Argentine football league system

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Argentine football league system
CountryArgentina
SportAssociation football
Promotion and relegationYes
National system
FederationArgentine Football Association
ConfederationCONMEBOL
Top divisionPrimera División
Second divisionPrimera Nacional
Cup competition
Association football in Argentina

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.[1]

Current league system (2024)[edit]

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) due to the fact that 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.

Argentine football league system (2024)
Level Divisions
Clubs directly affiliated to AFA Clubs indirectly affiliated to AFA
1 Primera División
2 Primera Nacional
3 Primera B Torneo Federal A
4 Primera C Torneo Regional Federal Amateur
5 Torneo Promocional Amateur Regional Leagues

History[edit]

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.[2][3] Although the AAFL was dissolved that same year, AFA has recognised that championship as the first Primera División competition, adding it to its continuity.[4]

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[edit]

The following charts detail all league competitions organised by the Argentine Association (National cups are not included):

Year by year[edit]

Argentine football league system historical table (1891–present)
Period Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
1891–1898 Primera División
1899 Primera División Segunda División
1900–1910 Primera División Segunda División Tercera División
1911 Primera División Intermedia Segunda División Tercera División
1912–1914 Primera División (AFA)

Primera División (FAF)
Intermedia (AFA)

Intermedia (FAF)
Segunda División (AFA)

Segunda División (FAF)
Tercera División (AFA)

Tercera División (FAF)
1915–1918 Primera División Intermedia Segunda División Tercera División
1919–1926 Primera División (AFA)
Primera División (AAmF)
Intermedia (AFA)
Intermedia (AAmF)
Segunda División (AFA)
Segunda División (AAmF)
Tercera División (AFA)
Tercera División (AAmF)
1927–1930 Primera División Segunda División Intermedia Tercera División
1931–1932 Primera División (LAF) (no teams competing) (no teams competing) (no teams competing)
Primera División (AFA) Segunda División (AFA) Intermedia (AFA) Tercera División (AFA)
1933 Primera División (LAF) (no teams competing) (no teams competing)
Primera División (AFA) Segunda División (AFA) Tercera División (AFA)
1934 Primera División (LAF) Segunda División (LAF) (no teams competing)
Primera División (AFA) Segunda División (AFA) Tercera División (AFA)
1935–1948 Primera División Segunda División Tercera de Ascenso
1949 Primera División Primera División B Tercera de Ascenso
1950–1961 Primera División Primera División B Segunda de Ascenso Tercera de Ascenso
1962–1966 Primera División Primera División B Segunda de Ascenso Primera de Aficionados
1967–1985 Primera División
(Metropolitano / Nacional)
Primera División B Primera División C Primera División D
Torneo Regional Regional Leagues
1985–1986 Primera División Primera División B Primera División C Primera División D
Torneo Regional Regional Leagues
1986–1995 Primera División Torneo Nacional B Primera B Primera C Primera D
Torneo del Interior (es) Regional Leagues
1995–2005 Primera División Primera B Nacional Primera B Primera C Primera D
Torneo Argentino A Torneo Argentino B Regional Leagues
2005–2014 Primera División Primera B Nacional Primera B Primera C Primera D
Torneo Argentino A Torneo Argentino B Torneo Argentino C Regional Leagues
2014 Primera División Primera B Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C Primera D
Torneo Federal B Torneo Argentino C Regional Leagues
2015–2017 Primera División Primera B Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C Primera D
Torneo Federal B Torneo Federal C (es) Regional Leagues
2017–2018 Superliga Primera B Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C Primera D
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
2019–2020 Superliga Primera Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C
Torneo Regional Federal Amateur
Primera D
Regional Leagues
2021–2023 Primera División Primera Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C
Torneo Regional Federal Amateur
Primera D
Regional Leagues
2024–present Primera División Primera Nacional Primera B
Torneo Federal A
Primera C
Torneo Regional Federal Amateur
Torneo Promocional Amateur
Regional Leagues

By tournament[edit]

Defunct competitions indicated in  

Argentine football league system historical table (1891–present)
Division Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Primera División 1891–present
Intermedia 1911–1926 1927–1932
Primera B 1899–1910
1927–1985
1911–1926
1986–present
Torneo Regional 1967–1985
Primera Nacional 1986–present
Primera C 1900–1910
1927–1985
1911–1926
1986–present
Primera D 1950–1985 1986–2023
Torneo del Interior (es) 1986–1995
Torneo Argentino A 1995–2014
Torneo Federal A 2014–present
Torneo Argentino B 1995–2014
Torneo Federal B 2014–2017
Torneo Argentino C 2005–2014
Torneo Federal C (es) 2015–2018
Torneo Regional Federal Amateur 2018–present
Regional Leagues 1967–1985 1986–1995 1995–2005
2018–present
2005–2018
Torneo Promocional Amateur 2024–present

References[edit]

  1. ^ Asociación del Fútbol Argentino – Reglamento General Archived 2018-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, Certámenes Oficiales (arts. 98-100). Retrieved 2016-01-20
  2. ^ Historia de fútbol de AFA: orígenes 1891/1899, by Carlos Yametti – Edición del Autor (2011) – ISBN 978-987-05-9773-5
  3. ^ Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina, by Jorge Iwanczuk – Autores Editores (1992) – ISBN 9504343848
  4. ^ Campeones de Primera División Archived 2019-07-05 at the Wayback Machine on AFA website

External links[edit]