Argentine Primera División 2026

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Last Updated: 5 march 2026

About the Primera División

Argentine Primera División (Primera División; Liga Profesional de Fútbol is the name from the 2020 season) is the Argentine professional football league for clubs in Argentina which determines the national champion and the participants in international club competitions.

The Primera División is considered to be one of the strongest championships in world football. There are 28 teams taking part in the season, all playing against each other in the same tournament.

Official website of the Argentine Primera División

2026 Argentine Primera División

The 2026 Argentine Football Championship marks the new season of the country’s top division, officially known as the Liga Profesional de Fútbol (LPF). The tournament traditionally spans a large part of the calendar year: it kicked off on January 22, 2026, and is expected to conclude in December 2026, when final standings and qualification for three continental tournaments will be determined.

Participants and Favorites

The 2026 season features 30 teams, including most clubs that competed in the top division in 2025, as well as two teams promoted from the second division, Primera Nacional — Gimnasia y Esgrima (Mendoza) and Estudiantes (Río Cuarto). Among the participants are both traditional powerhouses of Argentine football and ambitious clubs aiming to solidify their position in the top flight.

The reigning champion is Estudiantes de La Plata, who won the title last season, but 2026 promises to be especially competitive: qualification for the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana will depend not only on final league positions but also on team form throughout the season.

Tournament Format

The format remains intensive and competitive: clubs will play a large number of matches on different days of the week, making the LPF one of the densest and most exciting championships in South America, attracting the attention of football fans across the continent.

History of the Argentine Primera División

Professional football championships began to be held in Argentina in 1931. From 1967 to 1985, two equally important championships were held every year: Nacional and Metropolitano.

From 1991 to 2012, separate championships were held per season. They were called the Apertura and the Clausura. The Apertura was held in the second half of the calendar year while the Clausura took place at the beginning of the following year.

In 2012, there were new changes to the championship. Apertura was renamed Inicial whereas Clausura was renamed Final. However, the format of the draw did not change. The winners of the championship competed for the title of overall season champion.

Since 2015, the championship has been held in a single calendar year.

There are six places for Argentina to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana. These include the first five teams to qualify. Clubs ranked 6 to 11 at the end of the season play in the play-offs to see who will be another representative of Argentina.

Liga Profesional de Fútbol was established in mid-2020.

Interesting facts about the Argentine championship

Argentina is the birthplace of many football legends. Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme – they all started their careers in local clubs.
The championship is highly competitive. Over the past 10 years, the champion title has been won by 6 different clubs.
River Plate is the record holder for the number of titles. The club has won more than 35 championships.
The Argentine championship has a complex relegation system. Unlike most leagues, it takes into account the average points coefficient for the last three seasons.