Primera Nacional (Argentina) 2026/27

Primera Nacional is the second tier of the Argentine football league system, operating directly below the top-flight Liga Profesional de Fútbol. Founded on July 19, 1986, the competition was created by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to unify the second division. It integrates clubs from the former Primera B and regional leagues from the interior provinces. The league was rebranded as Primera Nacional in 2019, dropping the "B" from its previous name.

The competition currently features 36 teams divided into two geographic zones of 18 teams each. The season structure consists of a regular season where teams play a round-robin format within their respective zones, resulting in 34 matches per team. Unlike the top flight, the Primera Nacional does not use separate Apertura and Clausura tournaments; instead, it operates as a single continuous table per zone.

Promotion to the Primera División involves two spots. The first is awarded to the winner of a final match played on neutral ground between the champions of Zone A and Zone B. The second promotion spot is determined by the "Torneo Reducido," a knockout playoff involving the runners-up through eighth-place finishers from both zones, as well as the loser of the zone champions' final.

Relegation sees the bottom two teams from each zone sent down to the third tier. Teams affiliated directly with the AFA go to the Primera B Metropolitana, while indirectly affiliated teams from the interior go to the Torneo Federal A. The league's distinct feature compared to neighboring competitions is its national scope. Unlike the third-tier leagues which are geographically segregated into metropolitan and federal divisions, the Primera Nacional serves as a unified national second division, bridging the gap between the capital's clubs and those from the provinces.

Historically, the most successful clubs in the Primera Nacional era are Banfield and Olimpo, who are tied with three titles each. Banfield won in 1992–93, 2000–01, and 2013–14, while Olimpo claimed victories in 2001–02, 2006–07, and 2009–10. The current champion is Aldosivi, who won the 2024 title by defeating San Martín de Tucumán in the final.