League III Season 2026 — Group B Round 9 Recap

    

Round 9 of League III Season 2026 produced one of the most dramatic rounds so far. Several promotion contenders dropped points, while the teams chasing them made major statements. With 50 rounds in the season, there is still plenty of time for the table to change, but the battle for automatic promotion and the playoff places is becoming increasingly competitive.

The rules remain clear: 1st place earns automatic promotion to League II, while 2nd–9th qualify for the promotion playoffs. 10th qualifies for the Friendly Cup, and 11th–12th qualify for the King's Cup. There is no relegation from League III.

⚽ Round 9 Results

• RC Celta de Vigo 4–2 KAA Gent — A huge result for 3rd-place Celta. They scored four goals against the team sitting at the bottom of the table and strengthened their promotion challenge.
• Rayo Vallecano 2–2 Royal Charleroi — Rayo, ranked 9th, could only manage a draw against 3rd-place Charleroi. Both sides take a point from an entertaining contest.
• Villarreal 2–1 Royal Antwerp — Villarreal continued their strong campaign with a narrow home victory. Entering the match 4th, the Spanish club remains firmly in the playoff picture.
• SL Benfica 2–1 SK Super Nova — Benfica bounced back with a valuable win over 10th-place Super Nova. The victory could be important as Benfica tries to move toward the playoff positions.
• BFC Daugavpils 3–2 Rézeknes FA — Daugavpils produced an important win over Rézeknes in a five-goal encounter. Both clubs entered the match outside the playoff places.
• FC Helsingør 4–2 Monaco FC — One of the biggest upsets of the round. 22nd-place Helsingør stunned 5th-place Monaco with four goals, denying Monaco valuable playoff points.
• AC Horsens 2–1 Águilas Doradas — Horsens, ranked 16th, picked up three points against 18th-place Águilas. A useful result for Horsens as they attempt to climb toward the cup positions.
• Hvidovre IF 3–2 Deportes Concepción — Hvidovre came from the lower part of the table to defeat 15th-place Concepción. Another result that demonstrates how difficult it is for the higher-ranked clubs to take points for granted.
• FC Dinamo București 2–1 Internacional de Bogotá — A massive promotion clash. Dinamo, ranked 8th, defeated 2nd-place Internacional and collected three extremely valuable points in the playoff race.
• AFC Unirea Slobozia 4–3 Independiente Medellín — The match of the round for pure attacking drama. Seven goals were scored, with Unirea eventually taking a 4–3 victory over Medellín.
• FC Gloria Buzău 2–2 Cúcuta Deportivo — Cúcuta, ranked 7th, dropped two points against 24th-place Gloria. That could prove costly in the crowded promotion race.
• Violette Athletic Club 3–2 Once Caldas — The shock of Round 9. League leaders Once Caldas suffered their first major setback of the round against 6th-place Violette.
• Canadian FC 5–1 Africa Sports — Canadian FC produced the most emphatic victory of the round, destroying 12th-place Africa Sports 5–1.

🔥 Once Caldas Finally Stumble

The biggest story of Round 9 was undoubtedly Once Caldas' 3–2 defeat to Violette Athletic Club.

Once Caldas entered the match as the No. 1-ranked team, having looked like the early favorite for automatic promotion. Violette, however, had other ideas. The 6th-place side secured all three points in a five-goal thriller.

For Once Caldas, it is a reminder that even the league leaders cannot afford to relax. With 41 rounds remaining, one defeat is hardly a crisis, but the result gives the chasing pack renewed confidence.

🏆 Promotion Race Intensifies

The results involving the leading clubs were particularly significant.

Celta de Vigo strengthened its position with a 4–2 victory, while Villarreal also collected three points. Meanwhile, Dinamo București's 2–1 victory over Internacional de Bogotá was arguably the most important result among the playoff contenders.

Internacional entered Round 9 ranked 2nd, meaning the Colombian club lost valuable ground directly to an opponent sitting inside the playoff zone.

Monaco, meanwhile, suffered a major setback by losing 4–2 to Helsingør. Monaco entered the match 5th, so dropping points against a team ranked 22nd could hurt its position in what is becoming a very competitive top-nine race.

⚔️ The Battle for Places 2–9

The promotion playoffs currently represent the most important battleground in Group B.

The leading contenders all have to watch one another closely:

• Celta de Vigo — continued its excellent form with four goals.
• Villarreal — secured another important victory.
• Internacional de Bogotá — suffered a damaging loss to Dinamo.
• Dinamo București — made a major statement by defeating 2nd place.
• Monaco — suffered one of the round's biggest disappointments.
• Violette Athletic Club — moved closer to the leading group with a huge win over Once Caldas.
• Cúcuta Deportivo — dropped two points against Gloria Buzău.
• Rayo Vallecano — remained around the playoff cutoff after drawing with Charleroi.

With only nine rounds completed, the difference between a playoff position and the cup positions can change rapidly.

🏅 Friendly Cup & King's Cup Battle

The 10th-place Friendly Cup position is also becoming increasingly important. Super Nova entered the round in 10th but lost 2–1 to Benfica, while several teams below them collected valuable points.

The 11th–12th places qualify for the King's Cup, meaning clubs such as Africa Sports, who entered Round 9 in 12th, need to avoid being pulled further down the table. Unfortunately for Africa Sports, their 5–1 defeat to Canadian FC was one of the worst possible results for their cup ambitions.

🌟 Round 9 Awards

🏆 Biggest Winner: Celta de Vigo
A four-goal performance against Gent keeps the 3rd-place side firmly in the promotion conversation.

🔥 Biggest Upset: Helsingør 4–2 Monaco
The 22nd-place club stunned one of the league's leading playoff contenders.

⚡ Match of the Round: Unirea Slobozia 4–3 Independiente Medellín
Seven goals made this one of the most entertaining games of the round.

💥 Biggest Promotion Result: Dinamo București 2–1 Internacional de Bogotá
A direct clash between promotion contenders that went Dinamo's way.

😱 Shock of the Round: Violette Athletic Club 3–2 Once Caldas
The league leaders finally suffered a major defeat.

🎯 Best Attack: Canadian FC
A spectacular 5–1 victory over Africa Sports gave Canadian FC the largest winning margin of the round.

📈 Looking Ahead

After nine rounds, Once Caldas remains the benchmark, but Round 9 showed that the gap at the top can be challenged. Celta, Villarreal, Dinamo and Violette all have reasons to feel confident, while Internacional, Monaco and Cúcuta will be eager to recover from costly dropped points.

And with 41 rounds still remaining, the promotion race is only beginning.

League III Group B is shaping up to be a marathon rather than a sprint—and Round 9 proved that even the teams at the bottom of the table can completely disrupt the promotion picture.