Rosario Central has been officially declared the 2025 'League Champion' by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), following a landmark and unprecedented rule change announced on Thursday.
The club, featuring World Cup winner Ángel Di María, was awarded the newly created title for achieving the highest combined points tally across the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, finishing the regular season with 66 points, four clear of rivals Boca Juniors.
Under the previous regulations, the top annual points finisher only secured a Copa Libertadores berth, but AFA's decision now formalizes this achievement with a championship title. Di María expressed his joy, claiming his first Argentine title, while manager Ariel Holan thanked AFA for the recognition, stating the team "had a great tournament."
The AFA clarified that the creation of the 'League Champion' title does not affect the established structure of other end-of-year competitions, such as the International Super Cup, Argentine Super Cup, and Champions Trophy. Importantly, the new title also does not create an extra qualification spot for CONMEBOL tournaments like the Copa Libertadores.
The existing end-of-year fixture between the Apertura winner (Platense) and the forthcoming Clausura playoff champion for the Champions Trophy will proceed as planned.
