South America had some of the best players in football history, and Copa America was always a playground for a unique playing style admired by fans globally. The first-ever Copa was held in 1916, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Argentinian independence. In 47 tournaments, there were plenty of surprises. Players like Pele, Maradona, and Messi have a stigma as some of the best that ever played the game never won this competition. But, let’s see who did?
Team With The Most Wins
Uruguay won the first Copa in 1916, and the smallest country that ever won it is also the most decorated. With 15 trophies, Uruguay is the scoreboard leader, and they won the last title in 2011, led by great scorer Luis Suarez. It’s hard to believe, but Argentina won its last title in 1993. Since then, 14th-time champions were runner-up four-time, and especially painful were the 2015 and 2016 competitions when Chille won on penalties after goalless draws. Brazil has arguably the most prominent talent pool but managed to take “only” nine titles.
The 2019 Copa America Taker
Brazil is also the winner of the last competition in 2019. On legendary Maracana, Brazil won convincingly 3-1 against Peru, which they will face again in the group stage of Copa 2021. Peru will want to get revenge for the finals loss, but the better tactics would be to stay calm and collected, like choosing your tip in sports betting.
Brazil won 2019 without a defeat but had a scare in the quarter-finals with a goalless draw with Paraguay. Could they repent and come to the 10th title?
The Best Scorers In Copa History
Copa America has more than 100 years of history and great goalscorers that left an indelible trace. Il Fenomeno Ronaldo is considered one of the best attackers in football history, yet his 10 Copa America goals are enough to hold 22nd place. Gabriel Batistuta or Bati-goal scored 13 goals, giving him seventh place on the all-time list.
The best scorers are from other older eras. Argentinian goalscorer Norberto Mendez dominated the field in three consecutive Copa America tournaments from 1945-47, where he led Argentina to three titles and scored 17 goals in total. Brazilian attacker Zizinho scored incredible goals, which was unreachable for great players like Garrincha, Pele, or Ronaldo.
In Copa’s early days, Peru had Lolo Fernandez, and Uruguay dominated the competition with the help of Severino Varela. Both players scored 15 goals. Peru also has a more recent player with 14 goals. Paolo Guerrero scored 14 goals, and he can top Fernandez in Copa America 2021, where he could play despite his 37 years.
Other notable scorers on the all-time list include Ademir de Menezes and Jair, with 13 goals for Brazil. Argentinian Moreno and AScarone from Uruguay also scored 13 times.
We’ve Picked Out The Most Iconic Copa Team
It was tough to choose the most iconic Copa team. Uruguay completely dominated the early Copa era. Argentina had a great stretch at the beginning of the 90s. Still, performance and the names on the paper led us to the 1999 Brazil squad. The big three of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldhino, just one year after an odd loss in the World Cup finals, went on a revenge tour and showed incredible firepower with wins in all games, capping it with a 3-0 final dismantle of Uruguay. Ronaldo and Rivaldo scored five goals each. They have support from incredible defensive players like Cafu and Roberto Carlos and strong midfield. They went on and won World Cup in 2002 in convincing fashion.
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