# Colombia at the Copa América

The Copa América is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONMEBOL. Held since 1916, it is the oldest international continental football competition. It was originally called the South American Championship, changing to the current name in 1975.
Colombia have played in three Copa América finals. They lost the 1975 final play-off against Peru, but won the title at their first home tournament in 2001 after defeating Mexico. They then lost to Argentina in the 2024 final.

## Overall record

South American Championship / Copa América record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1916 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1917 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1919 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1920 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1921 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1922 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1923 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1924 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1925 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1926 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1927 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1929 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1935 | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member | Not a CONMEBOL member |
| 1937 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1939 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1941 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1942 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1945 | Fifth place | 5th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 25 | Squad |
| 1946 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1947 | Eighth place | 8th | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 19 | Squad |
| 1949 | Eighth place | 8th | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 23 | Squad |
| 1953 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1955 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1956 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1957 | Fifth place | 5th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 25 | Squad |
| 1959 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1959 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1963 | Seventh place | 7th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 19 | Squad |
| 1967 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1975 | Runners-up | 2nd | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 5 | Squad |
| 1979 | Group stage | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | Squad |
| 1983 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Squad |
| 1987 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | Squad |
| 1989 | Group stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Squad |
| 1991 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | Squad |
| 1993 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Squad |
| 1995 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | Squad |
| 1997 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | Squad |
| 1999 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | Squad |
| 2001 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | Squad |
| 2004 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | Squad |
| 2007 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | Squad |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Squad |
| 2015 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Squad |
| 2016 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | Squad |
| 2019 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Squad |
| 2021 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | Squad |
| 2024 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | Squad |
| Total | 1 Title | 24/48 | 130 | 53 | 26 | 51 | 154 | 194 | — |

## 2001 Copa América

Colombia won all six tournament matches in regular time and without conceding. This achievement is a rarity in Copa América history. The same feat was achieved by Uruguay in 1917 and 1987, and by Argentina in 1921. However, those teams only played two or three matches at those tournaments. Víctor Aristizábal, who played for Cali in the Colombian division at the time, scored in all matches except the final at least once and became the tournament's top scorer.
| Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Colombia scorers | Venue |
| Group stage | Venezuela | 2–0 | W | F. Grisales, V. Aristizábal (p) | Barranquilla |
| Group stage | Ecuador | 1–0 | W | V. Aristizábal | Barranquilla |
| Group stage | Chile | 2–0 | W | V. Aristizábal (p), E. Arriaga | Barranquilla |
| Quarter-finals | Peru | 3–0 | W | V. Aristizábal (2), G. Hernández | Armenia |
| Semi-finals | Honduras | 2–0 | W | G. Bedoya, V. Aristizábal | Manizales |
| Final | Mexico | 1–0 | W | I. Córdoba | Bogotá |

## Record by opponent

Colombia's highest victory in tournament history is a 5–0 win against Panama in 2024. Their biggest defeat was a 0–9 loss against Brazil in 1957.
South American Championship/Copa América matches (by team) :
| Opponent | W | D | L | Pld | GF | GA |
| Argentina | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 40 |
| Bolivia | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| Brazil | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 32 |
| Chile | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 20 |
| Costa Rica | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 10 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 23 | 12 |
| Honduras | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Paraguay | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 17 |
| Peru | 3 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 30 |
| Qatar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 18 |
| Venezuela | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| Total | 51 | 29 | 50 | 130 | 154 | 194 |

## Record players

| Rank | Player | Matches | Tournaments |
| 1 | Leonel Álvarez | 27 | 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995 |
| 1 | Carlos Valderrama | 27 | 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1995 |
| 3 | René Higuita | 22 | 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995 and 1999 |
| 4 | Juan Cuadrado | 21 | 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 |
| 5 | Víctor Aristizábal | 20 | 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001 |
| 5 | James Rodríguez | 20 | 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2024 |
| 7 | Arnoldo Iguarán | 19 | 1979, 1983, 1987, 1989 and 1991 |
| 7 | Luis Carlos Perea | 19 | 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993 |
| 9 | Freddy Rincón | 18 | 1991, 1993 and 1995 |
| 9 | David Ospina | 18 | 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Tournaments (goals) |
| 1 | Arnoldo Iguarán | 10 | 1979 (1), 1987 (4), 1989 (3) and 1991 (2) |
| 2 | Víctor Aristizábal | 8 | 1993 (1), 1997 (1) and 2001 (6) |
| 3 | Luis Díaz | 6 | 2021 (4) and 2024 (2) |
| 4 | Delio Gamboa | 5 | 1957 (3) and 1963 (2) |
| 4 | Ernesto Díaz | 5 | 1975 (4) and 1979 (1) |
| 6 | Carlos Arango | 4 | 1947 (1) and 1957 (3) |
| 6 | Antony de Ávila | 4 | 1989 (1) and 1991 (3) |
| 6 | Freddy Rincón | 4 | 1993 (1) and 1995 (3) |
| 9 | Fulgencio Berdugo | 3 | 1945 (2) and 1949 (1) |
| 9 | Neider Morantes | 3 | 1997 (2) and 1999 (1) |
| 9 | James Rodríguez | 3 | 2016 (2) and 2024 (1) |

## Awards and records

Team awards
* Champions (1): 2001
* Runners-up (2): 1975, 2024
* Third place (5): 1987, 1993, 1995, 2016, 2021
* Fair Play Award: 2024
Individual awards
* MVP 1987: Carlos Valderrama
* MVP 2024: James Rodríguez
* Top scorer 1975: Ernesto Díaz (4 goals) (shared)
* Top scorer 1987: Arnoldo Iguarán (4 goals)
* Top scorer 2001: Víctor Aristizábal (6 goals)
* Top scorer 2021: Luis Díaz (4 goals) (shared)
* Best young player 2015: Jeison Murillo