Argentine Primera División

The Argentine Primera División is the top professional football league in Argentina and one of the most historic leagues in the world. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest league outside the United Kingdom and home to legendary clubs such as Boca Juniors and River Plate.

History and facts

The Primera División began in the late 19th century, making Argentina one of the earliest adopters of organized football. The league has evolved through various formats, including long seasons, short tournaments, and split Apertura–Clausura formats.

Today, the Argentine top flight uses a modern league system involving 28 teams (subject to seasonal changes), with promotion and relegation to Primera Nacional.

The most iconic rivalry in the league — and one of the biggest in the world — is the Superclásico: Boca Juniors vs River Plate.

League system

The Primera División is the top level of Argentine football. Relegation is decided by a unique **three-season average system** known as *promedio*.

Table 1. Argentine football tiers

League	Tier
Primera División	1
Primera Nacional	2
Primera B Metropolitana / Torneo Federal A	3
Primera C / Regional Amateur	4

Below tier 4, football continues in Argentina’s regional divisions.

Stats

Teams with most titles

Table 2. Primera División champions

Club	Titles
River Plate	38+
Boca Juniors	35+
Independiente	16
San Lorenzo	15
Racing Club	18
Vélez Sarsfield	10

River Plate and Boca Juniors have dominated Argentine football since the early 20th century.

Teams with most league participation

Table 3. Clubs with most Primera División seasons

Club	Seasons
River Plate	110+
Boca Juniors	110+
Racing Club	110+
San Lorenzo	110+
Independiente	110+

The “Big Five” of Argentina have been ever-present participants for over a century.

Audience

Stadium capacities

Table 4. Major stadiums in Argentina

Team	Stadium	Capacity
River Plate	Estadio Monumental	83,000
Boca Juniors	La Bombonera	57,000
Racing Club	Estadio Presidente Perón	51,389
Independiente	Estadio Libertadores de América	52,823
San Lorenzo	Nuevo Gasómetro	47,964

Players

Top goalscorers

• Arsenio Erico — all-time record scorer (295 goals)
• Ángel Labruna — River Plate legend
• Martín Palermo — Boca Juniors all-time scorer
• José Sanfilippo
• Gabriel Batistuta (Newell’s, Boca)

Primera División timeline

1891 First Argentine league is founded — oldest outside the UK.

1931 Argentina becomes the first country in the Americas to adopt professionalism.

1967 Metropolitan and National Championships introduced.

1991 Apertura–Clausura system begins.

2015 New league structure with expanded number of teams.

2020 COVID-19 causes suspension and format changes.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_Primera_División
https://www.afa.com.ar
https://www.rsssf.org