The 2026 Clausura Tournament has started just five days after the World Cup final, where Argentina faced Spain. Boca Juniors' 3-0 loss to Deportivo Riestra in the first round served as a test of a format that combines regular season playoffs, annual table, averages, continental classification, and up to three different titles in a single season.
How does the Clausura Tournament work?
Since 2025, Argentine football has abandoned the traditional format to, as it was done from 1990 to the 2012 season, divide the season into two championships: Apertura and Clausura. Both have the same 30 teams in two zones of 15 clubs. Each team plays 16 matches during the regular season: 14 against their group rivals, one interzonal corresponding to the classic and another defined by draw. The top eight teams from each zone advance to a single-elimination playoff with quarterfinals, semifinals in the home of the best classified, and a final in a neutral field that decides the champion.
What's behind this puzzle?
According to ESPN Argentina, the origin of this format lies in the need to adapt to the requirements of the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. The classification also determines a significant part of the places for these competitions. At the same time, the historical system of averages is used to decide the relegations. At the end of the season, two teams will lose their category: the last in the annual table and the worst in the averages table.
What's next?
The 2026 season is a challenge for Argentine football, with a complex format and a tight schedule. The national team must find a way to succeed in this puzzle. Boca Juniors' 3-0 loss to Deportivo Riestra in the first round served as a test of a format that combines regular season playoffs, annual table, averages, continental classification, and up to three different titles in a single season. The classification also determines a significant part of the places for the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana.
Note: Recently, Argentina faced Spain in the World Cup final, where they suffered a loss. The national team's latest ranking is 4 wins, 0 draws, and 1 loss in their last 5 matches (LWWWW).
