The Copa América is the premier men’s football tournament in which the national teams of CONMEBOL or the Confederation of South American Football participate. Established in 1916, it was known as the South American Football Championship (Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol) until 1975.
It is the oldest continental football competition, and the second oldest international football competition after the Olympic football tournament. Since the 1990s, teams from North America and Asia have also been invited to participate.
Since 1993, the tournament has typically featured 12 teams – all 10 CONMEBOL teams plus two additional teams from other confederations. Eight of the ten CONMEBOL national teams have won the tournament at least once in its 46 stages since the event’s inauguration in 1916, with only Ecuador and Venezuela yet to win.
Below is the full list of Copa America winners since 1916.
| Year | Host | Winners | Best Player | Runners-up |
| 2021 | Brazil | Argentina | Lionel Messi | Brazil |
| 2019 | Brazil | Brazil | Dani Alves | Peru |
| 2016 | United States | Chile | Alexis Sánchez | Argentina |
| 2015 | Chile | Chile | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| 2011 | Argentina | Uruguay | Luis Suárez | Paraguay |
| 2007 | Venezuela | Brazil | Robinho | Argentina |
| 2004 | Peru | Brazil | Adriano | Argentina |
| 2001 | Colombia | Colombia | Amado Guevara | Mexico |
| 1999 | Paraguay | Brazil | Rivaldo | Uruguay |
| 1997 | Bolivia | Brazil | Ronaldo | Bolivia |
| 1995 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Enzo Francescoli | Brazil |
| 1993 | Ecuador | Argentina | Sergio Goycochea | Mexico |
| 1991 | Chile | Argentina | Leonardo Rodríguez | Brazil |
| 1989 | Brazil | Brazil | Rubén Sosa | Uruguay |
| 1987 | Argentina | Uruguay | Carlos Valderrama | Chile |
| 1983 | no fixed host | Uruguay | Enzo Francescoli | Brazil |
| 1979 | no fixed host | Paraguay | Carlos Caszely | Chile |
| 1975 | no fixed host | Peru | Teófilo Cubillas | Colombia |
| 1967 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Pedro Rocha | Argentina |
| 1963 | Bolivia | Bolivia | Ramiro Blacut | Paraguay |
| 1959 | Argentina | Argentina | Pelé | Argentina |
| 1959 | Ecuador | Uruguay | Alcides Silveira | Brazil |
| 1957 | Peru | Argentina | Omar Sívori | Brazil |
| 1956 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Óscar Míguez | Chile |
| 1955 | Chile | Argentina | Enrique Hormazábal | Chile |
| 1953 | Peru | Paraguay | Heriberto Herrera | Brazil |
| 1949 | Brazil | Brazil | Ademir | Paraguay |
| 1947 | Ecuador | Argentina | José Manuel Moreno | Paraguay |
| 1946 | Argentina | Argentina | Adolfo Pedernera | Brazil |
| 1945 | Chile | Argentina | Domingos da Guia | Brazil |
| 1942 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Obdulio Varela | Argentina |
| 1941 | Chile | Argentina | Sergio Livingstone | Uruguay |
| 1939 | Peru | Peru | Teodoro Fernández | Uruguay |
| 1937 | Argentina | Argentina | Vicente de la Mata | Brazil |
| 1935 | Peru | Uruguay | José Nasazzi | Argentina |
| 1929 | Argentina | Argentina | Manuel Ferreira | Paraguay |
| 1927 | Peru | Argentina | Manuel Seoane | Uruguay |
| 1926 | Chile | Uruguay | José Leandro Andrade | Argentina |
| 1925 | Argentina | Argentina | Manuel Seoane | Brazil |
| 1924 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Pedro Petrone | Argentina |
| 1923 | Uruguay | Uruguay | José Nasazzi | Argentina |
| 1922 | Brazil | Brazil | Agostinho Fortes Filho | Paraguay |
| 1921 | Argentina | Argentina | Américo Tesoriere | Brazil |
| 1920 | Chile | Uruguay | José Piendibene | Argentina |
| 1919 | Brazil | Brazil | Arthur Friedenreich | Uruguay |
| 1917 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Héctor Scarone | Argentina |
| 1916 | Argentina | Uruguay | Isabelino Gradín | Argentina |
Copa America winners list: By Number Of Titles
| Team | Titles | Runners-up |
| Uruguay | 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011 | 1919, 1927, 1939, 1941, 1989, 1999 |
| Argentina | 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021 | 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1959, 1967, 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016 |
| Brazil | 1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019 | 1921, 1925, 1937, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1957, 1959, 1983, 1991, 1995, 2021 |
| Peru | 1939, 1975 | 2019 |
| Paraguay | 1953, 1979 | 1922, 1929, 1947, 1949, 1963, 2011 |
| Chile | 2015, 2016 | 1955, 1956, 1979, 1987 |
| Bolivia | 1963 | 1997 |
| Colombia | 2001 | 1975 |
| Mexico | – | 1993, 2001 |
FAQs
Has Messi ever won Copa America?
Lionel Messi finally won Copa America as his side Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in the 2021 Copa America to win the tournament.
Has Argentina ever won Copa America?
Argentina have won 15 Copa America titles
Has Maradona won Copa America?
Maradona has won Copa America twice with Argentina (1991 and 1993)
What are Brazil Copa América winners list?
The Brazil national team, which has the most number of FIFA World Cup titles, have won nine Copa America titles in the years 1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007 and 2019.
