Before the 20th century, South American football was just casual games between nations. That changed with Héctor Rivadavia Gómez. He was from the Uruguayan Football Association and proposed a new alliance with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. This idea led to the creation of CONMEBOL on July 9, 1916.
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The new governing body, CONMEBOL, organized the first football competition later that year. It started as the “South American Championship of Nations” during Argentina’s centenary of independence with teams from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Uruguay won the first championship.
The tournament was renamed Copa América in 1975 and began including teams from outside South America. With 47 editions so far, Uruguay and Argentina lead with 15 wins each.
Today, Copa América features 12 teams and continues as a major event in international football, flaunting South America’s deep football culture and competitive spirit.
What to expect from Brazil this CONMEBOL Copa America™️? 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/tG0dLpDYmf
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) June 8, 2024
Here are some key stats and records from the Copa América till date:
Championship wins:
- Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for the most titles, each having won the tournament 15 times.
- Brazil follows with 9 wins.
Participation:
- Uruguay has the most participations in the tournament with 46 appearances followed by Argentina with 44 appearances .
- Argentina has won the most games (128) and scored the most goals (474) in the tournament’s history.
- Chile, Paraguay, and Peru each have won the tournament twice.
- Colombia and Bolivia have each won once.
Recent Highlights
- Argentina’s 2021 victory was notable as Lionel Messi led the team, marking his first major international trophy.
- He was also the joint top scorer and recorded the most assists in that edition.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the full series, available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel.
