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50 free Copa América trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Copa América trivia for football fans, South American obsessives and anyone who stayed up for the 2024 final at Hard Rock Stadium. The quiz starts in 1916, when Argentina marked its centenary of independence with a four-team tournament that Uruguay won, CONMEBOL was founded days later on 9 July, and the trophy was bought from a Buenos Aires jeweller for 3,000 Swiss francs. From there it follows the messy history: the 1918 flu cancellation, Argentina's three straight titles in the 1940s, Brazil sending a state side in 1959, the eight-year gap before the 1975 relaunch, the rotation of hosts, and the invitation of Mexico and the United States in 1993. Later rounds cover Honduras knocking out Brazil, Colombia's unbeaten 2001, Uruguay's 2011 title in Argentina, Chile beating Argentina on penalties two years running, the Centenario in the USA, the pandemic-hit 2021 tournament moved to Brazil at 13 days' notice, Argentina's record 16th title, and the individual records held by Messi, Zizinho, Claudio Bravo and Luis Suárez. Questions run from easy to expert and every answer was checked against a reference page and carries its source. See also our World Cup, Argentina and Brazil football quizzes.
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Q 01Copa América is described as the oldest extant what?
continental football competition
It began in 1916, 44 years before the first European Championship.
Q 02Until 1975 the tournament was known by what name?
the South American Football Championship
The Spanish name was Campeonato Sudamericano de Football; 'Copa América' arrived with the 1975 relaunch.
Q 03Argentina holds the record for Copa América titles. How many has it won?
16
Argentina has also hosted the most editions, nine, including the first in 1916.
Q 04Which two CONMEBOL nations have never won the Copa América?
Ecuador and Venezuela
Bolivia (1963), Peru (1939 and 1975), Colombia (2001) and Paraguay have all lifted it at least once.
Q 05The first edition in July 1916 was held by Argentina to celebrate what?
the centenary of its independence
An earlier 1910 tournament for the centenary of the May Revolution is not counted as official.
Q 06Who won the inaugural 1916 tournament, drawing 0-0 with the hosts in the decisive match?
Uruguay
The match was played at Estadio Racing Club in Avellaneda; Uruguay won again at home the following year.
Q 07Which Uruguayan football official proposed founding CONMEBOL during the 1916 tournament?
Héctor Rivadavia
The confederation was founded on 9 July 1916, Argentina's independence day.
Q 08Why was the 1918 tournament cancelled?
a flu outbreak in Rio de Janeiro
Brazil hosted in 1919 instead and won its first title in a playoff.
Q 09Which coach led Argentina to three straight titles in 1945, 1946 and 1947, still the record for retaining the trophy?
Guillermo Stábile
Basile (1991-93) and Scaloni (2021-24) each retained it once; no other nation has won three in a row.
Q 10In the 1959 edition held in Ecuador, Brazil sent what instead of its national side?
a team from the state of Pernambuco
There were two tournaments in 1959; the era was marked by indifference and lesser teams being sent.
Q 11Bolivia won its only title in 1963, but was beaten in the first match of 1967 by which debutant?
Venezuela
The 1963 win came at home at altitude, a pattern six of the eight winners share: first title on home soil.
Q 12When the tournament resumed in 1975 under its new name, how was it staged?
with no fixed venue, home and away
The defending champions got a bye to the semi-finals; this format lasted until 1987.
Q 13Which team beat world champions Argentina in the 1987 semi-final, leaving them fourth?
Uruguay
Uruguay retained the title, beating a Chile side that had thrashed Brazil 4-0 in the group stage.
Q 21Brazil beat Argentina in the finals of 2004 and 2007. How was the 2004 final decided?
on penalties
Three years later in Venezuela Brazil won the rematch 3-0.
Q 22Who won the 2011 tournament in Argentina, the first with neither Argentina nor Brazil in the semi-finals?
Uruguay
Uruguay beat Paraguay 3-0 in the final for its third title on Argentine soil.
Q 23When Brazil sought to offload the 2015 tournament, which CONMEBOL president proposed Mexico?
Nicolás Leoz
Instead Brazil and Chile swapped, made official in May 2012, and Chile won its first title at home in 2015.
Q 14Argentina's 1991 win in Chile, powered by Gabriel Batistuta, ended a title wait of how many years?
32
The previous title had come in 1959; Alfio Basile retained it in 1993.
Q 15Which two CONCACAF nations were the first invited to take part, at the 1993 tournament in Ecuador?
Mexico and the United States
Mexico then played every edition until 2016, and Japan filled the 12th slot in 1999.
Q 16Which Asian nation played in 1999 and again in 2019, alongside Qatar?
Japan
China accepted an invitation for 2015 and Australia for 2021, but neither ended up appearing.
Q 17Which European nation was invited to the 2011 tournament but declined?
Spain
Ten non-South American teams have taken part in all, eight of them from CONCACAF.
Q 18Which striker joined Edmundo and Zé Roberto on the scoresheet in the 1997 final in Bolivia?
Ronaldo
Brazil retained it in 1999 with a 3-0 win over Uruguay in Asunción.
Q 19Who knocked Brazil out of the 2001 tournament in the quarter-finals, one of its biggest shocks?
Honduras
Hosts Colombia went on to win their first title without conceding a goal.
Q 20Argentina withdrew from the 2001 edition, the only CONMEBOL absence since 1975, over what?
scheduling and security
The reasons were scheduling and security disagreements with the Colombian hosts.
Q 24How was the 2015 final between Chile and Argentina decided?
on penalties after a 0-0 draw
Chile repeated the trick a year later at the Centenario, again beating Argentina in a shoot-out.
Q 25Which country hosted the 2016 Copa América Centenario, the first held outside South America?
the United States
It set attendance records with 1.5 million spectators; the USA hosted again in 2024.
Q 26Argentina's 2016 final loss followed defeats to Chile in 2015 and which team in the 2014 World Cup final?
Germany
The run drove Messi to a brief international retirement.
Q 27Roughly how much did the 2016 Centenario's special gold-covered trophy weigh?
7.1 kg
Chile won it on penalties; the 61 cm trophy was made by Thomas Lyte in London and carried both CONMEBOL and CONCACAF emblems.
Q 28Brazil beat which team 3-1 in the 2019 final at the Maracanã to win a ninth title?
Peru
The opening match was at São Paulo's Morumbi and the semi-finals in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte.
Q 29COVID-19 cases rose in Argentina, so the 2021 tournament moved to Brazil how many days before kickoff?
13
Co-host Colombia had already dropped out amid protests; most matches were played behind closed doors.
Q 30Argentina's 2021 final win over Brazil ended a title drought of how many years?
28
It was the first time Brazil had failed to win a Copa América on home soil; Messi and Neymar shared the Best Player award.