AFA Launches New Recopa de Campeones Tournament, Set to Kick Off in 2027

The AFA has added yet another tournament to the calendar. It's called the Recopa de Campeones, and although it won't kick off until 2027, it has already been made official in the association's bulletin, complete with every detail: format, participants, points system and even the disciplinary rules.

The concept is simple to explain, even if it has several layers to it: bring together the champions of the Copa Argentina, the Supercopa Argentina and the Supercopa Internacional in a single competition to see who comes out on top after three matches. A "super champion," as the AFA itself put it.

Who's playing?

The tournament will feature three teams, one for each title at stake. But what happens if the same club won two of those trophies? That's where the corresponding runner-up steps in to fill the spot. And if the results end up repeating a name again, the open slot goes straight to the runner-up of the Copa Argentina.

The format: three matches and a particular points system

This isn't a round robin. The Recopa will be played at venues designated by the AFA and will follow a very specific sequence. First, the winner of the Supercopa Argentina faces the winner of the Supercopa Internacional. Next, the Copa Argentina champion takes on whoever lost that first matchup. And to close things out, that same Copa Argentina champion takes the field once more, this time against the winner of the opening match. If a match is level after regulation time, it will be decided on penalties, in each of the three matchups.

The scoring system has its own twist: a win in the 90 minutes is worth three points, while a win on penalties is worth two. Losing on penalties still earns a team one point in the standings, while a straight loss in regulation time earns nothing. Once the three matches are done, whoever has piled up the most points is crowned champion.

What if there's a tie in the standings?

For those cases, the AFA has built in a cascading set of tiebreakers. First, goal difference from the 90 minutes across the two matches each team played is checked. If the tie holds, it moves to goals scored, and then to goals conceded. If that still doesn't settle it, the outcome comes down to Fair Play: each club starts with 30 points and loses units for yellow and red cards shown to players, coaching staff or medical staff. Whoever finishes with the better disciplinary score takes the title.

Sanctions and other rules

The AFA's Sports Disciplinary Tribunal will handle disciplinary matters. Players or coaching staff members suspended for matches in other competitions will still be eligible to play in the Recopa, though that doesn't apply to those serving fixed-term suspensions, which must be fully served before they can return to action. That said, any sanctions handed down within the Recopa will only carry over to future editions of the tournament itself, without affecting other competitions.

As for the fine print: teams must field players registered with the AFA or the corresponding league, including at least 8 of the 20 mandatory players outlined in Article 205 of the General Regulations. Squads may include up to 12 substitutes, with a maximum of 5 substitutions per match, goalkeeper included. Referee assignments will come from the National Referees' Directorate, and the usual anti-doping controls will be in place.

The AFA still has to work out the prize money, though it has already confirmed that it will cover security, refereeing and logistics costs for the delegations. Any details not covered by the regulations will ultimately be settled by the AFA's Executive Committee.