Independiente del Valle will be crowned 2026 LigaPro champions if they beat Macará this Saturday, October 17 at Estadio Bellavista in Ambato. Kickoff is 2:00 PM Ecuador time (3:00 PM ET), in round 3 of the championship hexagonal.
The math
According to Diario El Mercurio, IDV lead the table with 77 points and Macará are second with 57. A win for Joaquín Papa’s side would take them to 80 points with seven games left, and Macará could no longer catch them: their maximum possible total would be 78. A draw would leave IDV on 78 and Macará on 58, and the title race would stay open. IDV also have a game in hand against Barcelona SC from round 1, postponed because several of their players were called up to the national team.
Behind them, Liga de Quito (52), Universidad Católica (51), Aucas (50) and Barcelona SC (44) are fighting for the international spots.
No more night games
This round also brings a schedule change: LigaPro has dropped night kickoffs because of Ecuador’s energy crisis. According to El Mercurio, weekend games now start at 11:30 AM, 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM Ecuador time to cut the use of stadium floodlights.
Round 3 schedule
| Day | Match | Stage | Ecuador time | ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 | Deportivo Cuenca 2-1 Técnico Universitario (Cuenca’s winner came in the last minute, per El Crack) | Relegation hexagonal | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM |
| Sat 17 | Libertad FC vs Guayaquil City | Copa Sudamericana playoff group | 11:30 AM | 12:30 PM |
| Sat 17 | Macará vs Independiente del Valle | Championship hexagonal | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| Sat 17 | Aucas vs Liga de Quito | Championship hexagonal | 4:30 PM | 5:30 PM |
| Sun 18 | Delfín vs Manta | Relegation hexagonal | 11:30 AM | 12:30 PM |
| Sun 18 | Leones del Norte vs Emelec | Copa Sudamericana playoff group | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| Sun 18 | Barcelona SC vs Universidad Católica | Championship hexagonal | 4:30 PM | 5:30 PM |
| Mon 19 | Mushuc Runa vs Orense | Relegation hexagonal | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM |
TV: Zapping, with some games also on Teleamazonas, according to Extra.
Sources
- Diario El Mercurio (Oct 15, 2026): Estos son los partidos que se jugarán por la fecha 3 de la LigaPro
- Extra: Fecha 3 Hexagonal Final LigaPro 2026: revisa agenda y horarios completos
- El Crack (Oct 16, 2026): Así va la tabla de posiciones en los hexagonales y cuadrangular de la LigaPro
Image credits
- Featured graphic and table graphic: Footy Condor.
- Estadio Bellavista: Daniel Rude, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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