# Uruguay at the Copa América

The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as South American Championship. It is the oldest continental championship in the world with its first edition held in 1916.
Uruguay won the inaugural tournament in Argentina, making them the first nation to hold an international football title worldwide. They are the second-most successful team in tournament history with fifteen titles, behind rivals Argentina by one.
Until 1927, the South American Championship was held annually, and Uruguay were the dominating team during this early era, winning six out of eleven tournaments. Part of all six victorious squads was inside-forward Ángel Romano, who holds the record for most titles and for most tournament participations (9).

## Overall record

South American Championship / Copa América record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1916 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | Squad |
| 1917 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Squad |
| 1919 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | Squad |
| 1920 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | Squad |
| 1921 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad |
| 1922 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Squad |
| 1923 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | Squad |
| 1924 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | Squad |
| 1925 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1926 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | Squad |
| 1927 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 3 | Squad |
| 1929 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | Squad |
| 1935 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | Squad |
| 1937 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 14 | Squad |
| 1939 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | Squad |
| 1941 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | Squad |
| 1942 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | Squad |
| 1945 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 6 | Squad |
| 1946 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 9 | Squad |
| 1947 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 8 | Squad |
| 1949 | Sixth place | 6th | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 20 | Squad |
| 1953 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | Squad |
| 1955 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 12 | Squad |
| 1956 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | Squad |
| 1957 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 12 | Squad |
| 1959 | Sixth place | 6th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 14 | Squad |
| 1959 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | Squad |
| 1963 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1967 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | Squad |
| 1975 | Semifinals | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Squad |
| 1979 | Group stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Squad |
| 1983 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | Squad |
| 1987 | Champions | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Squad |
| 1989 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 3 | Squad |
| 1991 | Group stage | 5th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | Squad |
| 1993 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Squad |
| 1995 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | Squad |
| 1997 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Squad |
| 1999 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | Squad |
| 2001 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | Squad |
| 2004 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 10 | Squad |
| 2007 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | Squad |
| 2011 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | Squad |
| 2015 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Squad |
| 2016 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Squad |
| 2019 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | Squad |
| 2021 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Squad |
| 2024 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 4 | Squad |
| Total | 15 Titles | 46/48 | 212 | 115 | 40 | 57 | 421 | 226 | — |

## Decisive matches and finals

In the era of the South American Championship, Round Robins were more commonly played than knock-out tournaments. Listed are the decisive matches which secured Uruguay the respective titles.
| Year | Match type | Opponent | Result | Manager | Uruguay scorers | Final location |
| 1916 | Round Robin | Argentina | 0–0 | Alfredo Foglino | | Avellaneda |
| 1917 | Round Robin | Argentina | 1–0 | Ramón Platero | H. Scarone | Montevideo |
| 1920 | Round Robin | Chile | 2–1 | Ernesto Fígoli | Á. Romano, J. Pérez | Vina del Mar |
| 1923 | Round Robin | Argentina | 2–0 | Leonardo De Lucca | P. Petrone, P. Somma | Montevideo |
| 1924 | Round Robin | Argentina | 0–0 | Ernesto Meliante | | Montevideo |
| 1926 | Round Robin | Paraguay | 6–1 | Ernesto Fígoli | H. Castro (4), Z. Saldombide (2) | Santiago |
| 1935 | Round Robin | Argentina | 3–0 | Raúl Blanco | H. Castro, J. Taboada, A. Ciocca | Lima |
| 1942 | Round Robin | Argentina | 1–0 | Pedro Cea | B. Zapirain | Montevideo |
| 1956 | Round Robin | Argentina | 1–0 | Hugo Magnulo | J. Ambrois | Montevideo |
| 1959 | Round Robin | Argentina– Brazil | 4–1 | Juan Carlos Corazzo | | Guayaquil |
| 1967 | Round Robin | Argentina | 1–0 | Juan Carlos Corazzo | P. Rocha | Montevideo |
| 1983 | Final, Second Leg | Brazil | 1–1 | Omar Borrás | C. Aguilera | Salvador da Bahia |
| 1987 | Final | Chile | 1–0 | Roberto Fleitas | P. Bengoechea | Buenos Aires |
| 1995 | Final | Brazil | 1–1 (5–3 p) | Héctor Núñez | P. Bengoechea | Montevideo |
| 2011 | Final | Paraguay | 3–0 | Óscar Tabárez | L. Suárez, D. Forlán (2) | Buenos Aires |

## Record by opponent

Copa América matches (by team) :
| Opponent | W | D | L | Pld | GF | GA |
| Argentina | 13 | 4 | 15 | 32 | 36 | 43 |
| Bolivia | 14 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 55 | 6 |
| Brazil | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 40 | 37 |
| Canada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Chile | 19 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 63 | 29 |
| Colombia | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 10 |
| Costa Rica | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Ecuador | 14 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 66 | 11 |
| Honduras | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Jamaica | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Japan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Mexico | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
| Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Paraguay | 15 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 55 | 33 |
| Peru | 12 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 42 | 25 |
| United States | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Venezuela | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 6 |
| Total | 115 | 40 | 57 | 212 | 421 | 226 |

## Record players

| Rank | Player | Matches | Tournaments |
| 1 | Fernando Muslera | 22 | 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 |
| 2 | Ángel Romano | 21 | 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924 and 1926 |
| 2 | Schubert Gambetta | 21 | 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1947 |
| 2 | José Giménez | 21 | 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024 |
| 5 | Roberto Porta | 20 | 1939, 1941, 1942 and 1945 |
| 5 | Obdulio Varela | 20 | 1939, 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1946 |
| 5 | Diego Pérez | 20 | 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2011 |
| 8 | Pascual Somma | 19 | 1916, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1923 |
| 8 | William Martínez | 19 | 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1959 (ARG) |
| 8 | Diego Godín | 19 | 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 |
| 8 | Edinson Cavani | 19 | 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 |
| 8 | Luis Suárez | 19 | 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2024 |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Tournaments (goals) |
| 1 | Severino Varela | 15 | 1937 (5), 1939 (5) and 1942 (5) |
| 2 | Héctor Scarone | 13 | 1917 (2), 1919 (1), 1923 (1), 1926 (6) and 1927 (3) |
| 3 | Ángel Romano | 12 | 1917 (4), 1920 (3), 1921 (2), 1924 (2) and 1926 (1) |
| 3 | Roberto Porta | 12 | 1939 (3), 1941 (1), 1942 (5) and 1945 (3) |
| 5 | Pedro Petrone | 10 | 1923 (3), 1924 (4) and 1927 (3) |
| 5 | Héctor Castro | 10 | 1926 (6), 1927 (2) and 1935 (2) |
| 5 | Javier Ambrois | 10 | 1956 (1) and 1957 (9) |
| 8 | Nicolás Falero | 9 | 1945 (1) and 1947 (8) |
| 9 | Luis Suárez | 8 | 2011 (4), 2019 (2), 2021 (1) and 2024 (1) |
| 10 | José María Medina | 7 | 1946 |
| 10 | Guillermo Escalada | 7 | 1956 (3), 1959 [ARG] (2) and 1959 [ECU] (2) |
| 10 | José Sasia | 7 | 1957 (1), 1959 [ARG] (3) and 1959 [ECU] (3) |

## Players with multiple titles

| Rank | Player | Championships |
| 1 | Ángel Romano | 6 (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 2 | Pascual Somma | 4 (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923) |
| 2 | Héctor Scarone | 4 (1917, 1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 2 | José Nasazzi | 4* (1923, 1924, 1926, 1935) |
| 5 | Alfredo Foglino | 3 (1916, 1917, 1920) |
| 5 | José Pérez | 3 (1916, 1917, 1920) |
| 5 | Antonio Urdinarán | 3 (1916, 1917, 1920) |
| 5 | José Piendibene | 3 (1916, 1917, 1920) |
| 5 | Alfredo Zibechi | 3 (1916, 1920, 1924) |
| 5 | José Vanzzino | 3 (1916, 1917, 1926) |
| 5 | José Leandro Andrade | 3 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 5 | Alfredo Ghierra | 3 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 5 | Andrés Mazali | 3 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 5 | Santos Urdinarán | 3 (1923, 1924, 1926) |
| 5 | Enzo Francéscoli | 3 (1983, 1987, 1995) |
| 16 | 28 players | 2 |
* Additionally, José Nasazzi won the title once as head coach of Uruguay in 1942.

## Awards and records

Team awards
* Champions (15): 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959 (Ecuador), 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011
* Runners-up (6): 1919, 1927, 1939, 1941, 1989, 1999
* Third place (9): 1921, 1922, 1929, 1937, 1947, 1953, 1957, 2004, 2024
* Fair Play Award: 2011
Individual awards
* MVP 1916: Isabelino Gradín
* MVP 1917: Héctor Scarone
* MVP 1920: José Piendibene
* MVP 1923 and 1935: José Nasazzi
* MVP 1924: Pedro Petrone
* MVP 1926: José Leandro Andrade
* MVP 1942: Obdulio Varela
* MVP 1956: Oscar Míguez
* MVP 1959 (Ecuador): Alcides Silveira
* MVP 1967: Pedro Rocha
* MVP 1983 and 1995: Enzo Francéscoli
* MVP 1989: Ruben Sosa
* MVP 2011: Luis Suárez
* Top scorer 1916: Isabelino Gradín (3 goals)
* Top scorer 1917: Ángel Romano (4 goals)
* Top scorer 1920: Ángel Romano and José Pérez (3 goals each) (shared)
* Top scorer 1923: Pedro Petrone (3 goals) (shared)
* Top scorer 1924: Pedro Petrone (4 goals)
* Top scorer 1927: Pedro Petrone, Héctor Scarone and Roberto Figueroa (3 goals each) (shared)
* Top scorer 1946: José María Medina (7 goals)
* Top scorer 1947: Nicolás Falero (8 goals)
* Top scorer 1957: Javier Ambrois (9 goals) (shared)
* Top scorer 1983: Carlos Aguilera (3 goals) (shared)
* Best young player 2011: Sebastián Coates
Team records
* Most titles: 15 (shared with Argentina)
* Most matches played: 212
Individual records
* Most goals in one tournament: Javier Ambrois (9 goals in 1957, shared with Jair in 1949 and Humberto Maschio in 1957)
* Most tournament participations: Ángel Romano (9, 1916–1926)