Argentine e-commerce heavyweight Mercado Libre has been announced as the new naming rights sponsor for the next two seasons of the country's top men's soccer league.
Through a tie-up unveiled over the weekend, with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the 2026 and 2027 seasons of the Professional Football League (LPF) will have Mercado Libre in place as the naming rights partner.
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Mercado Libre replaces Betano, the sports betting brand owned by Kaizen Gaming, in this capacity. Betano has acted as the league's naming rights partner since May 2024 (just in advance of last year's season).
That agreement has been valued by GlobalData Sport at $14 million across two seasons.
The deal entails Mercado Libre aiming to "enhance its marketing and communication plans in partnership … to build an emotional and nationwide connection with the sport," the LPF has said.
Mercado Libre customers will now be able to access LPF tickets and other "unique experiences" through the association.
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By GlobalDataClaudio Tapia, president of both the AFA and LPF, has said: "Continuing to incorporate top-tier brands has been a major objective since the beginning of our administration. In this way, we develop relationships with companies that believe in our nationwide project. Through this agreement with Mercado Libre, the Argentine Professional League continues on a path of expansion, and we envision a long-lasting partnership with them."
Other main LFP sponsors include YPF, Pirelli, TCL, Gatorade, Mantecol, and Medife.
Juan Martin de la Serna, Mercado Libre Argentina's president, added: "It is a tremendous honor to be the official sponsor and naming partner of the Professional Football League and for the tournament to bear our name: the Mercado Libre Tournament 2026."
In terms of Mercado Libre's sporting sponsorship presence, it has a deal in place with the Alpine team from motor racing's iconic Formula 1, which came into effect for the 2025 F1 campaign.
