2026 AFA Liga Profesional de Fútbol

Liga Profesional de Fútbol
Season2026
Dates22 January – 13 December 2026
Matches135
Goals264 (1.96 per match)
Top goalscorerApertura: Gabriel Ávalos and David Romero (6 goals each)
Biggest home winUnión 4–0 Gimnasia y Esgrima (M)
(2 February 2026)
Atlético Tucumán 4–0 Estudiantes (RC)
(14 February 2026)
Biggest away winRiver Plate 1–4 Tigre
(7 February 2026)
Atlético Tucumán 0–3 Racing
(3 March 2026)
Lanús 0–3 Boca Juniors
(4 March 2026)
Highest scoringIndependiente 4–4 Unión
(10 March 2026)
Longest winning runIndependiente Rivadavia
4 games
Longest unbeaten runDefensa y Justicia
Vélez Sarsfield
9 games
Longest winless runDeportivo Riestra
Newell's Old Boys
9 games
Longest losing runEstudiantes (RC)
4 games
2025
2027 →
All statistics correct as of 14 March 2026.

The 2026 Liga Profesional de Fútbol (officially the Torneo Mercado Libre 2026 for sponsorship reasons) is the 136th season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. The league season began on 22 January and will end on 13 December 2026.

Thirty teams will compete in the league: twenty-eight returning from the 2025 season as well as two promoted teams from the 2025 Primera Nacional (Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) and Estudiantes (RC), who were promoted after an absence of 41 and 40 years respectively). Estudiantes (LP) entered the season as the defending champions after winning the 2025 Torneo Clausura.

While the Torneo Apertura was taking place, the executive committee of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol unanimously decided on 23 February 2026 to postpone the ninth round of the tournament, which was scheduled to take place between 5 and 8 March 2026, in response to the legal investigation by ARCA (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero) against AFA regarding the nonpayment of social security contributions in 2024 and 2025. The round was rescheduled for the first week of May.