Godoy Cruz and Tristán Suárez to Play for Argentine Primera División Promotion After Dramatic Saturday

Godoy Cruz Secures Dramatic Promotion Final Spot

Godoy Cruz earned its place in the decisive match with a 2-1 victory over Almirante Brown at the Estadio Feliciano Gambarte in Mendoza. The dramatic win arrived in the final moments of the fixture, sending the club to the summit of Zona A.

The path to the top spot required a late comeback. Martín Pino opened the scoring for the Mendocino side, netting his 20th goal of the campaign to lead the tournament’s scoring charts. Almirante Brown responded when Pedro Velurtas equalized, a result that momentarily handed the group lead to Ferro Carril Oeste. However, defender Diego Viera headed home in the third minute of stoppage time to restore the lead and seal the 2-1 victory, minutes after having a penalty saved by Almirante Brown goalkeeper Bruno Galván.

Godoy Cruz engineered a remarkable late-season surge, collecting eight wins and two draws across their final ten fixtures to close a gap that once looked insurmountable. The club finished the regular season with a +20 goal differential, scoring 53 times and conceding 33.

Ferro Misses Chance in Caballito

Ferro Carril Oeste watched a promotion opportunity slip away after a scoreless draw against Acassuso at Estudiantes de Caseros. The Verdolaga entered the final matchday controlling their own destiny but failed to break down an Acassuso side that had already suffered relegation.

Despite generating several scoring chances, Juan Manuel Sara’s squad could not find the winner. Ferro finished the campaign level on numbers of positive results with Godoy Cruz across the season—recording 19 wins, 9 draws, and 8 losses—but finished behind the Mendocino club due to an inferior goal differential of +7. Ferro, which has played outside the top flight since 2000, must now navigate the Reducido mini-tournament for the second promotion berth.

Tristán Suárez Wins Zona B After Stalemate

In Zona B, Tristán Suárez secured the group leadership and the second spot in the promotion final despite playing out a 0-0 draw against Deportivo Maipú at home. The Lechero held off chasing packs as their nearest rivals also dropped points on the final afternoon. Atlanta drew with Midland, and Temperley played to a 2-2 draw away against Güemes de Santiago del Estero.

Promotion Final Schedule and Reducido Format

The Argentine Football Association confirmed that all promotion finals and Reducido fixtures are suspended for the weekend of November 7 due to a visit by Pope Leo XIV, pushing the championship schedule to the weekend of November 14. The final between Godoy Cruz and Tristán Suárez will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at a neutral venue. If scores remain level after 90 regulation minutes, the match will proceed to a 30-minute extra-time period, followed by penalty kicks if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Reducido tournament for the second promotion spot begins with single-elimination matches hosted by the higher-seeded team, which holds sporting advantage in the event of a draw.

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