Primera Nacional (usually called simplyNacional B, (English "National B Division"), and known asPrimera B Nacional until the2019–20 season)[2][3] is the second division of theArgentine football league system. The competition is made up of 38 teams.
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Founded | 1986; 39 years ago (1986) |
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First season | 1986–87 |
Country | ![]() |
Confederation | CONMEBOL |
Number of clubs | 38 |
Level on pyramid | 2 |
Promotion to | Primera División |
Relegation to | Primera B Metropolitana[note 1] Torneo Federal A[note 2] |
Current champions | Aldosivi (2024) |
Most championships | Banfield Olimpo (3 titles each) |
Top goalscorer | Adrián Czornomaz (160)[1] |
TV partners | Argentina: TyC Sports DirecTV Sports International: TNT Sports TyC Max |
Website | afa.com.ar/primerabnacional |
Current:2025 Primera Nacional |
It is played by teams from all over the country. Clubs fromBuenos Airessurroundings, as well as some fromSanta Fe Province, are promoted from or relegated to thePrimera B Metropolitana ("Metropolitan B Division") while for teams from the otherprovinces theTorneo Federal A ("Federal A Tournament") is the next level down. In Argentine football, Primera Nacional is the second-highest league, and from it, the three best teams are automatically promoted toPrimera División.
Primera B Nacional games are often transmitted to Argentina and abroad on television byTyC Sports.
History
editIt was created in 1986 to integrate unaffiliated clubs into the Argentine football structure, which until then had only participated inNacional championships of Argentina'sFirst Division tournament. It brought together teams from the old Primera B (until then, the second division) andregional leagues from several Argentine provinces.
After the 1985–86 season, the Primera B Nacional became the second hierarchical league in Argentina's professional football, after the Primera División, and it is above the Torneo Federal A and the Primera B Metropolitana, the last one started to act as a third division for the teams directly affiliated toAFA.
Beginning in the 2019–20 season, the name was changed dropping the B to simply be known as Primera Nacional.
Format
editThirty-seven teams play each other once for a total of thirty-six rounds. The top-placed team will be the champion and will also earn promotion to thePrimera División. The teams placed from 2nd to 13th place will compete in the "Torneo Reducido" for the second promotion berth after the regular season ends, with the team placed 2nd entering in the third round, the team placed 3rd entering in the second round and the teams placed 4th to 13th entering in the first round.
List of champions
editSince the first season held in 1986–87, the following teams have crowned champions of the division:[4] In case of championships defined by final, they are indicated.
- Notes
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwChampionship won on points at the end of the season.
- ^At the end of the season, the 10 best-placed teams were directly promoted to Primera División.
- ^On 28 April 2020, AFA decided to abandon the competition and declare the season finished due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no champion crowned. All official football competitions were suspended on 17 March 2020.
Titles by club
editSeasons in Primera Nacional
edit- Notes
- Updated to2025 season.
- Teams inbold are currently playing in the division.
Top scorers
editNotes
edit- ^Clubs from Buenos Aires (autonoumous city andsuburban areas)
- ^Clubs from the rest of theArgentine provinces
References
edit- ^"Y se sacó el parche" onOlé, 28 Jan 2007
- ^La AFA le cambió el nombre a la Primera B Nacional, Infobae, 10 Jul 2019
- ^La Primera B Nacional renueva su formato, Diario Uno, 10 Jul 2019
- ^List of Argentine second division champions atRSSSF