to the promotion play-off.
- Promotion play-off & Final: The play-off and final will be played as a single match. If tied after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winning team. The winner of the play-off match will be promoted to the 2025–26 Liga 2, while the winner of the final match being crowned as champions.
Teams
[edit ]Maps
[edit ]
Locations of non-Java-based 2025–26 Liga Nusantara teams.
Liga Nusantara teams in Java Island
Perserang
Dejan
Persikota
Persikabo
PSGC
Persipa
Nusantara United
Persiba
Persibo
Gresik United
NZR Sumbersari
RANS Nusantara
Persekabpas
Locations of Java-based 2025–26 Liga Nusantara teams.
.
Current participating teams
[edit ]Note: According to 2025–26 season.
| Team | Joined to LI | Location | First season in D3 | Seasons in D3 | Current spell in Liga Nusantara | Most recent spell second-tier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year joined | Season in LN | ||||||
| Dejan | 2022–23 | 3 | Depok | 2022–23 | 3 | 2025– | 2024–2025 |
| Gresik United | 2006 | 5 | Gresik | 2018 | 5 | 2025– | 2022–2025 |
| Nusantara United | 2021[Note NUS] | 2 | Nusantara | 2021–22 | 2 | 2025– | 2022–2025 |
| NZR Sumbersari | 2018[Note NZR] | 8 | Malang | 2018 | 8 | 2018– | – |
| Persekabpas | 1995–96 | 9 | Pasuruan | 2009–10 | 15 | 2017– | – |
| Perserang | 2011 | 2 | Serang | 2024–25 | 3 | 2024– | 2017–2024 |
| Persewar | 2005 | 3 | Waropen | 2011–12 | 8 | 2025– | 2019–2025 |
| Persiba Bantul | 2004 | 8 | Bantul | 2018 | 8 | 2018– | 2015–2017 |
| Persibo | 2000 | 7 | Bojonegoro | 2017 | 7 | 2025– | 2024–2025 |
| Persikabo 1973 | 2016[Note PBO] | 1 | Bogor | 2025–26 | 1 | 2025– | 2024–2025 |
| Persikota | 1994–95 | 8 | Tangerang | 2017 | 8 | 2025– | 2024–2025 |
| Persipa | 1994–95 | 6 | Pati | 2010 | 10 | 2025– | 2022–2025 |
| PSDS | 1994–95 | 7 | Deli Serdang | 2011–12 | 9 | 2024– | 2022–2024 |
| PSGC | 1994–95 | 7 | Ciamis | 2010–11 | 9 | 2020– | 2019 |
| RANS Nusantara | 2013[Note RNS] | 2 | Nusantara | 2014 | 2 | 2025– | 2024–2025 |
| Waanal Brothers | 2022–23 | 4 | Mimika | 2022–23 | 4 | 2022– | – |
Recently relegated from Liga 2
Recently promoted from Liga 4
- "Year joined" is the year the club joined the Liga Indonesia, including leagues that are divisionally below it and counted since 1994–95 season.
- "First season in D3" and "Seasons in D3" counted since First Division dropped down to third-tier and also including of LPIS First Division during dualism era (2011–2013) and ISC Liga Nusantara in 2016 season.
- "Season in LN" and "Current spell in Liga Nusantara" counted since the third-tier league was renamed as Liga 3 and later changed to Liga Nusantara.
- "Most recent spell in second-tier" counted since Premier Division dropped down to second-tier (now Liga 2), including LPIS Premier Division during dualism era (2011–2013) and ISC B in 2016 season.
- Former names
- ^ Nusantara United (NUS): previously as Mataram Utama.
- ^ NZR Sumbersari (NZR): previously as Sumbersari FC.
- ^ Persikabo 1973 (PBO): previously as PS TNI.
- ^ RANS Nusantara (RNS): previously as Cilegon United.
Former teams
[edit ]Note: Since 2024–25.
| Team | Joined to LI | Location | First season in D3 |
Seasons in D3 |
Last spell in Liga Nusantara |
Current league | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year joined | Season in LN | ||||||
| 757 Kepri Jaya | 2018 | 7 | Batam | 2018 | 7 | 2018–2025 | Liga 4 |
| Persiba Balikpapan | 1994–95 | 1 | Balikpapan | 2024–25 | 1 | 2024–2025 | Liga 2 |
| Persikab | 1994–95 | 6 | Bandung Regency | 2016 | 7 | 2024–2025 | Liga 4 |
| PCB Persipasi | 2017[Note PCB] | 8 | Bekasi | 2017 | 8 | 2017–2025 | Liga 4 |
| PSCS | 1994–95 | 2 | Cilacap | 2009–10 | 3 | 2024–2025 | Liga 4 |
| PSM Madiun | 1994–95 | 7 | Madiun | 2018 | 7 | 2018–2025 | Liga 4 |
| Sumut United | 2019[Note SUM] | 4 | Karo | 2019 | 4 | 2024–2025 | Liga 2 |
| Tornado | 2018 | 7 | Pekanbaru | 2018 | 7 | 2018–2025 | Liga 2 |
Recently promoted to Liga 2
Recently relegated to Liga 4
- "Year joined" is the year the club joined the Liga Indonesia, including leagues that are divisionally below it and counted since 1994–95 season.
- "First season in D3" and "Seasons in D3" counted since First Division dropped down to third-tier and also including of LPIS First Division during dualism era (2011–2013) and ISC Liga Nusantara.
- "Season in LN" and "Last spell in Liga Nusantara" counted since the third-tier league was renamed as Liga 3 and later changed to Liga Nusantara.
- Former names
Championship history
[edit ]Old format
[edit ]One-off final
[edit ]| Season | League name | Champions | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Liga Nusantara | Persatu Tuban | 2–1 | Laga |
| 2015 | Season abandoned due to FIFA suspension of Indonesia | |||
| 2017 | Liga 3 | Blitar United | 2–1 | Persik Kendal |
| 2019 | Persijap Jepara | 3–1 | PSKC Cimahi | |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia | |||
| 2021–22 | Karo United | 3–3 (4–2 p) | Putra Delta Sidoarjo | |
| 2022–23 | Season abandoned after Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster | |||
| 2023–24 | Adhyaksa Farmel | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Persibo Bojonegoro | |
Two-legged final
[edit ]| Season | League name | Home team | Score | Away team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Liga 3 | Persik Kediri | 3–1 | PSCS Cilacap |
| PSCS Cilacap | 1–0 | Persik Kediri | ||
| Persik Kediri won 3–2 on aggregate | ||||
New format
[edit ]| Season | League name | Champions | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Liga Nusantara | Sumut United | 4–1 | Tornado |
Promotion history
[edit ]Old format
[edit ]| Season | Promoted teams | Number of promoted teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Persatu, Laga, Perssu, PS Badung, Perserang, Persibas | 6 |
| 2017 | Blitar United, Persik Kendal, Aceh United | 3 |
| 2018 | Persik Kediri, PSCS, Persatu, PSGC, Persewar, Bogor | 6 |
| 2019 | Persijap, PSKC, Tiga Naga, Persekat, Putra Sinar Giri, Semeru | 6 |
| 2021–22 | Karo United, Putra Delta Sidoarjo, PSDS, Mataram Utama, Deltras, Persikab, Persipa, Gresik United | 8 |
| 2023–24 | Adhyaksa Farmel, Persibo, Dejan, Persikota, Persiku, Persikas Subang | 6 |
New Format
[edit ]| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Sumut United | Tornado | Persiba Balikpapan |
| 2025–26 |
Relegation history
[edit ]| Season | Relegated teams | Number of relegated teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Kalteng Putra (withdrew), Sulut United (withdrew), Persipani (disqualified), 757 Kepri Jaya, Persikab, PCB Persipasi, PSCS, PSM Madiun | 8 |
| 2025–26 |
Awards
[edit ]Best players
[edit ]| Season | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Indonesia Edi Winarno[5] | Persatu Tuban |
| 2017 | Indonesia Assanur Rijal | Aceh United |
| 2018 | Indonesia Galih Akbar | Persik Kediri |
| 2019 | Indonesia Rizki Hidayat | Persijap Jepara |
| 2021–22 | Indonesia Rian Ramadan | Karo United |
| 2023–24 | Indonesia Sehabudin Ahmad | Adhyaksa Farmel |
| 2024–25 | Indonesia Yanuar Baehaki | Tornado |
Top scorers
[edit ]| Season | Top scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Indonesia Imam Bagus Kurnia | Laga | 4 |
| 2017 | Indonesia Arianto | Aceh United | 7 |
| 2018 | Indonesia Septian Bagaskara | Persik Kediri | 21 |
| 2019 | Indonesia Rikza Syawali | PSKC Cimahi | 9 |
| 2021–22 | Indonesia Adam Malik | Putra Delta Sidoarjo | 11 |
| 2023–24 | Indonesia Andi Sopian | Dejan | 9 |
| 2024–25 | Indonesia Ali Mashori | Persekabpas Pasuruan | 14 |
Fair play awards
[edit ]| Season | Club |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Persik Kediri |
| 2019 | PSKC Cimahi |
| 2021–22 | Mataram Utama |
| 2023–24 | Dejan |
| 2024–25 | Not awarded |
Title sponsors
[edit ]| Period | Sponsor(s) | Brand | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | No sponsor | Liga Nusantara | – |
| 2017–2024 | Liga 3 | – | |
| 2024–present | PNM | Liga Nusantara |
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ a b "Mulai Tahun Ini PSSI akan Gelar Liga Nusantara". tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Persatu Juarai Piala Nusantara 2014" (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ "PSSI Ubah ISL Jadi Liga 1" (in Indonesian). Bola.net. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017.
- ^ auglandy, Niko (2024年11月09日). "Liga 3 Resmi Ganti Nama Jadi Liga Nusantara: Ini Daftar Peserta, Regulasi, dan Jadwal Pertandingannya". Radar Solo (in Indonesian).
- ^ "Luar Biasa! Jatim Kuasai Piala Nusantara 2014" (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2014.