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Argentina at the Copa América

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

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]

Argentina has won the tournament sixteen times, the most of any team. They also 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 2024. 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 (30 matches).

Overall record

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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
Argentina 1916 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 7 2 Squad
Uruguay 1917 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 5 3 Squad
Brazil 1919 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 7 7 Squad
Chile 1920 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 4 2 Squad
Argentina 1921 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 5 0 Squad
Brazil 1922 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 6 3 Squad
Uruguay 1923 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 6 6 Squad
Uruguay 1924 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 2 0 Squad
Argentina 1925 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 11 4 Squad
Chile 1926 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 14 3 Squad
Peru 1927 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 15 4 Squad
Argentina 1929 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad
Peru 1935 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 8 5 Squad
Argentina 1937 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 14 5 Squad
Peru 1939 Withdrew
Chile 1941 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 10 2 Squad
Uruguay 1942 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 21 6 Squad
Chile 1945 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 22 5 Squad
Argentina 1946 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 17 3 Squad
Ecuador 1947 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 28 4 Squad
Brazil 1949 Withdrew
Peru 1953
Chile 1955 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 18 6 Squad
Uruguay1956 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 5 3 Squad
Peru 1957 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 25 6 Squad
Argentina 1959 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 19 5 Squad
Ecuador 1959 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 9 9 Squad
Bolivia 1963 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 15 10 Squad
Uruguay 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
Argentina 1987 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 5 4 Squad
Brazil 1989 Third place 3rd 7 2 3 2 2 4 Squad
Chile 1991 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 16 6 Squad
Ecuador 1993 Champions 1st 6 2 4 0 6 4 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 6 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 4 3 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 6 6 Squad
Colombia 2001 Withdrew
Peru 2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 16 6 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 16 6 Squad
Argentina 2011 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 3 0 5 2 Squad
Chile 2015 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 3 0 10 3 Squad
United States 2016 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 1 0 18 2 Squad
Brazil 2019 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 6 Squad
Brazil 2021 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 12 3 Squad
United States 2024 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 9 1 Squad
Total 16 Titles 44/48 208 132 43 33 483 183

Decisive matches and finals

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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
Argentina 1921 Round robin  Uruguay 1–0 Argentina Pedro Calomino J. Libonatti Buenos Aires
Argentina 1925 Round robin  Brazil 2–2 Argentina Américo Tesoriere A. Cerroti, M. Seoane Buenos Aires
Peru 1927 Round robin Peru Peru 5–1 Spain José Lago Millán M. Ferreira (2), J. Maglio (2), A. Carricaberry Lima
Argentina 1929 Round robin  Uruguay 2–0 Argentina Francisco Olazar M. Ferreira, M. Evaristo Buenos Aires
Argentina 1937 Final (play-off)  Brazil 2–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina Manuel Seoane V. De la Mata (2) Buenos Aires
Chile 1941 Round robin  Chile 1–0 Argentina Guillermo Stábile E. García Santiago de Chile
Chile 1945 Round robin  Uruguay 1–0 Argentina Guillermo Stábile R. Martino Santiago de Chile
Argentina 1946 Round robin  Brazil 2–0 Argentina Guillermo Stábile N. Méndez Buenos Aires
Ecuador 1947 Round robin  Uruguay 3–1 Argentina Guillermo Stábile N. Méndez (2), F. Loustau Guayaquil
Chile 1955 Round robin  Chile 1–0 Argentina Guillermo Stábile R. Micheli Santiago de Chile
Peru 1957 Round robin  Brazil 3–0 Argentina Guillermo Stábile A. Angelillo, H. Maschio, O. Cruz Lima
Argentina 1959 Round robin  Brazil 1–1 Argentina Victorio Spinetto J. Pizzuti Buenos Aires
Chile 1991 Final Round robin  Colombia 2–1 Argentina Alfio Basile D. Simeone, G. Batistuta Santiago de Chile
Ecuador 1993 Final  Mexico 2–1 Argentina Alfio Basile G. Batistuta (2) Guayaquil
Brazil 2021 Final  Brazil 1–0 Argentina Lionel Scaloni Á. Di María Rio de Janeiro
United States 2024 Final  Colombia 1–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina Lionel Scaloni La. Martínez Miami Gardens

Record by opponent

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Argentina has only positive head-to-head-records at the Copa América. Four out of nine CONMEBOL members have never beaten the Albiceleste in regulation time in a combined 79 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
 Canada 2 0 0 2 4 0
 Chile 22* 8 0 30 62 15
 Colombia 8 5 3 16 40 17
 Costa Rica 1 0 0 1 3 0
 Ecuador 11 6 0 17 56 13
 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 13 2 3 18 42 19
 Qatar 1 0 0 1 2 0
 United States 2 0 1 3 8 4
 Uruguay 15 4 13 32 43 36
 Venezuela 6 0 0 6 30 3
Total 132 43 33 208 483 183

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

Record players

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Lionel Messi is the top appearance-maker in the Copa América. He is also the first and only Argentine to feature in seven different editions of the competition.
Rank Player Matches Tournaments
1 Lionel Messi 39 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
2 Ángel Di María 28 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
3 Nicolás Otamendi 27 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
4 Javier Mascherano 26 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2016
5 Sergio Agüero 24 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
6 Javier Zanetti 22 1995, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2011
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

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Norberto Méndez scored at least five goals at each of the three Copa América tournaments from 1945 to 1947, where Argentina remained unbeaten. With 17 goals total, he holds the joint-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 Lionel Messi 14 2007 (2), 2015 (1), 2016 (5), 2019 (1), 2021 (4) and 2024 (1)
3 José Manuel Moreno 13 1941 (3), 1942 (7) and 1947 (3)
Gabriel Batistuta 13 1991 (6), 1993 (3) and 1995 (4)
5 Herminio Masantonio 11 1935 (4) and 1942 (7)
6 Ángel Labruna 10 1946 (5), 1955 (3) and 1956 (2)
Lautaro Martínez 10 2019 (2), 2021 (3) and 2024 (5)
8 Humberto Maschio 9 1957
Sergio Agüero 9 2011 (3), 2015 (3), 2016 (1) and 2019 (2)
10 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

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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 (132)
  • Most goals (483)
  • Most consecutive titles (3, 1945–1947)
  • Highest victory (12–0 over Ecuador on 22 January 1942)

Individual records

See also

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References

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