Primera C Metropolitana

The Primera C Metropolitana, or Primera C, is part of the fourth football level in Argentina. The competition was introduced in 1935 and operated as the country’s third football division until 1986, when the Argentine Football Association (AFA) added the Primera B Nacional as the second football division. This change forced the Primera C to become the fourth division – one level below the Primera B Metropolitana – for all AFA-affiliated teams. In 2023, the Primera C merged with the Primera D, and the number of teams involved increased to 25.

Like other football leagues in Argentina, the Primera C Metropolitana operates under a promotion-relegation system. The season is divided into two competitions: Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. The Apertura kicks off in February and ends in late June, while the Clausura competition starts in July and concludes in December. The winner of each competition enters the final match, a two-legged fixture that sees the team with the best record hosting the second match.

The winner is promoted to the Primera B. Meanwhile, the teams that end the year between the 2nd and 8th position in the aggregate table enter a promotion playoff, where the winner faces the second lowest-ranked team in the Primera B Metropolitana.

The team relegated from the Primera C Metropolitana loses its affiliation to the AFA for one year. The second worst-ranked team plays a promotion playoff with a regional team to determine if it stays in the league or loses its status as an affiliated club.

The Primera C has been the home of some notable football teams in Argentina, such as Lanús, Defensa y Justicia, Arsenal, and Colón de Santa Fe. Villa Dálmine and Colegiales are among the league's clubs with the most Primera C titles in history.