Chile at the Copa América explained

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.

Chile are one of the four national teams that participated in the inaugural South American Championship in 1916. During their first six participations, they always ranked last, until they recorded their first match wins in 1926.

It took 99 years for them to win their first continental title, which they defended at the Copa América Centenario in 2016.

Chile won both the 2015 and 2016 final against Argentina on penalties, even though they have never defeated the Albiceleste over regular time in tournament history (30 attempts).

Overall record

South American Championship / Copa América record
width=100	Year	width=95	Round	width=60	Position	width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20		width=60	Squad
1916	Fourth place	4th	3	0	1	2	2	11	Squad
1917	Fourth place	4th	3	0	0	3	0	10	Squad
1919	Fourth place	4th	3	0	0	3	1	12	Squad
1920	Fourth place	4th	3	0	1	2	2	4	Squad
1921	Withdrew
1922	Fifth place	5th	4	0	1	3	1	10	Squad
1923	Withdrew
1924	Fourth place	4th	3	0	0	3	1	10	Squad
1925	Withdrew
1926	Third place	3rd	4	2	1	1	14	6	Squad
1927	Withdrew
1929	Did not participate
1935	Fourth place	4th	3	0	0	3	2	7	Squad
1937	Fifth place	5th	5	1	1	3	12	13	Squad
1939	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	8	12	Squad
1941	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	6	3	Squad
1942	Sixth place	6th	6	1	1	4	4	15	Squad
1945	Third place	3rd	6	4	1	1	15	5	Squad
1946	Fifth place	5th	5	2	0	3	8	11	Squad
1947	Fourth place	4th	7	4	1	2	14	13	Squad
1949	Fifth place	5th	7	2	1	4	10	14	Squad
1953	Fourth place	4th	6	3	1	2	10	10	Squad
1955	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	19	8	Squad
1956	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	0	2	11	8	Squad
1957	Sixth place	6th	6	1	1	4	9	17	Squad
1959	Fifth place	5th	6	2	1	3	9	14	Squad
1959	Did not participate
1963
1967	Third place	3rd	5	2	2	1	8	6	Squad
1975	Group stage	6th	4	1	1	2	7	6	Squad
1979	Runners-up	2nd	9	4	3	2	13	6	Squad
1983	Group stage	5th	4	2	1	1	8	2	Squad
1987	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	0	1	9	3	Squad
1989	Group stage	5th	4	2	0	2	7	5	Squad
1991	Third place	3rd	7	3	2	2	11	6	Squad
1993	Group stage	9th	3	1	0	2	3	4	Squad
1995	Group stage	11th	3	0	1	2	3	8	Squad
1997	Group stage	11th	3	0	0	3	1	5	Squad
1999	Fourth place	4th	6	2	1	3	8	7	Squad
2001	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	0	2	5	5	Squad
2004	Group stage	10th	3	0	1	2	2	4	Squad
2007	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	4	11	Squad
2011	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	1	1	5	4	Squad
2015	Champions	1st	6	4	2	0	13	4	Squad
2016	Champions	1st	6	4	1	1	16	5	Squad
2019	Fourth place	4th	6	2	1	3	7	7	Squad
2021	Quarter-finals	7th	5	1	2	2	3	5	Squad
2024	Group stage	12th	3	0	2	1	0	1	Squad
Total	2 Titles	41/48	191	67	35	89	291	317	—

Winning tournaments

2015 Copa América

Matches

width=120	Round	width=120	Opponent	width=80	Score	width=50	Result	Scorers	width=100	Venue
Group stage		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	A. Vidal, E. Vargas	Santiago
		3–3	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	A. Vidal (2), E. Vargas
		5–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	C. Aránguiz (2), A. Sánchez, G. Medel, R. Raldes (o.g.)
Quarter-finals		1–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	M. Isla
Semi-finals		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	E. Vargas (2)
Final		0–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W

Final

GK 1 Claudio Bravo (c) CB 5 CB 21 CB 17 RM 4 Mauricio Isla CM 20 CM 8 Arturo Vidal LM 15 Jean Beausejour AM 10 CF 11 CF 7 Alexis Sánchez Substitutes: MF 14 FW 22 Manager: Jorge Sampaoli

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Sergio Romero RB 4 Pablo Zabaleta CB 15 Martín Demichelis CB 17 Nicolás Otamendi LB 16 RM 6 Lucas Biglia CM 14 Javier Mascherano  LM 21 RW 10 Lionel Messi (c) CF 11 LW 7 Substitutes: FW 22 FW 9 MF 19   Manager: Gerardo Martino

Man of the Match:Arturo Vidal (Chile)^[1]

2016 Copa América Centenario

Matches

width=120	Round	width=120	Opponent	width=80	Score	width=50	Result	Scorers	width=100	Venue
Group stage		1–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	J. Fuenzalida	Santa Clara
		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	A. Vidal (2)	Foxboro
		4–2	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	E. Vargas (2), A. Sánchez (2)	Philadelphia
Quarter-finals		7–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	E. Vargas (4), E. Puch (2), A. Sánchez	Santa Clara
Semi-finals		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	C. Aránguiz, J. Fuenzalida	Chicago
Final		0–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W		East Rutherford

Final

Since the implementation of the new FIFA ruling that a fourth substitute would be allowed in overtime,^[2] the Copa América Centenario final was the first match this rule applied to. However, neither team used a fourth substitute.

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Sergio Romero RB 4 Gabriel Mercado CB 17 Nicolás Otamendi CB 13 Ramiro Funes Mori LB 16 CM 6 Lucas Biglia CM 14 CM 19 RF 10 Lionel Messi (c) CF 9 LF 7 Substitutions: MF 5 FW 11 MF 18 Manager: Gerardo Martino

width=25 ! width=25 GK 1 Claudio Bravo (c) RB 4 Mauricio Isla CB 17 Gary Medel CB 18 Gonzalo Jara LB 15 CM 8 CM 21 CM 20 RW 6 LW 7 CF 11 Substitutions: FW 22 MF 5 FW 16 Manager: Juan Antonio Pizzi

Man of the Match: Claudio Bravo (Chile)^[3]

Record by opponent

Chile's biggest victories at Copa América tournaments were a 7–0 win against Venezuela in 1979, and a 7–0 win against Mexico in 2016.

Their biggest defeats were 0–6 losses, one against Brazil in 1919 and one against Uruguay in 1947.

Copa América matches (by team)
Opponent
	0	8	22	30	15	62
	11	2	2	15	49	17
	3	2	17	22	25	61
	0	1	0	1	0	0
	7	3	2	12	20	11
	0	0	1	1	1	2
	13	1	1	15	47	15
	1	0	0	1	4	0
	2	2	3	7	13	9
	1	0	0	1	4	2
	7	2	13	22	31	38
	8	7	7	22	27	31
	0	0	1	1	1	2
	7	5	19	31	29	63
	7	2	1	10	25	4
Total	67	35	89	191	291	317

Record players

Rank	Player	Matches	Tournaments
1	Sergio Livingstone	34	1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1949 and 1953
2	Claudio Bravo	27	2004, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024
Mauricio Isla	27	2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
Gary Medel	27	2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
5	Alexis Sánchez	26	2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
Eduardo Vargas	26	2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024
7	Arturo Vidal	24	2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
8	Charles Aránguiz	23	2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021
9	Manuel Álvarez	20	1947, 1949, 1953, 1955 and 1956
10	Gonzalo Jara	19	2007, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Tournaments (goals)
1	Eduardo Vargas	14	2015 (4), 2016 (6), 2019 (2) and 2021 (2)
2	Enrique Hormazábal	10	1955 (6) and 1956 (4)
3	Raúl Toro	9	1937 (7), 1939 (1) and 1941 (1)
4	David Arellano	8	1924 (1) and 1926 (7)
Iván Zamorano	8	1991 (5) and 1999 (3)
6	Francisco Molina	7	1953
Alexis Sánchez	7	2011 (1), 2015 (1), 2016 (3) and 2019 (2)
Arturo Vidal	7	2011 (1), 2015 (3), 2016 (2) and 2019 (1)
9	Juan Alcántara	6	1945 (5) and 1946 (1)
Jaime Ramírez	6	1955 (1), 1956 (2) and 1957 (3)

Players with multiple titles

Fifteen players were part of both the 2015 and 2016 Copa América squads, winning consecutive titles. Johnny Herrera as reserve goalkeeper was a non-playing squad member in both tournaments.

Player	Championships	Player	Championships
Charles Aránguiz	2	Gary Medel	2
Jean Beausejour	Eugenio Mena
Claudio Bravo	Mauricio Pinilla
Marcelo Díaz	Alexis Sánchez
José Pedro Fuenzalida	Francisco Silva
Johnny Herrera	Eduardo Vargas
Mauricio Isla	Arturo Vidal
Gonzalo Jara

Awards and records

Team Awards

• Champions: 2 (2015 and 2016)
• Runners-up: 4 (1955, 1956, 1979 and 1987)
• Third place: 5 (1926, 1941, 1945, 1967 and 1991)

Individual Awards^[4]

• MVP 1941: Sergio Livingstone
• MVP 1955: Enrique Hormazábal
• MVP 1979: Carlos Caszely
• MVP 2016: Alexis Sánchez
• Top scorer 1926: David Arellano (7 goals)
• Top scorer 1937: Raúl Toro (7 goals)
• Top scorer 1953: Francisco Molina (7 goals)
• Top scorer 1956: Enrique Hormazábal (4 goals)
• Top scorer 1979: Jorge Peredo (4 goals) (shared)
• Top scorer 2015: Eduardo Vargas (4 goals) (shared)
• Top scorer 2016: Eduardo Vargas (6 goals)
• Best goalkeeper 2015: Claudio Bravo
• Best goalkeeper 2016: Claudio Bravo

Team records

• Victory with highest number of goals conceded (5–4 v Peru in 1955; tied with Brazil 6–4 Chile in 1937 and Bolivia 5–4 Brazil in 1963)

Individual Records

• Most matches: Sergio Livingstone (34, shared with Lionel Messi)
• Longest time span between two matches: David Pizarro (15 years and 333 days, semi-final v Uruguay in 1999 to group match v Ecuador in 2015)

See also

• Chile at the FIFA World Cup

External links

• RSSSF archives and results
• Soccerway database

Notes and References

1. Web site: Vidal named MasterCard Man of the Match in Copa América final win. Copa América Chile 2015. 4 July 2015. 5 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150706000722/http://www.ca2015.com/en/news/vidal-named-mastercard-man-of-the-match-in-copa-america-final-win/zkn6gfz7z0ym1l4c2l9lb57pv. 6 July 2015. dead. dmy-all.
2. Web site: Copa America Centenario To Be First Around The World To Implement New Regulations Based On 2016/2017 Laws Of The Game. Copa América Centenario. 3 June 2016. 14 April 2019. 4 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161104164741/http://www.ca2016.com/article/copa-america-centenario-local-organizing-committee-announces-revised-game-regulations. dead.
3. Web site: Match 32 : Argentina vs Chile. Copa América Centenario. 26 June 2016. 26 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160627182342/http://www.ca2016.com/matches/32. 27 June 2016. dead. dmy-all.
4. Web site: The Copa América Archive. July 19, 2007. April 4, 2019.

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