The Copa America, which started in 1916, has seen numerous format changes over the years. Initially, it was a simple round-robin tournament with four teams (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile). The team with the most points was crowned champion.
From 1949 and 1953, the top two teams of each group played in a final, but this format was not consistently maintained. Instead, the tournament often reverted to a league format where the top team won the trophy.
In 1975, the format shifted to include a group stage, semifinals, and a final. By 1989, the tournament featured two groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to a final group stage to determine the champion.
The current format, which started in Ecuador 1993, consists of three groups of four teams, including invited teams, with the top two in each group and the best third-placed teams advancing to the quarterfinals. This format was used in Copa America Centenario in 2016 and again in 2024, expanding to include more teams.
Claudio Bravo #1 of Chile hoist the trophy after defeating Argentina to win the Copa America Centenario. Mike Stobe/Getty Images
How many times have Argentina won the Copa America?
The Argentinian national team has won the Copa America 15 times. Notably, only the two most recent titles were achieved under the current tournament format. Here’s the full list of Argentina’s championships:
| Year | Venue | Final |
| 1921 | Argentina | League format |
| 1925 | Argentina | League format |
| 1927 | Peru | League format |
| 1929 | Argentina | League format |
| 1937 | Argentina | League format: 2-1 against Brazil (tiebreaker) |
| 1941 | Chile | League format |
| 1945 | Chile | League format |
| 1946 | Argentina | League format |
| 1947 | Ecuador | League format |
| 1955 | Chile | League format |
| 1957 | Peru | League format |
| 1991 | Argentina | League format |
| 1993 | Ecuador | 2-1 against Mexico |
| 2021 | Brazil | 1-0 against Brazil |
How many finals have Argentina played in Copa America?
Argentina has played in 8 Copa America finals. Out of their 15 championships, only eight were played in direct finals, while the rest were secured through league formats. The first decisive match was in 1937, a playoff against Brazil to determine the champion.
- Copa America 1993: Argentina 2-1 Mexico
- Copa America 2004: Argentina 2 (2) – (4) 2 Brazil
- Copa America 2007: Argentina 0-3 Brazil
- Copa America 2015: Argentina 0 (1) – (4) 0 Chile
- Copa America 2016: Argentina 0 (2) – (4) 0 Chile
- Copa America 2021: Argentina 1-0 Brazil
- Copa America 2024: Argentina vs Colombia
