# 2026 China League Two
**2026 China League Two** (2026中乙联赛, played as the 2026怡宝中乙联赛 under its title sponsor) is the 2026 edition of China League Two, the third tier of men's football in China, sitting below the [Chinese Super League](https://www.edgepedia.org/chinese-super-league) and China League One and above the amateur Chinese Champions League.[1](https://lowerleaguearchive.com/en/guides/chinese-football-pyramid/) • [2](https://www.thecfa.cn/?mobile=2) The season is organized by the Chinese Professional Football League (中足联), which runs the country's professional competitions under authorization from the Chinese Football Association.[3](https://www.cfl-china.cn/zh/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | Third level of the Chinese football pyramid, between China League One and the Chinese Champions League[1](https://lowerleaguearchive.com/en/guides/chinese-football-pyramid/) |
| Official Chinese name | 中国足球协会乙级联赛 (CL2)[4](https://www.eusmecentre.org.cn/sites/default/files/attach/EU%20SME%20Centre%20-%20The%20Football%20Industry%20in%20China%20%28Clean%29.pdf) |
| 2026 format | Season split into a Promotion Group and a Relegation Group, with fixtures running through mid-October 2026[5](https://matchtide.net/leagues/league-two/results) |
| Promotion route | Top four teams from each regional group, 8 clubs in total, form a double-round-robin promotion group whose standings determine promotion to China League One[6](https://betmana.co.uk/football/leagues/china/league_two/) • [9](https://www.gdfa.gd.cn/news/2727) |
| Promotion Group leader (early October 2026) | Shanghai Port II, 46 points from 25 matches, ahead of Guizhou Zhucheng and Shandong Taishan II on 45[7](https://soccer365.net/competitions/1360/) |
## Position in the league system
Chinese football uses four national tiers: the Chinese Super League, China League One, China League Two, and the Chinese Champions League, the last of which is the highest level of amateur football in the country.[1](https://lowerleaguearchive.com/en/guides/chinese-football-pyramid/) League Two is the lowest professional division in this structure, and the Chinese Football Association's own competition documents refer to it as 中国足球协会乙级联赛, abbreviated CL2.[4](https://www.eusmecentre.org.cn/sites/default/files/attach/EU%20SME%20Centre%20-%20The%20Football%20Industry%20in%20China%20%28Clean%29.pdf) Operationally, the professional tiers, including 中乙 (CFL2), are organized and run by the Chinese Professional Football League, a national non-profit organization acting under Chinese Football Association authorization.[3](https://www.cfl-china.cn/zh/)
## 2026 season format
The 2026 competition divides into a Promotion Group and a Relegation Group after the earlier phase, with each group playing through round 26 and beyond; scheduled and completed fixtures extend into mid-October 2026.[5](https://matchtide.net/leagues/league-two/results) Promotion to China League One is decided via a promotion group rather than a knockout stage: the top four teams from each regional group, eight clubs in total, enter a double-round-robin promotion group whose standings determine promotion.[6](https://betmana.co.uk/football/leagues/china/league_two/)
**Standings in the closing phase.** In the Promotion Group as of early October 2026, Shanghai Port II led with 46 points from 25 matches (14 wins, 4 draws, 7 losses, 40 goals for and 21 against), followed by Guizhou Zhucheng and Shandong Taishan II on 45 points and Shanxi Chongde Ronghai on 44.[7](https://soccer365.net/competitions/1360/) In the Relegation Group, Hubei Istar topped the table with 38 points from 25 matches, ahead of Dalian Young Boy B and Lanzhou Longyuan Athletic on 32.[7](https://soccer365.net/competitions/1360/)
## Financial rules
Player pay in League Two is capped well below the levels of the divisions above it.
## Context in Chinese football
The three professional tiers, including League Two, are described in research on Chinese football as the core carriers for elite youth football development in the country.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12851440/) The 2026 season also feeds the cup structure: two League Two (中乙) clubs reached the last 16 of the 2026 Chinese FA Cup, where lower-division sides face the top-flight clubs.[2](https://www.thecfa.cn/?mobile=2)
## References
1. [The Chinese Football Pyramid Explained (2026), Lower League Archive](https://lowerleaguearchive.com/en/guides/chinese-football-pyramid/)
2. [中国足球协会官方网站 (Chinese Football Association official site)](https://www.thecfa.cn/?mobile=2)
3. [中国足球职业联赛联合会 (Chinese Professional Football League)](https://www.cfl-china.cn/zh/)
4. [The Football Industry in China, EU SME Centre](https://www.eusmecentre.org.cn/sites/default/files/attach/EU%20SME%20Centre%20-%20The%20Football%20Industry%20in%20China%20%28Clean%29.pdf)
5. [League Two, China results and scores, MatchTide](https://matchtide.net/leagues/league-two/results)
6. [League Two, China, Betmana](https://betmana.co.uk/football/leagues/china/league_two/)
7. [League Two 2026 table, fixtures, live scores & results, Soccer365](https://soccer365.net/competitions/1360/)
8. [The relationship between the level of economic development, the scale of youth football development and competitive strength in Chinese provinces, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12851440/)
9. [2026中乙联赛在广东省人民体育场精彩开幕-广东省足协官网](https://www.gdfa.gd.cn/news/2727)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Domestic league season editions › Asian and Oceanian league seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license