Copa América

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Copa América

association football tournament

Also known as: South American Championship of Nations

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Spanish:: America Cup

Formerly (until 1975):: South American Championship of Nations

Related Topics:: football

Notable Honorees:: Rivaldo

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Copa América, quadrennial South American football (soccer) tournament that is the continent’s premier competition in that sport. The Copa América is the world’s oldest international football tournament.

The event was first held in 1916 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Argentina’s independence—with Uruguay winning the inaugural title. It took place every one to four years before it adopted its current quadrennial format in 2007. The Copa América is governed by the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (commonly known as CONMEBOL), and the tournament’s field consists of the 10 national teams that are members of CONMEBOL—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela—plus two additional national teams that are invited to participate in the event.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.