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.Asociación del Fútbol Argentino – Reglamento General , Certámenes Oficiales (arts. 98–100). Retrieved 2016-01-20
Current league system (2026) 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-two 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 (2026) Level DivisionsClubs directly affiliated to AFAClubs indirectly affiliated to AFA 1 Primera División30 clubs 2 Primera Nacional36 clubs 3 Primera B22 clubs Torneo Federal A37 clubs 4 Primera C28 clubs Torneo Regional Federal Amateur332 clubs 5 Torneo Promocional Amateur12 clubs 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) – Although the AAFL was dissolved that same year, AFA has recognised that championship as the first Primera División competition, adding it to its continuity.Campeones de Primera División 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 Argentine football league system historical table (1891–present)PeriodLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 6 1891–1898 Primera División 1899 Segunda División 1900–1910 Tercera División 1911 División Intermedia Segunda DivisiónTercera División 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) 1915–1918 Primera División División IntermediaSegunda DivisiónTercera División 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) 1927–1930 Primera División Primera División B División Intermedia Tercera División 1931–1932 Primera División (LAF) Primera División (AFA) Primera División B (AFA) División Intermedia (AFA) Tercera División (AFA) 1933 Primera División (LAF) Primera División (AFA) Segunda División (AFA) Tercera División (AFA) 1934 Primera División (LAF) Segunda División (LAF) Primera División (AFA) Segunda División (AFA) Tercera División (AFA) 1935–1942 Primera DivisiónSegunda DivisiónTercera División 1943–1946 Primera Amateur 1947–1948 Tercera División 1949 Primera División B 1950–1961 Segunda DivisiónTercera División 1962–1966 Primera División CDivisión Superior de Fútbol Aficionado 1967–1985 Primera División (Metropolitano / Nacional) 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 Torneo Nacional B Primera B Primera C Primera D Torneo del Interior (es) Regional Leagues 1995–2005 Primera B Nacional Primera B Primera C Primera D Torneo Argentino A Torneo Argentino B Regional Leagues 2005–2014 Primera B Primera C Primera D Torneo Argentino A Torneo Argentino B Torneo Argentino C Regional Leagues 2014 Primera BTorneo Federal A Primera C Primera D Torneo Federal B Torneo Argentino C Regional Leagues 2015–2017 Primera C Primera D Torneo Federal B Torneo Federal C (es) Regional Leagues 2017–2018 Superliga Primera C Primera D Torneo Federal C (es) Regional Leagues 2018–2019 Primera C Torneo Regional Federal AmateurPrimera DRegional Leagues 2019–2020 Primera Nacional 2021–2023 Primera División 2024–present Torneo Promocional AmateurRegional Leagues
By tournament 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 División Intermedia 1911–1926 1927–1932 Primera B 1899–19101927–1985 1911–19261986–present Torneo Regional 1967–1986 Primera Nacional 1986–present Primera C 1900–19101927–1985 1911–19261986–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 1995–20052018–present 2005–2018 Torneo Promocional Amateur 2024–present
References
External links AFA official site Sólo Ascenso Ascenso del Interior (regional) Interior Futbolero Promiedos (results)