| Honorific-Prefix: | General |
| Mateo Leal de Ayala | |
| Office1: | Governor of Buenos Aires |
| Term Start1: | 1613 |
| Term End1: | 1615 |
| Predecessor1: | Diego Marín de Negrón |
| Successor1: | Francés de Beaumont y Navarra |
| Order3: | Lieutenant Governor of Buenos Aires |
| Term Start3: | 1612 |
| Term End3: | 1613 |
| Predecessor3: | Manuel de Frías |
| Successor3: | Juan de Aguinaga |
| Order4: | Mayor of Buenos Aires |
| Term Start4: | 1621 |
| Term End4: | 1622 |
| Predecessor4: | Francisco García Romero |
| Successor4: | Pedro de Izarra |
| Order5: | Vice-Mayor of Buenos Aires |
| Term Start5: | 1612 |
| Term End5: | 1612 |
| Predecessor5: | Felipe Navarro |
| Successor5: | Francisco de Manzanares y Dardos |
| Birth Date: | November 20, 1579 |
| Birth Place: | Madrid, Spain |
| Death Date: | 1627 |
| Death Place: | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Spouse: | María Magdalena de Aguilar |
| Signature: | Mateo Leal, firma.jpg |
| Branch: | Spanish Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1600-1627 |
| Rank: | General |
| Unit: | Fuerte de Buenos Aires |
Mateo Leal de Ayala (1579-1627) was a Spanish army officer and politician, who served during the Viceroyalty of Peru as alcalde,[1] teniente de gobernador and gobernador of Buenos Aires and Paraguay.[2]
Mateo Leal de Ayala y Medina was born in Madrid (Spain), son of Isidro Leal de Ayala and Rosa de Medina, belonging to a distinguished family of La Cabrera.[3] He possibly studied in Spain, and settled in the Spanish Colonies of America around 1598. He was married in the city of Potosí with María Magdalena de Aguilar, a noble woman, daughter of Ginés Martínez and Leonor de Vargas.[4]
In early seventeenth century, Ayala arrived at Buenos Aires from the Peru, and acquired a large estate of 500 rods of land, in the area of Pago de la Matanza.[5] In Buenos Aires, he held the highest political positions, being designated the 27 of December 1613 as governor of the Río de la Plata and Paraguay.[6] He also served as alguazil mayor of the city,[7] and was elected alcalde in first vote of Buenos Aires in 1621.[8]