Torneo de Reserva (Argentina)

Beginnings

In the early days of Argentine football, club reserve teams used to compete alongside the senior sides in the championships organized by the Argentine Association Football League, the predecessor of today’s Argentine Football Association. The first reserve team to take part in the AAFL was Lomas Academy, which finished as runners-up in the First Division in its 1895 debut, placing just behind its own senior team, Lomas. The following year, it went on to become the only reserve side ever to win a First Division title. After that achievement, Lomas Academy was dissolved, but its milestone set the precedent: by 1897, Belgrano’s second team had affiliated, though it folded after playing that season. In 1899, with the creation of the Second Division, reserve teams began competing in Argentina’s second tier.

Early Tournaments

With the introduction of the promotion and relegation system in 1906, the Second Division experienced a constant and massive increase in the number of participating teams, leading the competition to be played in several sections made up of both senior and reserve sides, from the same division as well as from the First Division. By 1909, the tournament had reached 37 participants— a figure that would not be surpassed in the division until 2024. Because of this, the Argentine Football Association decided to restructure the competition, creating a tournament exclusively for the reserve teams of First Division clubs. The first Reserve Tournament was held in 1910 and won by River Plate. It was played in parallel to the Second Division, with the two champions facing each other in a final to determine a single overall champion.

Despite the restructuring, the number of teams had not decreased. Therefore, in 1911, the lower divisions underwent another reorganization with the creation of the Segunda Liga, the body responsible for organizing a new second-tier competition: the División Intermedia, which incorporated some of the teams from the Second Division. As a result, the champion of the First Division Reserve Tournament would go on to play a final against the champion of this new competition. In addition, the Reserve Tournament of the División Intermedia was also created, a parallel competition to the Second Division, which became the third tier.

Between 1912 and 1914, the Federación Argentina de Football (FAF) organized breakaway tournaments, and from 1919 to 1926, the Asociación Amateurs de Football (AAmF) held its own championships—both First Division and División Intermedia—parallel to the official competitions organized by the Asociación Argentina de Football. However, in the latter, the reserve tournament was organized irregularly and was not played at all in 1922 and 1923.

In 1927, with the creation of Primera División B, the Primera División B Reserve Tournament began to be contested.

After the 1931 split, the amateur association organized its final tournaments. In 1933, the Association implemented a restructuring different from previous ones. With the elimination of Primera División B, División Intermedia and the Second Division, their respective reserve competitions were also abolished, replaced instead by a new Second Division and its corresponding Reserve Tournament.

The last Reserve Tournament of the amateur era was held in 1934, with Colegiales winning it for the first and only time.

Professional Era

In 1931, the first professional tournament was held, with Racing winning the title. In 1934, the competition functioned as the Second Division of the LAF, and from 1935 onward it replaced the amateur Second Division. During the 1936 season, First Division reserve sides competed alongside the newly formed Second Division clubs. Beginning in 1937, with the Second Division reserved exclusively for senior teams, the competition returned to operating strictly as a Reserve Tournament. In 1938, the tournament was not completed and no champion was declared.

In 1971, the tournament ceased to be played across all divisions.

Return of the Tournament

In 1981, the tournament was reinstated, and for the first time, indirectly affiliated clubs were allowed to participate under Resolution 1309. It was played annually until 1984, although in that final year the competition was not completed.

Starting in 1985, the season began mid-year and concluded mid-year the following season, in order to align with the European transfer market and calendar. From 1986 onward, indirectly affiliated clubs gained regular access to the competition through the Nacional B. In the 1995–96 season, once again, the tournament was not completed.

Beginning in 1999, indirectly affiliated clubs started taking part in the tournament, although until 2008 it was played irregularly, resulting in none of those editions being completed and no champions being crowned. Starting with the 2008–09 season, the AFA ruled that all participating teams were required to play every match until a champion was determined, which ensured that from 2009 onward, each tournament had an official winner.

In the second half of 2014, a transitional tournament was held to return to the annual calendar. The 2016 season marked the return to the European calendar beginning with 2016–17. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no competition was held in the second half of 2020, and from 2021 the tournament returned to an annual schedule. The club with the most titles is Boca Juniors, having won 20.^[2]

In 2024, the AFA decided not to hold the tournament, organizing only two editions of the Copa de la Liga and the Trofeo de Campeones.

In 2025, the tournament resumed once again.^[3]

Titles by club

Copa de Competencia

Copa Estímulo

Copa Béccar Varela

Copa de la Superliga

Copa de la Liga Profesional

Trofeo de Campeones