A HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA
Football in Argentina dates back to the 1860’s but it wasn’t until 1891 the first organised games of football took place. Alexander Watson Hutton, a Scottish immigrant, who arrived in Buenos Aires on 25 February 1882 to work at the St Andrews Scots school is considered “the Father” of Argentinian football and was responsible for the creation of the Argentinian Association Football League (AAFL) in 1891 and its relaunch on 21 February 1893. The Argentine Football league is the fifth oldest recognised league by FIFA.
Football became professional in 1931. Eighteen teams from the amateur leagues in Argentina made up the first professional league. River plate, Boca Juniors, Racing Club, Independiente and San Lorenzo, known collectively as the ‘big 5’, dominated the early years of professional league.
Up until 1966 Argentina’s Primera Liga (first division) consisted of playing each team in the league both home and away during a season. From 1967 this changed to two seasons per year. The open (Apertura) season contested in the second half of the year and the close (Clasura) season taking place in the first half of the following year to align with its European counterparts. The Apertura and Clasura seasons consisted of playing the other league teams once either home or away with the champions being crowned when all games had been played. Several other Latin American countries still adopt this system.
The football leagues in Argentina are complex and by many Portenos I speak to, are often called a disaster. From 2012 to 2014 the Primera was tweaked slightly but the two seasons per year remained with a rebranded Torneo Inicial and Torneo Final. From 2014 a six year spell of change ensued. Both the league setup and number of teams varied on a regular basis. From 2020 to 2024 the Primera League had 28 teams that played each other once during a “regular” league campaign with the champions crowned after 27 games. Following this and after a short break there was a ‘Cup of the League’. This was a tournament with two groups of 14 teams. Clubs played each side in their group once with an additional fixture added to encompass derbies against rivals in the opposite group. The top four in each group progressed to the knockout stages with the winner of the final claiming the title.
In 2025 the Argentine Football Association decided to mix things up again and introduce 30 teams to the Primera. There are now two 'Cup of Leagues' played throughout the calendar year. The Cup of the League format for 2025 involves two groups of 15 teams where each side will play each other once with one cross-over game to encompass local derbies. The top 8 in each group proceed to a knockout tournament.
Qualification for the continental competitions are calculated on an annual table factoring all games played in the regular league and the group phase of the Cup of the League. At present the top four in the annual table qualify for the Copa Libertadores (Champions League equivalent) and the following 6 placed teams qualify for the Copa Sudamericana (Europa League equivalent). Additional places in the Copa Libertadores are awarded to the winners of the Cup of the Leagues (if they haven't already qualified through the annual table) and the Copa Argentina. The Copa Argentina is the national cup competition. It was relaunched in 2011 and is played throughout the calendar year.
Relegation is calculated on a three-year average (Promedio) of points per game with the exception for promoted teams in which their average is based on the games played upon entering the league. The bottom two clubs are relegated and replaced by two from the Primera Nacional League.
The Primera Nacional, along with the lower leagues of Argentine football has experienced just as much transformation over the years as the Primera. At present it consists of two groups of nineteen teams that play each other twice as well as two additional cross-over games in which they play sides from opposite group. After thirty-eight games the leaders of each group play in a Super Final where the winner is promoted. The loser of the Super Final enters the playoffs at the quarter final stage (2nd round of the playoffs). The playoffs consist of teams that finish 2nd to 8th in both groups. This is a one-legged knockout tournament with the winner of the final gaining the 2nd promotion place. Complicated but entertaining nonetheless.
The third tier of the Argentine football league is even more complex and consists of two regionalised leagues - the Torneo Federal A and the Primera B Metropolitana. Both leagues have different formats and are also ever changing. In short, one team from each league gains automatic promotion while an additional team from each league will have the opportunity to also achieve promotion via a series of playoffs.
The fourth tier is the Primera C. This format is a little simpler with just one league comprising of an open and close season. The winners of both seasons play each other in a “Super final” for automatic promotion. Teams finishing second to eighth enter a playoff. The winner of the playoff will then play an additional tie against a team that finishes second bottom in one of the leagues above with the winner playing in either the Torneo Federal A or the Primera B Metropolitana the following season.
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