Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, in English "National B Division", and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season)^[2][3] is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 38 teams.

Quick Facts Founded, First season ...

Primera Nacional

Founded	1986; 38 years ago (1986)
First season	1986–87
Country	Argentina
Confederation	CONMEBOL
Number of teams	38
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Primera División
Relegation to	Primera B Metropolitana [note 1] Torneo Federal A [note 2]
Current champions	Independiente Rivadavia (2023)
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: 2024 Primera Nacional

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It is played by teams from all over the country. Clubs from Buenos Aires surroundings, as well as some from Santa Fe Province, are promoted from or relegated to the Primera B Metropolitana ("Metropolitan B Division") while for teams from the other provinces the Torneo 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 to Primera División.

Primera B Nacional games are often transmitted to Argentina and abroad on television by TyC Sports.

It was created in 1986 to integrate unaffiliated clubs into the Argentine football structure, which until then had only participated in Nacional championships of Argentina's First Division tournament. It brought together teams from the old Primera B (until then, the second division) and regional 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 to AFA.

Beginning in the 2019–20 season, the name was changed dropping the B to simply be known as Primera Nacional.

Thirty-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 the Primera 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.

Since 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