Argentine top flight adopts single-table format with 30 teams from 2027

The executive committee of the Argentine Football Association approved a new competition format for the Primera División that will take effect in the 2027 season. The meeting took place at the association's offices in Puerto Madero.

The new system replaces the current division into two zones with a single league table in which all 30 teams play each other once. An additional round will feature classic or regional rivalries, meaning each traditional derby will be played twice per season, once at home and once away.

“There will be an Apertura Tournament in the first 15 matchdays; a Clausura Tournament in the second 15 matchdays. We will all add up in the same Table.”

Each team will play 30 matches during the regular phase, facing its 29 rivals in the top division. The Apertura and Clausura tournaments will continue as separate competitions, each consisting of 15 matchdays.

After the first 15 matchdays of the Apertura, the top 16 teams will advance to the playoff bracket for the title. The same procedure will apply after matchday 30 to determine the knockout fixtures for the Clausura.

Both semifinals and the final of the playoffs will be played at neutral venues, changing the method used in the last two seasons. Points from both tournaments will also accumulate in an annual table that will crown a third champion, regardless of the Apertura and Clausura winners.

The resolution was backed by an overwhelming majority of clubs. River Plate was the only club to vote against the reform, opposing the continuation of 30 participants in the top division and advocating instead for a 20-team championship. Estudiantes de La Plata did not support the reform but did not cast a vote.