Argentine football league system
{{Short description|None}}
{{Infobox league system
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| country = Argentina
| sport = Association football
| pr = Yes
| federation = Argentine Football Association
| confederation = CONMEBOL
| top = Primera División
| second = Primera Nacional
| cup = {{Unbulleted list|
}}
}}
The Argentine football league system include tournaments organised by the Argentine Football Association. Clubs affiliated to the body compete in the tournaments, which are split into categories or divisions.
Rules establish a system of promotion and relegation, a process where teams are transferred between two divisions based on their performance for the completed season. The best-ranked team or teams in the lower division are promoted to the higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked team or teams in the higher division are relegated to the lower division for the next season.[http://www.afa.org.ar/upload/reglamento/Reglamento_General_AFA.pdf Asociación del Fútbol Argentino – Reglamento General] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219011112/http://www.afa.org.ar/upload/reglamento/Reglamento_General_AFA.pdf |date=2018-02-19 }}, Certámenes Oficiales (arts. 98–100). Retrieved 2016-01-20
Current league system (2025)
Below the second division championship (Primera Nacional), tournaments leagues are split between two groups, the first of them include the promotion/relegation system for clubs directly affiliated to AFA playing in Primera B, Primera C and Torneo Promocional Amateur. Those are usually called "zona metropolitana" (metropolitan zone) because those tournaments have been historically played by teams from the city of Buenos Aires and the Greater Buenos Aires, plus the addition of twenty one clubs from the cities of Rosario, Santa Fe, La Plata, Zarate, Campana, Luján, Junín, General Rodríguez, Cañuelas, Pilar and Mercedes. The second group is formed for clubs indirectly affiliated to AFA that play in regional leagues, under the supervision of Consejo Federal (es), dependent on the AFA. Competitions reserved for those clubs are Torneo Federal A and Torneo Regional Federal.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width= px | ||
| colspan="3" style="background:#888888; color:#ffffff" |Argentine football league system (2025) | ||
| style="background:#cccccc; color:#000000" width=40px | Level || colspan="2" style="background:#cccccc; color:#000000" width=760px |Divisions | ||
|---|---|---|
| !Clubs directly affiliated to AFA
!Clubs indirectly affiliated to AFA | ||
| 1 | colspan=2 | Primera División 30 clubs | |
| 2 | colspan=2| Primera Nacional 36 clubs | |
| 3 | width="250px" | Primera B 21 clubs | width="250px" | Torneo Federal A 38 clubs |
| 4 | width="250px" | Primera C 27 clubs | width="250px" | Torneo Regional Federal Amateur 352 clubs |
| 5 | width="250px" | Torneo Promocional Amateur 12 clubs | width="250px" | Regional Leagues |
History
Tournaments organised by the Association and its predecessors have been held since 1893 (the year when the current AFA was established). Nevertheless, the first championship was organised by the Argentine Association Football League (the first organised body in the country) in 1891.Historia de fútbol de AFA: orígenes 1891/1899, by Carlos Yametti – Edición del Autor (2011) – {{ISBN|978-987-05-9773-5}}Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina, by Jorge Iwanczuk – Autores Editores (1992) – {{ISBN|9504343848}} Although the AAFL was dissolved that same year, AFA has recognised that championship as the first Primera División competition, adding it to its continuity.[https://www.afa.com.ar/es/pages/campeones-de-primera-division Campeones de Primera División] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705000645/https://www.afa.com.ar/es/pages/campeones-de-primera-division |date=2019-07-05 }} on AFA website
Until the creation of Campeonato Nacional in 1967, only clubs directly affiliated to AFA had taken part in tournaments organised by the body. From 1986, with the creation of Campeonato Nacional B, teams from regional leagues (clubs indirectly affiliated to AFA) added to the regular competition.
Historic tables
The following charts detail all league competitions organised by the Argentine Association (National cups are not included):
= Year by year =
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; margin-right:auto; margin-left: left;"
| colspan="7" style="background:#888888; color:#ffffff" | Argentine football league system historical table (1891–present) | ||||||
| style="background:#dddddd;"
!Period !Level 1 !Level 2 !Level 3 !Level 4 !Level 5 !Level 6 | ||||||
| 1891–1898 | Primera División | colspan="5" style="background:#cccccc; | | ||||
| 1899 | Primera División | Segunda División | colspan="4" style="background:#cccccc; | | |||
| 1900–1910 | Primera División | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan="3" style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| 1911 | Primera División | División Intermedia | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan="2" style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| 1912–1914 | Primera División (AFA) Primera División (FAF) | División Intermedia (AFA) División Intermedia (FAF) | Segunda División (AFA) Segunda División (FAF) | Tercera División (AFA) Tercera División (FAF) | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| 1915–1918 | Primera División | División Intermedia | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| 1919–1926 | Primera División (AFA) Primera División (AAmF) | División Intermedia (AFA) División Intermedia (AAmF) | Segunda División (AFA) Segunda División (AAmF) | Tercera División (AFA) Tercera División (AAmF) | colspan="2" style="background:#cccccc; " | | |
| 1927–1930 | Primera División | Primera División B | División Intermedia | Tercera División | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| rowspan=2| 1931–1932 | Primera División (LAF) | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| Primera División (AFA) | Primera División B (AFA) | División Intermedia (AFA) | Tercera División (AFA) | colspan=2 style=background:#cccccc| | ||
| rowspan=2| 1933 | Primera División (LAF) | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| Primera División (AFA) | Segunda División (AFA) | Tercera División (AFA) | colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc; | | |||
| rowspan=2| 1934 | Primera División (LAF) | Segunda División (LAF) | style=background:#efefef| {{smaller|(no teams competing)}} | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| Primera División (AFA) | Segunda División (AFA) | Tercera División (AFA) | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | |||
| 1935–1942 | Primera División | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| 1943–1946 | Primera División | Segunda División | Primera Amateur | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| 1947–1948 | Primera División | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| 1949 | Primera División | Primera División B | Tercera División | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||
| 1950–1961 | Primera División | Primera División B | Segunda División | Tercera División | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| 1962–1966 | Primera División | Primera División B | Segunda División | División Superior de Fútbol Aficionado | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| rowspan=2| 1967–1985 | rowspan="2" |Primera División (Metropolitano / Nacional) | Primera División B | Primera División C | Primera División D | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| Torneo Regional | Regional Leagues | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||||
| rowspan=2| 1985–1986 | rowspan="2" |Primera División | Primera División B | Primera División C | Primera División D | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | |
| Torneo Regional | Regional Leagues | colspan=3 style="background:#cccccc; | | ||||
| rowspan=2| 1986–1995 | rowspan="2" |Primera División | rowspan=2| Torneo Nacional B | Primera B | Primera C | Primera D | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc; | |
| Torneo del Interior (es) | Regional Leagues | colspan=2 style="background:#cccccc";| | ||||
| rowspan=2| 1995–2005 | rowspan=2| Primera División | rowspan=2| Primera B Nacional | Primera B | Primera C | Primera D | style="background:#cccccc"; | |
| Torneo Argentino A | Torneo Argentino B | Regional Leagues | style="background:#cccccc";| | |||
| rowspan=2| 2005–2014 | rowspan="2" |Primera División | rowspan=2| Primera B Nacional | Primera B | Primera C | Primera D | style=background:#cccccc| |
| Torneo Argentino A | Torneo Argentino B | Torneo Argentino C | Regional Leagues | |||
| rowspan=2| 2014 | rowspan=2| Primera División | rowspan=2| Primera B Nacional | rowspan="2" | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera D | style=background:#cccccc| | |
| Torneo Federal B | Torneo Argentino C | Regional Leagues | ||||
| rowspan=2| 2015–2017 | rowspan="2" |Primera División | rowspan=2| Primera B Nacional | rowspan="2" | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera D | style=background:#cccccc| | |
| Torneo Federal B | Torneo Federal C (es) | Regional Leagues | ||||
| rowspan=2| 2017–2018 | rowspan="2" |Superliga | rowspan=2| Primera B Nacional | rowspan="2" | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera D | style=background:#cccccc | | |
| style="background:#cccccc; " | | Torneo Federal C (es) | Regional Leagues | ||||
| 2018–2019 | Superliga | Primera B Nacional | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera C Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Primera D Regional Leagues | style="background:#cccccc; " | |
| 2019–2020 | Superliga | Primera Nacional | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera C Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Primera D Regional Leagues | style="background:#cccccc; " | |
| 2021–2023 | Primera División | Primera Nacional | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera C Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Primera D Regional Leagues | style="background:#cccccc; " | |
| 2024–present | Primera División | Primera Nacional | Primera B Torneo Federal A | Primera C Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Torneo Promocional Amateur Regional Leagues | style="background:#cccccc; " | |
= By tournament =
Defunct competitions indicated in {{color box|#fee4e3}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||||
| colspan="7" style="background:#888888; color:#ffffff" | Argentine football league system historical table (1891–present) | |||||
| width=250px | Division
! width=120px | Level 1 ! width=120px | Level 2 ! width=120px | Level 3 ! width=120px | Level 4 ! width=120px | Level 5 ! width=120px | Level 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primera División | 1891–present | colspan="5" style=background:#dddddd | | |||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | style=background:#dddddd| | 1911–1926 | 1927–1932 | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | |
| Primera B | style="background:#dddddd" | | 1899–1910 1927–1985 | 1911–1926 1986–present | colspan="3" style="background:#dddddd" | | |
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | style=background:#dddddd| | 1967–1985 | colspan="4" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| Primera Nacional | style=background:#dddddd| | 1986–present | colspan="4" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| Primera C | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | 1900–1910 1927–1985 | 1911–1926 1986–present | colspan="2" style="background:#dddddd" | | |
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | 1950–1985 | 1986–2023 | colspan="1" style="background:#dddddd" | | |
| bgcolor=#fee4e3
| Torneo del Interior (es) | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | 1986–1995 | colspan="3" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | 1995–2014 | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | ||
| Torneo Federal A | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | 2014–present | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | ||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | 1995–2014 | colspan="2" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | colspan="3" style=background:#dddddd| | 2014–2017 | colspan="2" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3 | colspan="4" style=background:#dddddd| | 2005–2014 | colspan="1" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| bgcolor=#fee4e3
| Torneo Federal C (es) | colspan="4" style=background:#dddddd| | 2015–2018 | colspan="1" style="background:#dddddd" | | ||
| Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | colspan="3" style="background:#dddddd" | | 2018–present | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | ||
| Regional Leagues | colspan="2" style=background:#dddddd| | 1967–1985 | 1986–1995 | 1995–2005 2018–present | 2005–2018 |
| Torneo Promocional Amateur | colspan="4" style="background:#dddddd" | | 2024–present | colspan="1" style="background:#dddddd" | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.afa.org.ar/ AFA official site]
- [https://www.soloascenso.com.ar/ Sólo Ascenso]
- [http://www.ascensodelinterior.com.ar/ Ascenso del Interior] (regional)
- [https://interiorfutbolero.com.ar/ Interior Futbolero]
- [https://www.promiedos.com.ar/ Promiedos] (results)
{{Football in Argentina}}
{{Navboxes
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff
|list =
{{Argentine Primera División}}
{{Primera B Nacional}}
{{Primera B Metropolitana}}
{{Primera C Metropolitana}}
{{Primera D Metropolitana}}
{{League systems}}
}}