Wikipedia

Argentina at the Copa América

The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as "South American Championship". It is the oldest continental championship in the world with its first edition held in 1916.[1]

The Argentina squad that contested the first Copa América (then "South American Championship") held in 1916

Argentina has won the tournament fifteen times, the joint-record holder with Uruguay. However, they do lead the all-time table, have the highest number of victories and hold various other records.

Argentina are the only team to win the title three consecutive times (1945–1947). The last time they won the tournament was in 2021. In 2015 and 2016, they proceeded to the final, only to lose to Chile in a penalty shoot-out on both occasions, even though they have never once lost to Chile over regular time in tournament history (28 matches).

Overall record edit

 
Américo Tesoriere was Argentina's first choice goalkeeper in six tournaments in the 1920s. In 1921, he became the first goalkeeper, and the first Argentinian to receive the best player award.
South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
  1916 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 7 2 Squad
  1917 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 5 3 Squad
  1919 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 7 7 Squad
  1920 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 4 2 Squad
  1921 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 5 0 Squad
  1922 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 6 3 Squad
  1923 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 6 6 Squad
  1924 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 2 0 Squad
  1925 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 11 4 Squad
  1926 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 14 3 Squad
  1927 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 15 4 Squad
  1929 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad
  1935 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 8 5 Squad
  1937 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 14 5 Squad
  1939 Withdrew
  1941 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 10 2 Squad
  1942 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 21 6 Squad
  1945 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 22 5 Squad
  1946 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 17 3 Squad
  1947 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 28 4 Squad
  1949 Withdrew
  1953
  1955 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 18 6 Squad
 1956 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 5 3 Squad
  1957 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 25 6 Squad
  1959 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 19 5 Squad
  1959 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 9 9 Squad
  1963 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 15 10 Squad
  1967 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 12 3 Squad
1975 Group stage 5th 4 2 0 2 17 4 Squad
1979 Group stage 8th 4 1 1 2 7 6 Squad
1983 Group stage 6th 4 1 3 0 5 4 Squad
  1987 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 5 4 Squad
  1989 Third place 3rd 7 2 3 2 2 4 Squad
  1991 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 16 6 Squad
  1993 Champions 1st 6 2 4 0 6 4 Squad
  1995 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 6 Squad
  1997 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 4 3 Squad
  1999 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 6 6 Squad
  2001 Withdrew
  2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 16 6 Squad
  2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 16 6 Squad
  2011 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 3 0 5 2 Squad
  2015 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 3 0 10 3 Squad
  2016 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 1 0 18 2 Squad
  2019 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 6 Squad
  2021 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 12 3 Squad
  2024 Qualified
Total 15 Titles 43/47 202 127 42 33 474 182 —

Winning finals edit

In the era of the South American Championship, Round robins were more commonly played than knock-out tournaments. Listed are the decisive matches which secured Argentina the respective titles.

Year Match type Opponent Result Manager Goalscorer(s) Final location
  1921 Round robin   Uruguay 1–0   Pedro Calomino J. Libonatti Buenos Aires
  1925 Round robin   Brazil 2–2   Américo Tesoriere A. Cerroti, M. Seoane Buenos Aires
  1927 Round robin   Peru 5–1   José Lago Millán M. Ferreira (2), J. Maglio (2), A. Carricaberry Lima
  1929 Round robin   Uruguay 2–0   Francisco Olazar M. Ferreira, M. Evaristo Buenos Aires
  1937 Play-off   Brazil 2–0 (a.e.t.)   Manuel Seoane V. De la Mata (2) Buenos Aires
  1941 Round robin   Chile 1–0   Guillermo Stábile E. García Santiago de Chile
  1945 Round robin   Uruguay 1–0   Guillermo Stábile R. Martino Santiago de Chile
  1946 Round robin   Brazil 2–0   Guillermo Stábile N. Méndez Buenos Aires
  1947 Round robin   Uruguay 3–1   Guillermo Stábile N. Méndez (2), F. Loustau Guayaquil
  1955 Round robin   Chile 1–0   Guillermo Stábile R. Micheli Santiago de Chile
  1957 Round robin   Brazil 3–0   Guillermo Stábile A. Angelillo, H. Maschio, O. Cruz Lima
  1959 Round robin   Brazil 1–1   Victorio Spinetto J. Pizzuti Buenos Aires
  1991 Final Round robin   Colombia 2–1   Alfio Basile D. Simeone, G. Batistuta Santiago de Chile
  1993 Final   Mexico 2–1   Alfio Basile G. Batistuta (2) Guayaquil
  2021 Final   Brazil 1–0   Lionel Scaloni Á. Di María Rio de Janeiro

Record by opponent edit

Argentina has only positive head-to-head-records at the Copa América. Four out of nine CONMEBOL-members have never beaten the Albiceleste in regular time in a combined 74 attempts.

Copa América matches (by team)
Opponent W D L Pld GF GA
  Bolivia 12 2 2 16 50 10
  Brazil 16 8 10 34 53 40
  Chile 21* 8 0 29 61 15
  Colombia 7 5 3 15 39 17
  Costa Rica 1 0 0 1 3 0
  Ecuador 11 5 0 16 55 12
  Jamaica 1 0 0 1 1 0
  Mexico 2 1 1 4 6 3
  Panama 1 0 0 1 5 0
  Paraguay 20 6 0 26 78 23
  Peru 12 2 3 17 40 19
  Qatar 1 0 0 1 2 0
  Uruguay 15 4 13 32 43 36
  United States 2 0 1 3 8 4
  Venezuela 6 0 0 6 30 3
Total 127 42 33 202 474 182

* includes a 0–0 draw awarded to Argentina in 1942.

Record players edit

 
Lionel Messi is the top appearance-maker in the Copa America. He is also the first and only Argentine to feature in six different editions of the competition.
Rank Player Matches Tournaments
1 Lionel Messi 34 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
2 Javier Mascherano 26 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2016
3 Sergio Agüero 24 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
4 Ángel Di María 23 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
5 Javier Zanetti 22 1995, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2011
Nicolás Otamendi 22 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
7 José Salomón 21 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1946
Oscar Ruggeri 21 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993
9 Américo Tesoriere 20 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1925
10 Diego Simeone 19 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1999
Roberto Ayala 19 1995, 1999, 2004 and 2007
Carlos Tevez 19 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2015

Seven Argentinian players have won the South American Championship three times each. Manuel Seoane (1925, 1927 and 1929) also won the title as coach in 1937. The others are Vicente de la Mata (1937, 1945, 1946), José Salomón (1941, 1945, 1946), Mario Boyé, Félix Loustau, Norberto Méndez and René Pontoni (all 1945, 1946, 1947).

Top goalscorers edit

 
Norberto Méndez scored at least five goals at each of the three tournaments from 1945–1947 where Argentina remained unbeaten. With 17 goals total, he holds the shared record for top scorer at the Copa América along with Brazil's Zizinho
Rank Player Goals Tournaments (goals)
1 Norberto Méndez 17 1945 (6), 1946 (5) and 1947 (6)
2 José Manuel Moreno 13 1941 (3), 1942 (7) and 1947 (3)
Gabriel Batistuta 13 1991 (6), 1993 (3) and 1995 (4)
Lionel Messi 13 2007 (2), 2015 (1), 2016 (5), 2019 (1) and 2021 (4)
5 Herminio Masantonio 11 1935 (4) and 1942 (7)
6 Ángel Labruna 10 1946 (5), 1955 (3) and 1956 (2)
7 Humberto Maschio 9 1957
Sergio Agüero 9 2011 (3), 2015 (3), 2016 (1) and 2019 (2)
9 Manuel Seoane 8 1925 (6) and 1927 (2)
René Pontoni 8 1945 (4) and 1947 (4)
Rodolfo Micheli 8 1955
Antonio Angelillo 8 1957

Awards and records edit

Team awards

Individual awards[2]

In 2015, no award for Most Valuable Player was given after Lionel Messi reportedly rejected it.[3]

Team records

  • Most victories (120)
  • Most goals (455)
  • Most consecutive titles (3, 1945–1947)
  • Highest victory (12–0 over Ecuador on 22 January 1942)

Individual records

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Copa América". Encyclopædia Britannica. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. ^ "The Copa América Archive". July 19, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  3. ^ "Messi rejects MVP award". 24 July 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

External links edit

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