The primary men’s football competition between national teams from the South American Football Confederation is called the Copa América and it is the world’s oldest international football tournament. In this article, we will cover the Best teams who have participated in this competition and the list of Champions ahead of the upcoming Copa America 2024.
Best Copa America Teams Of All Time
With 15 victories apiece, Uruguay and Argentina are the best Copa America teams of all time. they have won the most titles in this tournament. The only other nation with a considerable number of victories is Brazil (9).
Uruguay won the inaugural title in 1916, the year of the celebration of Argentina’s 100th anniversary of independence. It was held every one to four years until 2007 when it changed to a quadrennial structure.
The Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol, or CONMEBOL, is in charge of overseeing the Copa América. The field for the competition consists of the ten national teams that are already members of CONMEBOL: Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. However, now there has been an addition of 6 more teams and thus, 16 teams will be competing in the 48th edition.
Argentina won the most recent edition, which was held in Brazil in 2021, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final to claim the title. Furthermore, in the third-place playoff, Colombia emerged victorious, defeating Peru 3-2.
So far the best teams in Copa America who have stood out throughout the previous 47 editions have been Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
Argentina (15 Titles)
Argentina tops the Copa America champions list, as this side has a rich history in the tournament. They have won the tournament fifteen times, sharing the record with Uruguay. Argentina also leads the all-time table and has the highest number of victories (120), along with the most goals scored in the tournament, with a record 455 goals.
They are the only team to win the title three times in a row, from 1945 to 1947. Their most recent win was in 2021. In 2015-2016, Argentina reached the finals but lost to Chile in penalty shoot-outs. Interestingly, Argentina have never lost to Chile in regular time during the tournament, holding a record of 28 matches without a defeat against them.
Uruguay (15 Titles)
Uruguay has a proud history in Copa America. They won the first tournament in Argentina. Thus, becoming the first nation to win an international football title. With fifteen titles, they are tied with Argentina as the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
In the early years, Uruguay dominated the South American Championship, winning six out of eleven tournaments by 1927. Ángel Romano, an inside-forward, was part of all six winning teams and holds the record for most titles and most tournament participations (9). Uruguay also holds the record for most matches played in the tournament, with 201 games.
Brazil (9 Titles)
Brazil has a strong history in Copa America, as they have won the tournament nine times. This makes them the third-most successful team, just behind Argentina and Uruguay.
Brazil took a break from Copa America between 1926 and 1935. Between 1997 to 2007, they were very successful as they won four out of five tournaments during that time. Zizinho, a star from the 1940s and 1950s, shares the record for most matches (34) and most goals (17) in the tournament’s history.
Brazil holds records for most goals in one tournament (46 in 1949) and for winning a high-scoring game (6-4 against Chile in 1937). They are also the only team to have held the Copa America and FIFA World Cup titles simultaneously, achieving this feat twice.
Also Read: Copa America top goalscorers of all time (Top 10)
List of Copa America Champions
| Edition | Year | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1916 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 2 | 1917 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 3 | 1919 | Brazil | Uruguay |
| 4 | 1920 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 5 | 1921 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 6 | 1922 | Brazil | Paraguay |
| 7 | 1923 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 8 | 1924 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 9 | 1925 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 10 | 1926 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 11 | 1927 | Argentina | Uruguay |
| 12 | 1929 | Argentina | Paraguay |
| 13 | 1935 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 14 | 1937 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 15 | 1939 | Peru | Uruguay |
| 16 | 1941 | Argentina | Uruguay |
| 17 | 1942 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 18 | 1945 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 19 | 1946 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 20 | 1947 | Argentina | Paraguay |
| 21 | 1949 | Brazil | Paraguay |
| 22 | 1953 | Paraguay | Brazil |
| 23 | 1955 | Argentina | Chile |
| 24 | 1956 | Uruguay | Chile |
| 25 | 1957 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 26 | 1959 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 27 | 1959 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 28 | 1963 | Bolivia | Paraguay |
| 29 | 1967 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 30 | 1975 | Peru | Colombia |
| 31 | 1979 | Paraguay | Chile |
| 32 | 1983 | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 33 | 1987 | Uruguay | Chile |
| 34 | 1989 | Brazil | Uruguay |
| 35 | 1991 | Argentina | Brazil |
| 36 | 1993 | Argentina | Mexico |
| 37 | 1995 | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 38 | 1997 | Brazil | Bolivia |
| 39 | 1999 | Brazil | Uruguay |
| 40 | 2001 | Colombia | Mexico |
| 41 | 2004 | Brazil | Argentina |
| 42 | 2007 | Brazil | Argentina |
| 43 | 2011 | Uruguay | Paraguay |
| 44 | 2015 | Chile | Argentina |
| 45 | 2016 | Chile | Argentina |
| 46 | 2019 | Brazil | Peru |
| 47 | 2021 | Argentina | Brazil |
FAQs
Who won the most Copa America Cups?
Uruguay and Argentina have both won the most Copa America Cups, with each nation securing 15 titles.
Is Copa America every four years?
No, Copa America is not held every four years. The frequency of the tournament has varied throughout its history. Initially, it was held annually, then it moved to a biennial format, and later it shifted to a quadrennial format. The scheduling has been adjusted several times over the years.
Also Read: Argentina hit full stride in their preparations for the Copa America at the USA