The Copa América Feminina is the greatest tournament of her kind in South America. However, it is difficult to surpass Brazil as champion. Brazilian predominance must continue into the 2022 competition.
So far, the Brazilian squad has defeated their opponents with ease. In three games, 11 goals were scored while zero were allowed.
A place in the semifinals is all but certain. Colombia, who are also unbeaten in Group A, doesn’t seem to have the stamina to compete.
This depicts the disparity in investment in the mode between the continent’s nations.
Brazil’s investments in the modality are (much) higher
It is well known that Brazil still invests very differently in men’s and women’s football. However, this is the identical picture as was seen when South American nations were compared in the mode.
Brazil is the only country with three national divisions in women’s football and two divisions in the fundamental categories. There is also an effort to equalize the rewards given out by the Selecao.
Even though the major talents continue to play overseas, the national league has become more competitive. Almost all of the major clubs have made expenditures in their female players, and the Brasileirão features a tough championship race.
The modifications in the CBF may account for this. The organization increased the number of women on the board and gave the sport greater attention. The result is a significant disparity from other teams on the region, which is seen in the Copa America.
Argentina and Colombia are the countries that are closest
Brazil are well in front of the other teams in the FIFA rankings. The first to show up is Colombia, which is in position 28. The “cafetero” nation has boosted its sporting spending and has a powerful foundation.
There are some potential hopefuls even without a national championship the size of Brazil, like 16-year-old Linda Caicedo. Talented and on the radar of major European teams, she may take the lead in this new phase of the hiring process.
Argentina, now ranked 35th in the world, have also seen significant recent changes. Teams must include a minimum of eight professional athletes beginning of 2020. Although they all have contracts with the titans River and Boca, this is still not the norm.
Argentine football hasn’t really embraced the notion of women’s teams, despite Conmebol’s regulation in this regard. Many players also work other occupations since they can’t make a living off football alone. All of this explains Brazil’s hegemony.
Copa America Feminina has great Brazilian dominance
Brazil enjoys a significant edge over their rivals in the Copa América Feminina after eight editions. Seven Brazilian teams have won the tournament since it began in 1991.
The only edition with a different outcome came in 2006 since the key participants skipped the competition. Argentina won the championship after defeating Brazil 2-0 at home in the decisive match.
Three runner-up finishes in a row, from Argentina to Brazil, were broken by the outcome. Colombia has become into the toughest opponent in recent years, although they didn’t have many opportunities to defeat the Seleçao.
The situation will not change in 2022. Colombia and Brazil are in the top of their groups after three games and have perfect records. The final is often contested between the two teams as a result of the new rule that implemented the knockout.
Women’s Copa America titles:
- Brazil – 7 titles;
- Argentina – 1 title
In the Women’s Libertadores, the scenario is the same
Brazil also enjoys a significant edge in the continent’s largest club championship. Our teams have won 10 times in 13 editions. With three apiece, Sao José and Corinthians have the most championships.
Each of Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay have a single championship. The first two won their championships in a shootout versus Brazilian teams. The only year without a Brazilian in the championship was 2016.
Sportivo Limpeo-PAR defeated Estudiantes de Guarico-EQU 2:1 in that edition. With a third-place finish, Foz Cataratas was the best national representation.
The Colombian teams have recently solidified their upward trend and won two vice-championships. However, they could not compete with Corinthians and Ferroviária.
Women’s Libertadores titles by country:
- Brazil – 10 titles;
- Chile – 1 title;
- Colombia – 1 title;
- Paraguay – 1 title.
In the end, the outcomes of team and national tournaments make the gap in investment between nations obvious. Brazil is one of the top countries in South America, even if it is far from perfect.
