Frank Christian
After a prolonged period of anticipation, Argentina clinched the Copa America title in 2021 with Lionel Messi leading the team to victory as captain in Rio de Janeiro.
Messi’s triumph followed years of disappointment and missed opportunities, and marked a significant milestone in his career by securing a major international title with La Albiceleste.
Although their victory was somewhat overshadowed by their impressive World Cup triumph in 2022, Argentina remains a strong contender to reclaim the Copa America title in the upcoming 2024 tournament in the United States.
The Sporting News provides a detailed look at Argentina’s historical performance in the Copa America, highlighting their titles, matches, and player achievements.
Qualification for Copa America 2024
All ten CONMEBOL members automatically qualified for the 2024 Copa America, with Argentina securing a spot as the current champions. The final 16-team lineup includes six CONCACAF nations.
Argentina’s Copa America Achievements
As reigning champions, Argentina shares the record for the most titles in Copa America history with rivals Uruguay, both nations having claimed 15 titles each.
| Nation | No. of Titles | Years Won |
| Argentina | 15 | 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941,1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021 |
| 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 has participated in all 47 editions of the Copa America but chose to withdraw on four occasions in 1939, 1949, 1953, and 2001.
| Team | Matches Played | Wins | Draws* | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against |
| Argentina | 205 | 130 | 42 | 33 | 49 | 182 |
*Draws include games decided by penalty shootouts.
Top Scorers and Appearances in Copa America for Argentina
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi holds the record for the most appearances by an Argentine player in the Copa America and continues to chase more milestones in the 2024 edition.
Messi surpassed Sergio Livingstone of Chile with 35 games played in the Copa America across seven tournaments, achieving this milestone with a full 90-minute match against Canada in the 2024 Copa America opener.
The Inter Miami star also shares the record for most Copa America goals for Argentina with Gabriel Batistuta and Juan Manuel Moreno, each having scored 13 goals. Norberto Mendez leads the goal-scoring charts with 17 goals.
| Name | No. of Matches | No. of Tournaments |
| Lionel Messi | 36 | 7 |
| Javier Mascherano | 26 | 5 |
| Sergio Aguero | 24 | 5 |
| Angel Di Maria | 26 | 6 |
| Javier Zanetti | 22 | 5 |
| Nicolas Otamendi | 24 | 5 |
| Name | No. of Goals |
| Norberto Mendez | 17 |
| Lionel Messi | 13 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 13 |
| Jose Manuel Moreno | 13 |
| Herminio Maschio | 11 |
| Angel Labruna | 10 |
