FAM opens registration for teams ahead of Dhivehi Premier League Qualifiers

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has opened registration for the Atoll Championship, the first round of qualifiers aimed at securing Dhivehi Premier League (DPL) spots for island teams under a newly restructured format to be introduced next year.

For the first time, the Atoll Championship is open to all inhabited islands across the Maldives, offering a pathway for rural clubs to reach the top tier of Maldivian football.

According to FAM, this move is part of a broader plan to decentralize football development and promote regional representation in the Dhivehi Premier League.

Clubs interested in participating must submit their application forms via email to: [email protected]

The FA Championship will be held across four main regions:

- North Region

- Central Region

- South Region

- Malé Region

Each region is further divided into zones, with teams competing within their respective areas. The tournament structure allows for fair and widespread representation, ensuring that top-performing teams from islands and atolls get a chance to compete at the national level.

Tournament Timeline by Region:

- North Region: October 1 – November 30, 2025

- Central Region: November 15 – December 30, 2025

- South Region: December 1, 2025 – February 15, 2026

As per the tournament structure in the gazette, the Atoll Championship will be held on selected islands in each atoll. The champion and runner-up from each province will qualify for sub-zone matches, with each region divided into two sub-zones.

The upcoming Regional League will be played on a home-and-away basis, with four teams—champion and runner-up teams from each sub-zone—competing for a spot in the Dhivehi Premier League (DPL) qualifying round.

The regional champion will move on to the DPL qualifiers, where they will face off against the Male' Second Division champion and the 7th and 8th placed teams of the current DPL.

From the qualifiers, the top four teams will advance to next year’s home-and-away format Dhivehi Premier League.

Currently, only Male’ teams compete in the DPL. The 10-team league plays two rounds, after which the bottom two teams are relegated to the Second Division.