AFA approves new, 30-team round robin format for Argentine league

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced a new format for the 2027 Liga Profesional season, with the first division’s 30 teams now set to face each other off once, but with playoffs still deciding two champions.

Up until the current season, the Argentine top tier saw teams divided into two 15-squad groups, who twice a year played among themselves, with a single intergroup matchday. 

They’d compete for eight spots in the playoff to declare the winners of the Torneo Apertura in the first half of the season and the Torneo Clausura in the second.

Next season will bring changes to the formula, with all 30 teams in a single, round-robin system. The best team at the end of the year will be crowned league champion.

However, the Liga Profesional isn’t doing away with the Apertura and Clausura. Twice every tournament — after matchdays 15 and 30 — the top 16 teams in the league table will qualify for a playoff tournament, the winner of which will be crowned Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura champion, respectively.

Each tournament’s semifinals and final will be played at neutral venues, as will the Fecha de los Clásicos (derby round), taking the league match count to 30.

Qualification for international cups will remain unchanged: the top three in the aggregate table will qualify for the Copa Libertadores, while fourth through ninth place will secure spots in the Copa Sudamericana.

The AFA also announced the introduction of semiautomated offside technology for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), set to make its debut in the 2026 Torneo Clausura final.

River and Estudiantes in opposition The modifications were approved on Thursday’s Executive Committee, as confirmed by AFA’s Secretary General Cristian Malaspina. The new-format is set to start on January 24.

River Plate was the only club to vote against the new format. Later on Thursday, club president Stefano Di Carlo said the new tournament format was “a cosmetic improvement that does not solve the underlying problem.”

In September, the Millonario filed a document with the AFA, calling for various reforms in tournament formats, referee administration, and the model for television rights, both domestic and international, among other things.

AFA said the proposals would be “analyzed and addressed ahead of the 2028 season.”

After the new format was approved, Estudiantes de La Plata informed fans and club members that, while the club was represented by board member Juan Martín Cerolini, he was not authorized to vote. 

This comes after club president Juan Sebastián Verón was given a three-month suspension after insulting referee Darío Herrera during the Supercopa Internacional final on September 26.