Copa América

The oldest continental football competition, crowning South America's champion since 1916.

The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship) is the top-flight football tournament for men's national teams in South America. Held every four years, it is the oldest extant continental football competition. The Copa América determines the South American men's national team champion, minus Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. Since the 1990s, teams from North America and Asia have also been invited to compete.

Quick Facts

Total titles: 9
Most recent title: 2019

Lore & Background

Eight of the ten CONMEBOL national teams have won the tournament at least once in its 48 stagings since the event's inauguration in 1916, with Ecuador and Venezuela the only teams yet to win. Argentina have the most championships in the tournament's history, with 16 cups. The country that hosted the tournament the most times (nine editions) is Argentina, including the inaugural edition in 1916. The United States is the only non-CONMEBOL country that hosted the event, having done so in both 2016 and 2024.

On three occasions (in 1975, 1979, and 1983), the tournament was held in multiple South American countries. Since 1993, the tournament has generally featured 12 teams — all 10 CONMEBOL teams and two additional teams from other confederations. Mexico participated in every tournament between 1993 and 2016, with one additional team drawn from CONCACAF, except for 1999, when AFC team Japan filled out the 12-team roster, and 2019, which featured Japan and Qatar. The 2016 and 2024 tournaments both featured 16 teams, with six teams from CONCACAF in addition to the 10 from CONMEBOL.

Reader's Guide

The tournament began in 1916 as the Campeonato Sudamericano de Football, with Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil as the first participants. Uruguay won the first edition. After a flu outbreak canceled the 1918 tournament, Brazil hosted in 1919 and won its first championship. Paraguay first participated in 1921.

Bolivia and Peru debuted in 1926 and 1927, respectively. After the first World Cup in 1930, the competition was not played for several years until a special edition in 1935, officially reinstated in 1939. Peru hosted and won in 1939; Ecuador debuted that year. The tournament entered a period of disruption, with editions deemed unofficial later validated.

Argentina won three consecutive titles (1945, 1946, 1947). Bolivia won for the first time in 1963. The event resumed in 1975 under the name Copa América, with no fixed venue and a group stage, knockout round, and final. From 1987, the tournament returned to a single host country and was held every two years.

Brazil won its first official international title since 1970 by winning the 1989 Copa América. Argentina won in 1991 after 32 years. The 1993 tournament in Ecuador invited Mexico and the United States.