Argentina ended their long wait to secure a Copa America title in 2021 as Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy as captain in Rio de Janeiro.
Success for Messi came on the back of years of frustration and final losses as the former Barcelona superstar eventually won a major international title with La Albiceleste.
Three years later they achieved the same feat as Messi’s Argentina beat Colombia in the 2024 final.
The Sporting News looks at Argentina’s historical record at the Copa America including titles won, games and player records.
Argentina’s Copa America record
2024 champions Argentina are now ahead of rivals Uruguay as the most successful nation in the competition’s history with 16 titles.
| Nation | No. of Titles | Years Won |
| Argentina | 16 | 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941,1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024 |
| Uruguay | 15 | 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011 |
| Brazil | 9 | 1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019 |
| Chile | 2 | 2015, 2016 |
| Paraguay | 2 | 1953, 1979 |
| Peru | 2 | 1939, 1975 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 1963 |
| Colombia | 1 | 2001 |
Argentina have qualified for all 47 editions of the Copa America, however, they have opted to withdraw on four occasions in 1939, 1949, 1953 and 2001.
| Team | Games Played | Wins | Draws* | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against |
| Argentina | 208 | 135 | 39 | 35 | 483 | 183 |
*Draws include games won or lost via penalty shootouts.
Argentina Copa America most goals, appearances
Unsurprisingly, Messi is Argentina’s leading appearance maker at the Copa America as he aims for more records in 2024.
Messi went past Chile’s Sergio Livingstone to claim the appearance record with 35 games played at the Copa America across seven tournaments with his 90 minutes against Canada in the opening game of Copa America 2024.
The Inter Miami star also has 14 Copa America goals, moving past Argentina greats Gabriel Batistuta and Juan Manuel Moreno at the 2024 tournament by scoring in the semifinal against Canada. Norberto Mendez leads the way on 17.
| Name | No. of matches | No. of tournaments |
| Lionel Messi | 39 | 7 |
| Javier Mascherano | 26 | 5 |
| Sergio Aguero | 24 | 5 |
| Angel Di Maria | 28 | 6 |
| Javier Zanetti | 22 | 5 |
| Nicolas Otamendi | 27 | 5 |
| Name | No. of goals |
| Norberto Mendez | 17 |
| Lionel Messi | 14 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 13 |
| Jose Manuel Moreno | 13 |
| Herminio Maschio | 11 |
| Angel Labruna | 10 |
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