The Primera Division is the top most professional football league in Argentina. It is also one of the oldest football leagues in the world as well. The league was established in 1891. AFL the AFA or the Argentine Football Association directly manages the league. Primera Division is directly affiliated with CONMEBOL, the Latin American football association. There are total 20 teams participate in the elite league and the relegated team after the end of each season plays for the Primera B Nacional championship. Copa Argentina, Supercopa Argentina and Copa Compeonato are the three major cups in the championship.
The top teams of the Primera Division play in the Copa Libertdores and Copa Sudamericana. Racing team is the current champion of the Primera Divison, although the River Plate club has the distinction of winning 36 titles which is the most by any team playing in the Primera Division. TV Publica and Canal 9 are the official broadcasters of the tournament. The official website for the tournament is afa.org.ar, which is available both in Spanish and in English. Normally the Primera Division season starts from August to May in the following year. The tournament every year has been divided in ‘Inicial’ and ‘Final’ tournaments.
Way back in 1891 the Association Argentine Football League was established by St. Andrew’s Scots School’s Alex Lamont, which is being the first ever football league outside the British Isles. The first ever Primera Division matches were played on 12th April 1891 between Buenos Aires FC and St. Andrew’s and between Old Caledonians and Belgrano FC. The professional look to the tournament was given in 1931 as 18 teams broke away from the amateur football and started a professional league. The current format of the Primera Division is based on the 1991-92 season of it.
The current participating teams and cities represented in the Primera Division are
- Aldosivi – Mar del Plata
- Argentinos Juniors – Buenos Aires
- Arsenal – Sarandi
- Atletico de Rafaela – Rafaela
- Banfield – Banfield
- Belgrano – Cordoba
- Boca Juniors – Buenos Aires
- Colon – Santa Fe
- Crucero del Norte – Garupa
- Defensa y Justicia – Florencio Varela
- Estudiantes (LP) – La Plata
- Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) – La Plata
- Godoy Cruz – Mendoza
- Huracan – Buenos Aires
- Independiente – Avellaneda
- Lanus – Lanus
- Newell’s Old Boys – Rosario
- Nueva Chicago – Buenos Aires
- Olimpo – Bahia Blanca
- Quilmes – Quilmes
- Racing – Avellaneda
- River Plate – Buenos Aires
- Rosario Central – Rosario
- San Lorenzo – Buenos Aires
- San Martin (SJ) – San Juan
- Sarmiento – Junin
- Temperley – Temperley
- Tigre – Victoria
- Union – Santa Fe
- Velez Sarsfield – Buenos Aires
