LPFA XVI Team Grades: Evaluating Every Team from the 2026 Season
- Guilherme De Jesus
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Another LPFA season is officially in the books.
The 2026 campaign delivered dominant defenses, dramatic comebacks, breakout players, rebuilding projects, and one of the most impressive undefeated runs the league has seen in recent memory.
But not every season is measured the same way. For some teams, success meant lifting the trophy. For others, simply remaining competitive, developing younger players, or re-establishing stability represented meaningful progress.
With that in mind, here are the final grades for every LPFA XVI team.
Lisboa Devils - A+
There is simply no other grade possible.
The Devils completed a fully undefeated season and capped it with a Maleo Bowl victory over the Cascais Crusaders, finishing as clear national champions and establishing themselves as one of the most dominant teams in recent LPFA history.
What made this team special was not just the wins — it was the consistency.
Week after week, regardless of opponent, the Devils controlled games through physicality, defensive discipline, and a system that always seemed prepared to adapt. Their defense was unquestionably the best in Portugal, conceding only 26 points during the regular season and continuing to dominate throughout the playoffs.
Even in games where the offense struggled with penalties or stalled drives, the defense consistently kept the team in control.
And yet, ironically, the penalties remain the one blemish on an otherwise extraordinary season. Offensive flags and self-inflicted mistakes repeatedly appeared throughout the year and even during the final. Against stronger future opposition, that could eventually become costly. Still, none of that changes the overall picture.
The Devils were the best team in the league from start to finish.
Cascais Crusaders - A-
This season felt chaotic at times for the Crusaders.
Compared to previous years, Cascais frequently dealt with lower roster numbers, inconsistencies, and stretches where the team simply did not look like a true title contender. But as the season progressed, the Crusaders steadily evolved into one of the league’s most dangerous teams.
By the end of the year, they were playing their best football.
Their semifinal comeback against the Navigators was arguably the game of the season, and even in the Maleo Bowl, they pushed the undefeated Devils to the limit, entering halftime with the lead and remaining competitive until the final whistle.
The Crusaders may not have finished the job, but they absolutely re-established themselves as one of the country’s elite programs.
And considering the adversity they faced throughout the year, that alone deserves enormous credit.
Lisboa Navigators - A-
This felt like the season where the Navigators truly arrived as a complete team.
Balanced, disciplined, and filled with a strong mixture of youth and experience, Lisboa spent most of the season looking like legitimate championship contenders. Their only regular season loss came in a tight battle against the Devils, and for large stretches of the semifinal against Cascais, they looked destined for the Maleo Bowl. And then everything collapsed.
The loss to the Crusaders will undoubtedly linger because of the way it happened. Leading 28-12 at halftime and losing control of the game in the second half exposed issues with game management, momentum control, and composure under pressure.
Still, one painful playoff loss should not erase the bigger picture. This Navigators roster feels closer than ever to breaking through, and the foundation they built this season could very well translate into future championship runs.
Braga Warriors - B
The Warriors season feels simultaneously positive and slightly disappointing.
On one hand, Braga once again proved themselves capable of reaching the playoffs and competing physically with stronger teams. Over the course of the season, they clearly improved, becoming more organized and increasingly competitive as the weeks progressed.
On the other hand, this was also supposed to be the season where Braga firmly established themselves alongside the league’s top contenders.
Instead, they once again fell short against the “big three”:
Devils
Navigators
Crusaders
Their semifinal loss to Lisboa summarized the season well. The Warriors fought hard defensively and remained competitive for stretches, but offensively they never quite looked capable of consistently threatening elite defenses.
There is still clear upward momentum within the program.
But the next step — truly challenging for championships — still feels slightly out of reach.
Lisboa Bulldogs - B-
Despite missing the playoffs, this may have been the Bulldogs’ most encouraging season in years.
The roster showed flashes of individual talent, competitiveness, and improvement throughout the season, remaining in playoff contention until the very final week.
That alone represents progress.
The issue, however, was consistency.
At times, the Bulldogs looked capable of competing physically with stronger opponents. In other moments, the lack of cohesion and overall identity within the team became impossible to ignore.
Still, compared to previous years, there are finally signs of direction and growth within the program.
The final loss to Braga that eliminated them from playoff contention hurts, but it also highlights how close they may be to becoming a genuine postseason team again.
Salgueiros Renegades - C+
This was always going to be a rebuilding season.
After significant roster losses entering the year, expectations around the Renegades were understandably limited. And while the results themselves were inconsistent, the team still managed to avoid finishing winless and remained competitive in several games.
Most importantly, they showed resilience.
There were moments where the Renegades looked physically outmatched, but they continued fighting throughout the season and slowly improved as the year progressed.
The overall ceiling remains unclear moving forward, but this never felt like a team that quit on the season.
And in rebuilding years, that matters.
Maia Mutts - C
The Mutts once again embodied one of the league’s most frustrating realities.
Every week, they competed with heart, aggression, and effort.
And every week, roster limitations eventually caught up to them.
Much like previous seasons, Maia struggled heavily with numbers and depth, making it incredibly difficult to sustain competitiveness over four quarters against more complete teams.
Yet despite finishing winless, the Mutts rarely felt lifeless.
They remained hard-working, physical, and emotionally invested throughout the season — something that deserves recognition even if the results themselves remained disappointing.
The challenge now is no longer effort.
It is sustainability.
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