Liga Rosarina de Football
The Liga Rosarina de Football was the main body that organized soccer in Rosario, Argentina, from 1905 to 1930. It was started by clubs including Newell’s Old Boys, Rosario A.C., Rosario Central and Atlético Argentino to run local competitions and a second division.
The league helped create the Copa Nicasio Vila, the first division trophy named after Rosario’s mayor, and also ran other cups like Copa Comercio and a second division called Copa Pinasco. The winner of the Vila could qualify for national cups such as the Copa Ibarguren, and Rosarian clubs also competed in early national cups.
Rosario teams had early international success in the Tie Cup. Rosario Athletic won matches in 1902, 1904 and 1905, defeating clubs from Argentina and Uruguay.
In 1912 the league faced serious conflicts: matches were interrupted, clubs left, and a dispute over players led to bans and the cancellation of the championship. A new body, Federación Rosarina de Football, formed in 1913, and in 1914 the two associations merged again, allowing the Copa Nicasio Vila to resume.
A new split happened in 1920 when Rosario Central and other clubs formed the Asociación Amateurs Rosarina de Football, which lasted two years before most clubs returned to the Liga Rosarina. The league finally folded in 1930. In 1931 Argentina moved to professional football, with a national professional league starting, and Rosario formed its own association to organize the city’s first professional championships.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:14 (CET).