# Primera Nacional

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

## History

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.

## Format

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.

## List of champions

Since the first season held in 1986–87, the following teams have crowned champions of the division: In case of championships defined by final, they are indicated.
| Ed. | Season | Champion | Final score | Runner-up | Third Place |
| 1 | 1986–87 | Deportivo Armenio (1) | – | Banfield | Belgrano (C) |
| 2 | 1987–88 | Deportivo Mandiyú (1) | – | Quilmes | Cipolletti |
| 3 | 1988–89 | Chaco For Ever (1) | – | Lanús | Unión |
| 4 | 1989–90 | Huracán (1) | – | Quilmes | Douglas Haig |
| 5 | 1990–91 | Quilmes (1) | – | Atlético Tucumán | Belgrano (C) |
| 6 | 1991–92 | Lanús (1) | – | Almirante Brown | Colón |
| 7 | 1992–93 | Banfield (1) | 0–0 (5–4 p) | Colón | Gimnasia y Tiro |
| 8 | 1993–94 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) (1) | – | Quilmes | San Martin (T) |
| 9 | 1994–95 | Estudiantes (LP) (1) | – | Atlético de Rafaela | Colón |
| 10 | 1995–96 | Huracán (C) (1) | 2–2, 4–1 | Talleres (C) | Atlético Tucumán |
| 11 | 1996–97 | Argentinos Juniors (1) | – | Talleres (C) | Godoy Cruz |
| 12 | 1997–98 | Talleres (C) (1) | 1–0, 1–2 (4–3 p) | Belgrano (C) | No third-place awarded |
| 13 | 1998–99 | Instituto (1) | 3–0, 0–1 | Chacarita Juniors | No third-place awarded |
| 14 | 1999–00 | Huracán (2) | 1–0, 1–1 | Quilmes | No third-place awarded |
| 15 | 2000–01 | Banfield (2) | 2–1, 4–2 | Quilmes | No third-place awarded |
| 16 | 2001–02 | Olimpo (1) | – | Quilmes | San Martín (M) |
| 17 | 2002–03 | Atlético de Rafaela (1) | – | Argentinos Juniors | Quilmes |
| 18 | 2003–04 | Instituto (C) (2) | 0–1, 2–0 | Almagro | Huracán (TA) |
| 19 | 2004–05 | Tiro Federal (1) | 1–0, 1–1 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) | Huracán |
| 20 | 2005–06 | Godoy Cruz (1) | 1–1, 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Nueva Chicago | Belgrano (C) |
| 21 | 2006–07 | Olimpo (2) | – | San Martín (SJ) | Huracán |
| 22 | 2007–08 | San Martín (T) (1) | – | Godoy Cruz | Unión |
| 23 | 2008–09 | Atlético Tucumán (1) | – | Chacarita Juniors | Atlético de Rafaela |
| 24 | 2009–10 | Olimpo (3) | – | Quilmes | Atlético de Rafaela |
| 25 | 2010–11 | Atlético de Rafaela (2) | – | Unión | San Martín (SJ) |
| 26 | 2011–12 | River Plate (1) | – | Quilmes | Instituto |
| 27 | 2012–13 | Rosario Central (1) | – | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | Olimpo |
| 28 | 2013–14 | Banfield (3) | – | Defensa y Justicia | Independiente |
| 29 | 2014 | (no champion crowned) | (no champion crowned) | (no champion crowned) | (no champion crowned) |
| 30 | 2015 | Atlético Tucumán (2) | – | Patronato | Ferro Carril Oeste |
| 31 | 2016 | Talleres (C) (2) | – | Chacarita Juniors | Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) |
| 32 | 2016–17 | Argentinos Juniors (2) | – | Chacarita Juniors | Guillermo Brown |
| 33 | 2017–18 | Aldosivi (1) | 3–1 | Almagro | San Martin (T) |
| 34 | 2018–19 | Arsenal (1) | 1–0 | Sarmiento (J) | Nueva Chicago |
| 35 | 2019–20 | (not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic) | (not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic) | (not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic) | (not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 36 | 2020 | Sarmiento (J) (1) | 1–1 (4–3 p) | Estudiantes (RC) | No third-place awarded |
| 37 | 2021 | Tigre (1) | 1–0 | Barracas Central | No third-place awarded |
| 38 | 2022 | Belgrano (1) | – | Instituto | San Martín (T) |
| 39 | 2023 | Independiente Rivadavia (1) | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Almirante Brown | No third-place awarded |
| 40 | 2024 | Aldosivi (2) | 2–0 | San Martín (T) | No third-place awarded |

### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Championship won on points at the end of the season.
* ↑ At the end of the season, the 10 best-placed teams were directly promoted to Primera División.
* ↑ On 28 April 2020, AFA decided to abandon the competition and declare the season finished due to the COVID-19 pandemic with no champion crowned. All official football competitions were suspended on 17 March 2020.

## Titles by club

| Club | Titles | Runn. | Seasons won |
| Banfield | 3 | 1 | 1992–93, 2000–01, 2013–14 |
| Olimpo | 3 | — | 2001–02, 2006–07, 2009–10 |
| Talleres (C) | 2 | 2 | 1997–98, 2016 |
| Atlético Tucumán | 2 | 1 | 2008–09, 2015 |
| Atlético de Rafaela | 2 | 1 | 2002–03, 2010–11 |
| Argentinos Juniors | 2 | 1 | 1996–97, 2016–17 |
| Aldosivi | 2 | — | 2017–18, 2024 |
| Huracán | 2 | — | 1989–90, 1999–00 |
| Instituto | 2 | — | 1998–99, 2003–04 |
| Quilmes | 1 | 8 | 1990–91 |
| Arsenal | 1 | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Belgrano | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) | 1 | 1 | 1993–94 |
| Godoy Cruz | 1 | 1 | 2005–06 |
| Lanús | 1 | 1 | 1991–92 |
| San Martín (T) | 1 | 1 | 2007–08 |
| Sarmiento (J) | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Chaco For Ever | 1 | — | 1988–89 |
| Deportivo Armenio | 1 | — | 1986–87 |
| Deportivo Mandiyú | 1 | — | 1987–88 |
| Estudiantes (LP) | 1 | — | 1994–95 |
| Huracán (C) | 1 | — | 1995–96 |
| Independiente Rivadavia | 1 | — | 2023 |
| River Plate | 1 | — | 2011–12 |
| Rosario Central | 1 | — | 2012–13 |
| Tigre | 1 | — | 2021 |
| Tiro Federal | 1 | — | 2004–05 |

## Seasons in Primera Nacional
### Notes

* Updated to 2025 season.
* Teams in bold are currently playing in the division.
| Club/s | Seasons |
| Instituto | 31 |
| Atlético de Rafaela | 29 |
| Quilmes | 28 |
| Chacarita Juniors, Gimnasia y Esgrima (J), Nueva Chicago | 26 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | 25 |
| Defensa y Justicia, San Martín (SJ), San Martín (T) | 24 |
| All Boys, Almagro, Atlético Tucumán | 22 |
| Almirante Brown, Independiente Rivadavia | 21 |
| Los Andes | 20 |
| Belgrano (C), Deportivo Morón, Douglas Haig | 19 |
| Aldosivi | 17 |
| Unión (SF), Tigre | 15 |
| Villa Dálmine | 14 |
| Arsenal, Atlanta, Godoy Cruz, Huracán, Temperley | 13 |
| Banfield, Chaco For Ever, Colón, Defensores de Belgrano, Guillermo Brown, Olimpo | 12 |
| Brown (A), Central Córdoba (R), Deportivo Maipú, Estudiantes (BA), Sportivo Italiano, Talleres (C) | 11 |
| Boca Unidos, Central Córdoba (SdE), Cipolletti, Platense, Racing (C), Santamarina, Sarmiento (J) | 10 |
| Agropecuario, Comisión de Actividades Infantiles, Gimnasia y Esgrima (M), Juventud Antoniana, Mitre (SdE), Patronato, San Martín (M), Talleres (RE) | 9 |
| El Porvenir, Gimnasia y Tiro | 8 |
| Alvarado, Estudiantes (RC), Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU), Tiro Federal (R) | 7 |
| Almirante Brown (A), Deportivo Riestra, San Miguel | 6 |
| Argentinos Juniors, Crucero del Norte, Güemes (SdE), Huracán (TA), Laferrere, Lanús, San Telmo, Tristán Suárez | 5 |
| Deportivo Madryn, Deportivo Merlo, Estudiantes (SL), Flandria, Guaraní Antonio Franco, Juventud Unida (G), Villa Mitre | 4 |
| Atlético Paraná, Barracas Central, Ben Hur, Defensores Unidos, Deportivo Español, Huracán Corrientes, Rosario Central, Sportivo Belgrano | 3 |
| Central Norte, Deportivo Armenio, Deportivo Mandiyú, Ferro Carril Oeste (GP), Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP), Ituzaingó | 2 |
| Atlético Concepción, Argentino (R), Colegiales, Desamparados, Estación Quequén, Estudiantes (LP), General Paz Juniors, Independiente, Juventud Unida Universitario, River Plate, Sacachispas, Unión (MdP), Unión de Villa Krause, Villa San Carlos | 1 |

## Top scorers

| Season | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1986–87 | José Raúl Iglesias | Huracán | 36 |
| 1987–88 | Daniel Leani | Quilmes | 24 |
| 1988–89 | Daniel Aquino | Banfield | 24 |
| 1988–89 | Sergio Recchiutti | Almirante Brown | 24 |
| 1989–90 | Juan Almada | Defensa y Justicia | 20 |
| 1989–90 | Abel Blasón | Quilmes | 20 |
| 1990–91 | Roberto Oste | Defensa y Justicia | 24 |
| 1991–92 | Carlos Cardozo | Almirante Brown | 26 |
| 1992–93 | Miguel Amaya | Gimnasia y Tiro (S) | 21 |
| 1993–94 | Dante Fernández | Quilmes | 29 |
| 1994–95 | Alejandro Abaurre | Godoy Cruz | 29 |
| 1995–96 | Adrián Czornomaz | Los Andes | 22 |
| 1996–97 | Eduardo Bennett | Argentinos Juniors | 23 |
| 1997–98 | Alejandro Glaría | Banfield | 30 |
| 1998–99 | Adrián Czornomaz | Atlético Tucumán | 26 |
| 1999–00 | Gastón Casas | Huracán | 30 |
| 2000–01 | Daniel Jiménez | Instituto | 23 |
| 2001–02 | Diego Ceballos | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU) | 26 |
| 2002–03 | Daniel Giménez | Godoy Cruz | 13 |
| 2002–03 | Diego Torres | Quilmes | 13 |
| 2003–04 | Julio Bevacqua | Comisión de Actividades Infantiles | 13 |
| 2004–05 | Rubén Ramírez | Tiro Federal | 15 |
| 2005–06 | Daniel Bazán Vera | Unión (SF) | 18 |
| 2006–07 | Ismael Blanco | Olimpo | 29 |
| 2007–08 | Cristian Milla | Chacarita Juniors | 20 |
| 2007–08 | Leandro Zárate | Unión | 20 |
| 2008–09 | Luis Rodríguez | Atlético Tucumán | 20 |
| 2009–10 | Leandro Armani | Tiro Federal | 19 |
| 2010–11 | César Carignano | Atlético de Rafaela | 21 |
| 2011–12 | Gonzalo Castillejos | Rosario Central | 26 |
| 2012–13 | Luis Rodríguez | Atlético Tucumán | 20 |
| 2013–14 | Juan M. Lucero | Defensa y Justicia | 24 |
| 2014 | Ramón Ábila | Huracán | 9 |
| 2014 | Nicolás Mazzola | Instituto (C) | 9 |
| 2015 | Fernando Zampedri | Juventud Unida (G) | 25 |
| 2016 | Germán Lesman | All Boys | 17 |
| 2016–17 | Rodrigo Salinas | Chacarita Juniors | 30 |
| 2017–18 | Jonathan Herrera | Deportivo Riestra / Ferro Carril Oeste | 13 |
| 2018–19 | Patricio Cucchi | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | 15 |
| 2019–20 | Pablo Magnín | Sarmiento (J) | 15 |
| 2020 | Claudio Bieler | Atlético Rafaela | 5 |
| 2021 | Pablo Magnín | Tigre | 22 |
| 2022 | Pablo Vegetti | Belgrano (C) | 17 |
| 2023 | Alex Arce | Independiente Rivadavia | 25 |