The teams walking out of the tunnel for the 2007 semi-final between Brazil and Uruguay in Maracaibo.The squad that won Brazil's first international title: the 1919 South American Championship. The final play-off against Uruguay finished 0–0 after regulation, before star player Arthur Friedenreich (kneeling, middle), scored the decisive winning goal in extra time.Ronaldo was named player of the tournament in 1997 and its top scorer in 1999. He scored in the finals of both editions.
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.
Brazil have won the tournament nine times, which makes them the third-most successful team in tournament history behind Argentina (16) and Uruguay (15). Brazil withdrew from the tournament for almost ten years between 1926 and 1935.
Brazil were particularly successful from 1997 to 2007, winning four out of five Copas during that time. Zizinho, who competed in the 1940s and 1950s, is the player with the joint-most goals (17) in tournament history.
Pelé, the "Player of the Century", never won the continental title and only competed in one South American Championship in 1959. However, he did present his impressive scoring abilities with eight goals in six matches, becoming that edition's top scorer and most valuable player.
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 Brazil the respective titles.
Brazil's biggest victories at continental championships were a 10–1 win against Bolivia in 1949 and a 9–0 win against Colombia in 1957, with Evaristo scoring five goals. Their largest defeat was a 0–6 loss against Uruguay in 1920.
With 17 goals in 33 matches, Zizinho is both Brazil's all-time record player and most successful scorer at the tournament. He won the title once, in 1949.
Former defensive midfielder Dunga is the only Brazilian who has won the Copa América three times: Twice as a player (1989 and 1997) and once as head coach (2007).
In spite of Brazil winning four Copa Américas within ten years from 1997 to 2007, no single player has been part of more than two victorious squads. Twenty-three players, however, have won two tournaments each:
* Additionally, Dunga won the title as head coach in 2007. Another Brazilian with two titles is Danilo Alvim, who won the South American Championship as player (1949) and as head coach of Bolivia (1963).
Champion as coach of another nation: Danilo Alvim (with Bolivia 1963)
Team records
Most goals in one tournament (46, in 1949)
Victory with highest number of goals conceded (6–4 v Chile in 1937, tied with Chile 5–4 Peru in 1955 and Bolivia 5–4 Brazil in 1963)
Only team to simultaneously hold the Copa América and the FIFA World Cup title (1997-1998 and 2004–2006. During both spells they additionally won the FIFA Confederations Cup.)
1916
1917
1919
1920
1927
1947
1953
1963
1989
1999
2001
2007
2016
2019
Paraguay
1999
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Haiti
Honduras
Mexico
Venezuela
