{
  "id": 17254444,
  "title": "AFA approves new, 30-team round robin format for Argentine league",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/afa-approves-new-30-team-round-robin-format-for-argentine-league",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-30T16:24:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Herald",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-herald",
    "url": "https://buenosairesherald.com/sports/football/afa-approves-new-30-team-round-robin-format-for-argentine-league"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced a new format for the 2027 Liga Profesional season, which will feature a 30-team round-robin system. This is a shift from the previous two-group, 15-team system that saw teams compete twice a year, with a single intergroup matchday determining the top eight teams for the playoffs to decide the champions of the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura.\n\nUnder the new format, all 30 teams will face each other once during the season, with the best team at the end of the year being crowned the league champion. However, the Apertura and Clausura tournaments will still be held, with the top 16 teams qualifying for playoff tournaments after matchdays 15 and 30. The winners of these tournaments will be crowned Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura champions, respectively. Each tournament's semifinals and final will be played at neutral venues, and the league match count will increase to 30 due to these changes.\n\nThe AFA also announced the introduction of semiautomated offside technology for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which will debut in the 2026 Torneo Clausura final. River Plate was the only club to vote against the new format, with club president Stefano Di Carlo stating that it is merely a \"cosmetic improvement\" that does not address the underlying issues.",
  "summary": "The new competition brings back a single, season-long tournament but won’t do away with the knockout stages La entrada AFA approves new, 30-team round robin format for Argentine league se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .",
  "key_points": [
    "Argentine Football Association approves 30-team round-robin format for 2027 season.",
    "All 30 teams will face each other once, increasing league match count to 30.",
    "Semiautomated offside technology to debut in 2026 Torneo Clausura final."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}