Nacional championship
The Nacional championship was an Argentine football tournament that existed between 1967 and 1985. The Nacional formed one half of the Argentine 1st division taking place in the second half of the year; the Metropolitano took place in the first half of the year. This arrangement lasted until 1982 when they were reversed. The Metropolitano and Nacional were abolished and replaced by European style seasons starting in 1985-1986.
The Nacional was played with a number of different formats including the basic league table, two groups qualifying to semi-finals and four groups qualifying to a final group, round of 16 or quarter finals. The last Nacional in 1985 featured an extremely complicated set-up. The number of participants varied between a low of 16 (1967 and 1968) and a high of 36 (1974).
List of Champions
| Year | Format | Champions | Runners-up | Third Place /Semi-finalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | league of 16 | Independiente | Estudiantes (LP) | Vélez Sársfield |
| 1968 | league of 16 | Vélez Sársfield | River Plate | Racing |
| 1969 | league of 17 | Boca Juniors | River Plate | San Lorenzo |
| 1970 | 2x10, sf | Boca Juniors | Rosario Central | Chacarita Juniors Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) |
| 1971 | 2x14, SF | Rosario Central | San Lorenzo | Independiente Newell's Old Boys |
| 1972 | 2x13, SF | San Lorenzo | River Plate | Boca Juniors |
| 1973 | 2x15, group of 4 | Rosario Central | River Plate | Atlanta |
| 1974 | 4x9, group of 8 | San Lorenzo | Rosario Central | Vélez Sársfield |
| 1975 | 4x8, group of 8 | River Plate | Estudiantes (LP) | San Lorenzo |
| 1976 | 4x8, QF | Boca Juniors | River Plate | Huracán Talleres |
| 1977 | 4x8, SF | Independiente | Talleres (C) | Newell's Old Boys Estudiantes (LP) |
| 1978 | 4x8, SF | Independiente | River Plate | Unión Talleres (C) |
| 1979 | 4x7, QF | River Plate | Unión | Atlético Tucumán Rosario Central |
| 1980 | 4x7, QF | Rosario Central | Racing (C) | Independiente Newell's Old Boys |
| 1981 | 4x7, QF | River Plate | Ferro Carril Oeste | Independiente Vélez Sársfield |
| 1982 | 4x8, QF | Ferro Carril Oeste | Quilmes | Estudiantes (LP) Talleres (C) |
| 1983 | 8x4, 8x3, round of 16 | Estudiantes (LP) | Independiente | Temperley Argentinos Juniors |
| 1984 | 8x4, round of 16 | Ferro Carril Oeste | River Plate | Talleres (C) San Lorenzo |
| 1985 | ultra-complex | Argentinos Juniors | Vélez Sársfield | River Plate |
Top three finishes
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Third Place | Semi-Finalist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independiente | 3 | 1 | - | 3 |
| Rosario Central | 3 | 2 | - | 1 |
| River Plate | 3 | 7 | 1 | - |
| Boca Juniors | 3 | - | 1 | - |
| San Lorenzo | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| Estudiantes (LP) | 1 | 2 | - | 2 |
| Vélez Sársfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Argentinos Juniors | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Talleres (C) | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| Unión | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Quilmes | - | 1 | - | - |
| Racing (C) | - | 1 | - | - |
| Atlanta | - | - | 1 | - |
| Racing | - | - | 1 | - |
| Newell's Old Boys | - | - | - | 3 |
| Atlético Tucumán | - | - | - | 1 |
| Chacarita Juniors | - | - | - | 1 |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | - | - | - | 1 |
| Huracán | - | - | - | 1 |
| Temperley | - | - | - | 1 |
Records
- River Plate, Rosario Central, Independiente and Boca Juniors are the most successful teams, with three wins each.
- Argentinos Juniors only ever won one Nacional, the last ever one, in 1985.
- Both of Ferro Carril Oeste's 2 league wins came in the Nacional, 1982 and 1984.